{"id":8692,"date":"2011-03-23T14:10:07","date_gmt":"2011-03-23T18:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?p=8692"},"modified":"2011-03-23T20:57:10","modified_gmt":"2011-03-24T00:57:10","slug":"deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/","title":{"rendered":"Deraa: The Government Takes off its Gloves: 15 Killed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The government is cracking down on the people of Deraa. The gloves are off. 15 killed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Deraa is very poor and Islamic – it optimizes everything that troubles Syria – a failed economy, the population explosion, a bad governor and overbearing security forces. It is an explosive brew. Even if the government can contain violence to Deraa for the time-being, protests will spread. The wall of fear has broken. Apathy of the young has turned to anger. Youtube, Aljazeera and cellphones have changed the game and given the people a powerful weapon to fight authority. The country is under intense pressure and ready to explode. There is too much unemployment and too little freedom.<\/p>\n

We saw the first direct sectarian slogans yesterday among the opposition that until now has stuck to a moderate message of dismantling emergency law, promulgating a new party law, and winning freedom. But on Thursday, the demonstrators abandoned their gentler slogans and chanted: “No Iran. No Hizbullah. We want a Muslim who fears God.”<\/p>\n

?? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????
\nSee the video on Youtube<\/a><\/p>\n

This slogan invokes the Muslim Brotherhood complaint of the 1970s and 1980s, when extremists called for an end to Alawite rule and accused Syria’s Alawites of being unbelievers and non-Arabs or Chrypto-Iranians – “Shu’ubiyyun<\/em><\/a>,” – a term originally applied to non-Arab Muslims, mainly Persians, who resisted Arab claims to be the prime inheritors of the prophet. It was used by the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1970s to discredit the Syrian regime and by Saddam Hussein against Iraqi Shiites. Saddam demanded that Iraqi Shi\u2018ites abandon their shu\u2018ubi<\/em> tendencies and reverence for Iranian religious leaders and embrace an authentically Arab Islam. By claiming that “We want a Muslim who fears in God” and “No Iran.”<\/p>\n

The use of this slogan by protesters reawakened all the old fears of the regime. The government in taking the Omari mosque in Deraa and placing the claimed cache of captured arms on display – is hitting back and accusing the opposition of being driven by al-Qaida and the Taliban who take orders from America.<\/p>\n

Addendum: (Wednesday evening March 23)<\/strong> Several people have written to correct me on interpreting this phrase and the level of sectarianism:<\/p>\n

1. The correct translation is \u201cNo Iran. No Hizbullah. We want a Muslim who is afraid of God.\u201d Someone who is said to be “afraid of God” in the wider context of Syrian society means someone who is virtuous and morally righteous, not necessarily religious. This phrase is quite often used in marriage context, i.e “I would like to find my daughter a young man who is afraid of God”. The underlying logic behind this meaning stems from the belief that anyone who fears God, will not be able to commit the sins that evoke his wrath, hence will always be morally righteous. On a related note, there is widespread support across a vast swathe of Syrian society for any sort of movement which can bring about much needed political reform and basic freedoms, but whether there will be the same level of support for a revolution or an uprising is a different matter. Many wealthier urbanites are at best apathetic and would prefer stability to freedom, which may explain why the uprising have been largely a rural affair thus far.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. Sir, They are looking after a trusted Muslim human being who fears God and willing to protect them from the killers !! They meant a SYRIAN ruler that disallows the killing of his own unarmed civilian because of his fear of God , and It has nothing to do with the long gone MB\u2026<\/p>\n

3.What is shocking Josh is that you say the demos turned sectarian because in one demo you heard some people Chanting sectarian slogans. This is ridiculous. It is obvious that there is sectarianism in Syria and you are going to hear that type of slogans from time to time. But what is obvious is that the vast majority of the slogans are actually NOT sectarian. You are very good at communication and you know very well the impact of your blog. It is a pity you do not make more serious efforts at portraying a picture as close as possible to the truth.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Farouk al Sharaa, the Vice President, has made the strategy clear. He stated:<\/p>\n

??? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ?? ??? ???????? ????????? ??? ????? \u00ab??? ???? ????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ????????? ??? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ???? ????? ????????? ?? ??????
\n????? ???? ???? ???? ??????\u00bb.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As for the question about our position on the spread of Islamic political currents in the light of regional development, Sharaa stated, “We are not opposed to the Islamic currents that are rational and broadminded which understand their true roots, but as for al-Qaida and the Taliban which take their instructions from America, and pretend that they are against it, they are condemnable.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The gloves are coming off on both sides and things will become much more sectarian and violent.<\/p>\n

The government will stress its slogan of the last 30 years: “Stability and Security.” Implicite will be the question: “Do Syrians want to become like Iraq? Do they want their country to be torn by civil war and religious strife?”<\/p>\n

The opposition says that Syria is different from Lebanon and Iraq and will not crumble along religious or regional lines. They insist the regime is offering the Syrian people a false choice between chaos and dictatorship. They argue that allegations of Islamism and religious intolerance are invented. They insist the government will destabilize Syria to make it’s predictions come true.<\/p>\n

Video of Syrian mukhabarat making arrests in Daraa<\/a><\/p>\n

In war, truth is the first casualty. Or as Sun Tzu’s wrote, “All warfare is based on deception”.<\/p>\n

Key to a successful revolution in Syria must be the splitting of Syria’s elite. This is made up of the Alawis officers, who dominate the security forces and military, and the great Sunni merchant and industrial families, who dominate the economy as well as Syria’s moral and cultural universe.\u00a0 If the Alawi and Sunni elites stick together, it is difficult to imagine how widespread but scattered popular revolts can overturn the state.<\/p>\n

News Summary Follows:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 ???? ????\u00a0 – ?????<\/p>\n

????? ????? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ??????
\n23\/03\/2011
\n??? ???? ???? ????????? ????? ?????: ?? ??? \u00ab?????? ?????? ???? ????? ??????\u00bb ?? ????? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ??????
\n??? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ?? ??? ???????? ????????? ??? ????? \u00ab??? ???? ????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ????????? ??? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ???? ????? ????????? ?? ??????
\n????? ???? ???? ???? ??????\u00bb.<\/p>\n

Syrian forces kill 6 in mosque attack: residents<\/a>
\nReuters
\nProtesters gather near the Omari Mosque in the southern old city of Deraa Reuters
\nBy Khaled Yacoub Oweis Khaled Yacoub Oweis \u2013 1 hr 57 mins ago<\/p>\n

DAMASCUS (Reuters) \u2013 Syrian forces killed at least six people on Wednesday in an attack on a mosque in the southern city of Deraa, site of unprecedented protests challenging President Bashar al-Assad’s Baathist rule, residents said.<\/p>\n

Assad, a close ally of Iran, key player in neighboring Lebanon and supporter of militant groups opposed to Israel, has dismissed rising demands for fundamental reform in Syria where his Baath Party has held a monopoly on power for 48 years.<\/p>\n

Those killed included Ali Ghassab al-Mahamid, a doctor from a prominent Deraa family who went to the Omari mosque in the city’s old quarter to help victims of the attack, which occurred just after midnight, said the residents, declining to be named.<\/p>\n

YouTube footage showed what purported to be the street in front of the mosque before the attack, with the sound of gunfire audible and a person inside the mosque grounds yelling: “Brother don’t shoot. This country is big enough for me and you.”<\/p>\n

Before security forces attacked the mosque, the focal point of the Deraa protests, electricity was cut off and telephone services were severed. Cries of “Allah Akbar (God is the greatest)” erupted across neighborhoods as the shooting began.<\/p>\n

“Syrian authorities think they can kill non-violent democratic protesters with impunity,” exiled Syrian rights defender Haitham al-Manna told BBC television from Paris.<\/p>\n

An official Syrian statement said: “Outside parties are transmitting lies about the situation in Deraa,” blaming what it described as armed gangs for the violence.<\/p>\n

The statement said doctor Mahamid, who was killed while he was in an ambulance that had arrived at the scene to rescue the injured, was “assaulted by an armed gang.”<\/p>\n

“Security forces confronted the armed gang near the Omari mosque, shooting several of its members and arresting others. A member of the security forces was killed,” the statement said.<\/p>\n

It said the armed gang “stocked weapons and ammunition in the mosque and kidnapped children and used them as human shields.” State television showed guns, grenades and ammunition it said were found in the mosque, but activists said the protest was peaceful and there had been no weapons.<\/p>\n

The attack brought to 10 the number of civilians killed by Syrian forces during six days of demonstrations for political freedoms and an end to corruption in the country of 20 million.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Based on reports from Syrian human rights organizations and relatives, Amnesty International<\/a>has compiled the names of 93 people who were arrested between 8 and 23 March in Damascus, Aleppo, Banias, Dera\u2019a, Douma, Hama, Homs, Latakia, Ma\u2019aratan Nu\u2019man and al-Malkiyah and remain detained in unknown locations. The real number of those arrested is likely to be considerably higher. According to one Syrian human rights organization, around 300 people had been arrested in Dera\u2019a in the five days before last night\u2019s attack.<\/p>\n

\n

Government statement<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

???????? ??????? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ? ??????? ?????? ???????? ?? ??????? ????? ?????
\nThe armed gangs in Daraa stored weapons and ammunition inside the Omari mosque and they used children whom they kidnapped from their parents as human shields.<\/p>\n

Jerusalem Post: For all his faults, Assad is the devil we know<\/a>, 2011-03-23<\/p>\n

Since the Yom Kippur War of 1973, one of the strongest arguments some Israelis make against withdrawing from the Golan Heights and making peace with Syria is basically, \u201cif it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of all of Israel\u2019s borders including, the so-called peaceful ones with Jordan and Egypt, the border with Syria has always been the quietest. Yes, Israel fought a major war there in 1973, but since then, the border has been peaceful, with only a rare terror or criminal infiltration.<\/p>\n

As Israel watches the ongoing demonstrations in Syria against President Bashar Assad, its greatest concern for the moment is the uncertainty that change in Syria would bring to the region. Israel has gotten used to Assad and he is almost predictable. A new regime, led by a new actor, would likely be unpredictable and when considering the large arsenal of long-range Scud missiles Syria has stockpiled over the years and the accompanying chemical warheads, Israel needs to be considered.<\/p>\n

In recent weeks, since the ongoing upheaval began in the Middle East, starting with Tunisia and Egypt and carrying on to Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and now Syria, Israel has found itself in a new reality in which uncertainty prevails. Who will take over in Egypt as the new president and what will happen to the peace treaty? What will happen in Bahrain, and will Iran continue to solidify its grip over the Gulf states? With regards to Syria, the Israeli defense establishment cannot say that the writing was not on the wall.<\/p>\n

It is no secret that Syria is in an economic crisis, lacking basic resources such as water, oil and produce. Assad has for years rejected opportunities to do business with the West \u2013 particularly Europe \u2013 and with runaway inflation and high unemployment he is now paying the price. But when Israel looks at Syria it also sees the possible development of a new enemy, far more radical and extreme than the Assad they are familiar with.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Haaretz: IDF: Syria may provoke Israel to distract from domestic unrest<\/a>
\n2011-03-23<\/p>\n

The Israel Defense Forces is readying for the possibility that Syria might create a provocation along the northern border to divert attention from the growing protests against President Bashar Assad’s regime. Nevertheless, the defense establishment …<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Protesters march in south Syria for fifth day<\/a>
\nBy Khaled al-Hariri<\/p>\n

DERAA, Syria, March 22 (Reuters) – Hundreds of people marched in southern Syria for a fifth straight day on Tuesday, protesting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad and shouting “Freedom, freedom. Peaceful, peaceful.” Protesters gathered near the Old Omari mosque in Deraa and in the nearby town of Nawa in the strategic Hauran plateau, close to the border with Jordan, catching a wave of Arab unrest that has toppled leaders in Tunisia and Egypt.<\/p>\n

“We want bread, but also freedom,” said a resident of Deraa, where wheat yields fell by a quarter last year due to a drought that has hit the rest of the country of 20 million people. Security forces killed four protesters when the demonstrations erupted in Deraa on Friday, and an 11-year-old child died after inhaling tear gas. ….<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

PBS News: News Wrap: At Least 7 Killed in Syria as Army Deploys to Stop Unrest<\/a><\/p>\n

Protest Spreads in Syria Despite Firing of Governor of Restive Southern Province<\/a>
\n2011-03-22, By Associated Press<\/p>\n

Protest Spreads in Syria Despite Firing of Governor of Restive Southern Province<\/p>\n

March 22 (Washington Post) — DAMASCUS, Syria \u2014 Protests spread in southern Syria Tuesday as hundreds of people marched to demand reforms in a previously peaceful village, witnesses and activists said.
\nTroops and protesters faced off in a nearby city outside a mosque where demonstrators have taken shelter.<\/p>\n

The government sought to contain the first serious intrusion of the Arab world\u2019s political unrest by firing the governor of the southern province of Daraa, where security forces killed seven protesters in the main city of Daraa over the weekend.<\/p>\n

The governor\u2019s dismissal failed to quell popular anger and the protests reached the village of Nawa, where hundreds of people marched demanding reforms, an activist told The AssociatedPress.<\/p>\n

Smaller protests have been held in Jasim and Inkhil, near Daraa, and other Syrian cities including the capital, Damascus, and the Kurdish city of Qamishli.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fear barrier crumbles in Syrian “kingdom of silence”<\/strong>
\n22 March 2011
\nReuters News, By Khaled Yacoub Oweis<\/p>\n

DAMASCUS, March 22 (Reuters) – The preacher of the Saladin Mosque was reflecting on the joys of Mother’s Day, his sermon straying far from dramatic protests now gripping Syria, when a young man jumped up to the pulpit and grabbed the microphone.<\/p>\n

“Why are you talking about this in these circumstances? Tell us about the political situation!” shouted the youth, before secret police arrested him and hurried him away.<\/p>\n

The scene at the mosque in the lower income Damascus district of Ruknaldin, recounted to Reuters by worshippers who witnessed it on Friday, was striking in a country where pliant citizens have endured government-dictated sermons for decades. In Damascus, as in the provinces, a barrier of fear which had blocked dissent is breaking down. Uprisings across the Arab world have not stopped at the door of one of its most hardline administrations.<\/p>\n

For the first time, placards other than those glorifying Syria’s ruling elite and the “historic achievements” of the Baath Party are being raised in the towns of the strategic Hauran plain south of Damascus. A single word is etched on them — “Freedom”…..<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Economist: The Arab Awakening Reaches Syria<\/a><\/p>\n

There are signs the crisis in Deraa could be solved. A group of prominent locals has presented a list of demands to the government. These include the end to emergency law and the dismantling of the local security office, but not the removal of Mr Assad. Friday\u2019s protesters had different motives in different parts of the country. In other areas, such as quiet Damascus, many disbelieve the news leaking out or prefer to turn a blind eye. Some activists want to pull back, viewing the situation as a dangerously unarticulated barrage of anger. Dormant opposition figures are complicating matters by trying to enter the fray. \u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In Daraa today<\/a>: Youtube, Shouting freedom freedom and turning the secret service vehicle upside down.<\/p>\n

Standing up to the west isn’t enough to save Assad<\/a>
\n2011-03-21…..<\/p>\n

David Hirst in the Guardian: Standing up to the west isn\u2019t enough to save Assad<\/a><\/p>\n

There is a growing feeling that it could escalate into something much bigger and more decisive, with the regime\u2019s own reactions \u2013 now consisting of the usual brute force with a novel, nervous admixture of conciliation \u2013 constituting the key factor as to whether it does or not.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A note from a Syrian friend visiting Damascus over the weekend<\/strong><\/p>\n

I took a day trip from Beirut to Damascus, had lunch and dinner there and just got back to Beirut. I will rush you some quick observations as I am a bit tired and haven’t yet caught up with the 2M+ email I got since I was gone.<\/p>\n

– My overall impression: I am a bit concerned but not worried at all.<\/p>\n

When I left Beirut, I was expecting the worse. Since I can only travel as a US citizen, I was bit concerned that with a last name of Atassi (with the stupid Atassi declaration that included all Atassis inside and outside Syria without my consent), the worries of some strangers coming to Syria as agitators, that I might be subjected to some not so easy time.<\/p>\n

Nothing. It was the smoothest trip I ever had. The border guards were the most courteous, no-question-asked officers I have ever seen.<\/p>\n

* There were no patrols, troop movements, security check points, or anything, I repeat, anything that might tell me there is a crises in Syria anywhere. Absolutely positively everything looked normal and very calm. This is from the Syrian Borders to the Mazze, to the Four Seasons Hotel.<\/p>\n

* Along the Mazzeh autostrad, traffic was busy, coffee shops and restaurants were busy, and buses were full of people. Life couldn’t look more normal. It was the Damascus I knew.<\/p>\n

* At the end of the Mazzeh Autostrad, I was expecting to see people with families chillaxing on the grassy areas, like they always do during the summer. They were actually there, chillaxing, may with arjile and children were playing.<\/p>\n

* Unlike what I read in some reports before I left today, the Government did not give the people two days off to sort through the issues of Daraa. So let me get you the scoop on this. The 21st of March, Mother’d Day has always bee an official holiday in Syria since the days of the father. So Monday is off. They gave the people, Sunday (today) off to make it a long weekend (with the weekend in Syria being Friday and Saturday.) By the way, today’s off is what we call in the US administrative leave (Ijazeh Idarieh) – meaning employees will have to take today off and will be deducted from their annual leave time.<\/p>\n

* The Four Seasons Hotel was full of people, but not packed as in the summer days. Being a Holiday and tomorrow being Mother’s Day, many people did nt venture outside to party as they usually do, I was told.<\/p>\n

* I asked the local about the latest events. No one is worried my all had the attitude of why-are-you surprised. I was shocked. Everyone I talked to seems to have been expecting this Daraa events all along. The reason? I did not know that the Daraa issue was festering for a while now – even before Egypt. Apparently many Wahhabis have infiltrated the city – especially from Jordan and have been preaching hatred against the Alawites (here we go again, Alawites vs a group of Syrians) and in the last month or so there have been some arrests, beating, and you-know-what-they-do when they catch these salafis.<\/p>\n

* So people in Damascus (and only those I talked to) wish that the government finally crush them once and for all. One friend told me (not sure how true) that Bashar got the told-you-so from some senior intelligence officers when he insisted early on to treat the Salafis with utmost caring under the circumstances. Apparently they wanted to deal with them in their usual ways and he overruled them. Not sure how true this is, but it is what I heard.<\/p>\n

* So I asked about the demonstration in Damascus and Banyas and elsewhere. Apparently few are concerned with those and they considered them “no big deal” ?? ???? ?????.<\/p>\n

So, life is normal and the Syrians I met with did not seem to be concerned that things will get worse. I did hear, though, and repeatedly that Bashar needs to change. ANd in fact, I did her exactly what Mouris said earlier that Bashar needs to announce term limit, and that he will not run for re-election, and that he needs to rescind the emergency law, allow other parties to participate and he needs to let loosen teh terrible laws against the private market.<\/p>\n

Whether Bashar will head the advice or not is unknown. But all of the people I talked to seem to think this this is not as big as we think.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

WIKILEAKS- thanks to FLC<\/strong>
\nS E C R E T TEL AVIV 003079<\/p>\n

SUBJECT: ISRAEL FM LIVNI SAYS ISRAEL DISAPPROVES OF CURRENT DRAFT OF UN RESOLUTION<\/a><\/p>\n

3. (S) With media representatives present, FM Livni opened the meeting by cautioning everyone not to believe what the newspapers write: “Israel is not satisfied with the draft UN resolution (1559) as it stands.” After the media reps departed the room, Livni reiterated to the Assistant Secretary that Israel — like Lebanon — does not approve of the current draft of the resolution. Over the next hour and a half, FM Livni made repeated, impassioned appeals to the Assistant Secretary not to allow the draft UN resolution to address the long-standing Shebaa Farms territorial dispute. First, she argued that Shebaa Farms is a territorial dispute between Lebanon and Syria. As such, Israel has no right to be involved in it, and does not wish to have it placed on its bilateral agenda with Lebanon. She argued that IF\/IF Shebaa Farms were returned to Lebanon in any kind of post-conflict resolution — and Israel were implicated in the return — then Syria might attack Israel, arguing that Israel had no right to hand the territory over to Lebanon. 4. (S) FM Livni also returned to what she said were the GOI’s initial objections to addressing the Shebaa Farms issue in the first place — that return of any disputed territory as part of a resolution to the current conflict would be tantamount to rewarding aggression. Hizballah, she claimed, would grow stronger,… Asking for five minutes to lay out the Israeli position on Shebaa Farms, Livni continued: “In past discussions between Israel and the U.S., it was clear that Shebaa Farms would be the end of a process — full implementation of (UNSCR) 1559. Now, it is being put as something to start with! I am so fed up with weak leaders who want to get something good without implementing their deals.” She wondered aloud what would happen next — perhaps Hizballah would press for return of the West Bank? Pounding the table, Livni said, “Surely the U.S. and other Western governments are not naive enough to believe Hizballah’s statements that it exists because of Shebaa Farms. Iran is the reason why Hizballah exists. Iran, Syria, the Palestinians and Hamas are watching us. We will be sending the wrong message. They will see that they get something by killing Israelis. I do not care about Siniora’s ‘blah blah’ about how this is something for him. If Shebaa Farms are returned to Lebanon, Hizballah will merely take up another cause. It exists solely to advocate for and execute the destruction of Israel….” One could, she said, imagine a scenario in which Shebaa Farms were returned, and then the weak Siniora government decides not to take action on any of its “obligations,” including complete execution of UNSCR 1559. 6. (S) Livni stressed that prior to the outbreak of the fighting, there was a series of UNSCRs that concerned Lebanon: 425 (Israel’s withdrawal behind a UN-mandated line), 1559 (disarmament of militias) and 1680 (calling on Syria to delimit its borders with Lebanon). Accepting Assistant Secretary Welch’s clarification that expectations laid out in 1559 were not “obligations” set on Lebanon’s government, Livni nonetheless argued that .. Shebaa Farms will be dealt with only after 1559 is fully implemented.”….<\/p>\n

9. (S) The Assistant Secretary shared with Livni the results of his August 4-5 meetings in Lebanon Specifically, he told FM Livni that: — Berri sees himself as able to represent Shia interests, and is willing, but does not feel obligated, to do so. He is providing considerable help to PM Siniora, who relies upon him to keep the Shia in line with the GOL. Berri indicated his willingness to be an intermediary to Hizballah … — Jumblat claimed that the IDF is not making much headway against Hizballah and needs to keep up pressure on the group. All of the Assistant Secretary’s interlocutors understood that it is helpful to have Hizballah “militarily pressured.”… — Like the Israelis, the Lebanese are not happy with the lead role France has appointed itself in organizing the MNF. — All said that they cannot ask for or approve a multinational force under a Chapter 7 mandate, but can accept one if it is imposed on Lebanon. They are planning for the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) immediately upon withdrawal of the IDF — even if the MNF is not yet in place. Berri implied that Hizballah would agree, and volunteered to personally lead a vanguard of 10,000-15,000 troops into the south. …. PM Siniora and wants the bulk of Muslim MNF troops to be Sunni. — All accept that there should be no arms in the area of operations except those held by the LAF and MNF. .. — All agreed that Iran and Syria want to continue the fight.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Costa Coffee Closes Most Outlets in Syria<\/strong>: Costa Coffee, a global chain of caf\u00e9s, has closed most of its outlets in Damascus, citing operational losses.<\/p>\n

U.S. Reacts to Fear of Iran’s Rising Clout<\/a><\/p>\n

White House Eyes Islamist State While Strategizing in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Syria; But Its Approach Could Backfire
\nWASHINGTON\u2014White House concerns that Iran’s hand is being strengthened by recent events in the Middle East is central to its response to the turmoil, say U.S., European, and Arab officials.<\/p>\n

President Barack Obama’s decision last week to use military force against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s forces was made in part by his administration’s fear that Western inaction could further embolden Tehran, these officials say.<\/p>\n

Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Iran’s Shiite government are locked in a battle for regional influence.<\/p>\n

U.S. military planners are also concerned Iran could benefit from an overthrow of the monarchy in Bahrain, home to U.S. naval operations that help control the Persian Gulf’s oil flow.<\/p>\n

In Yemen, too, Washington’s closest Arab allies, in particular Saudi Arabia, are worried the potential overthrow of President Ali Abdullah Saleh could strengthen Iran in the region.<\/p>\n

Riyadh briefly invaded Yemen last year to contain a rebel movement, known as the Houthis, which shares Tehran’s Shiite faith and Arab states allege has received funding and arms from Iran.<\/p>\n

“Everything the U.S. is doing to respond in the Middle East is colored by how this could hurt or help Iran,” said a European official who has met with senior U.S. officials in recent weeks. “This might be an overreaction, but it’s how people are viewing things.”<\/p>\n

Many Middle East analysts warn that Washington’s Iran strategy could backfire. Tehran and its allies have been saying the Obama administration’s varying approach to each uprising in the region is hypocritical, in particular its lukewarm condemnation of the Bahrain government’s recent crackdown on a largely Shiite protest movement.<\/p>\n

An overthrow of Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy would likely produce a government more aligned with Tehran’s interests.<\/p>\n

“I ask some in the Arab and Islamic worlds: Why have you remained mum over the tyranny against our people in Bahrain,” Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Lebanon’s Hezbollah party and a close Iran ally, said on Saturday. “Is it only because they are Shiites?”<\/p>\n

Iran’s leadership has sought to cast the Middle East’s democratic wave as one that targets pro-American governments. But the turmoil has also rekindled a protest movement in Iran\u2014the antithesis of a pro-U.S. government\u2014that flared in 2009 following allegations that national elections were rigged. The White House has sought to cast Tehran as hypocritical\u2014urging on protests in Arab nations, but suppressing them at home.<\/p>\n

Over the weekend, Mr. Obama offered his strongest rhetorical support yet for Iran’s youthful opposition movement.<\/p>\n

“So far, the Iranian government has responded by demonstrating that it cares more about preserving its own power than respecting the rights of the Iranian people,” Mr. Obama said in a video message that was beamed into Iran and translated into Persian to commemorate Nowruz, the Persian New Year. “These choices do not demonstrate strength, they show fear.”<\/p>\n

The U.S. Treasury Department last month for the first time imposed sanctions on Iranian officials solely for their alleged role in human-rights abuses and for playing a role in the crackdown on political dissidents.<\/p>\n

The Obama administration is pushing the United Nations’ Human Rights Council in Geneva to censure Iran for its alleged abuses and establish the first U.N. human rights investigator for the Islamic republic in a decade.<\/p>\n

Another front in the U.S.’s Middle East approach is Syria, which has been engulfed by political protests in recent days. The Obama administration has aggressively sought to split Syrian President Bashar al-Assad away from his longstanding alliance with Tehran. And it has sought to rekindle peace talks between Syria and Israel over the disputed Golan Heights territory, so far with little luck.<\/p>\n

U.S. officials said they are now closely tracking a growing protest movement that has focused on the southern Syrian city of Deraa, which is now viewed as the greatest political challenge to Mr. Assad’s 11-year rule. Human rights-groups said at least half a dozen activists have been killed since Friday. And U.S. officials, while cautious in predicting Mr. Assad will fall, believe the protests could force the 46-year-old leader to limit his cooperation with Tehran.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem broke with Iran and formally supported Saudi Arabia’s role in quelling the unrest in Bahrain. Riyadh is seen as the principal Arab power capable of providing Syria with crucial economic and political support if Syria’s protest movement swells.<\/p>\n

The Persian Gulf remains the most important flash point in the proxy battle between the U.S. and Iran. “We do expect Iran will attempt to take advantage of events for its own purposes,” said Ben Rhodes, U.S. deputy national-security adviser for strategic communications. “Iran has a long history of attempting to meddle in the affairs of other countries.”<\/p>\n

The Obama administration has faced criticism for not more forcefully condemning the move by Bahrain’s ruling Khalifa family and Saudi Arabia to deploy troops against largely Shiite protestors.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia’s monarchs have told the U.S. they won’t accept a new government in Bahrain that could fall under Iran’s sway.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Bahrain’s foreign minister threatened to cut ties with Lebanon over the Hezbollah leader’s criticism of the recent military operations. And Bahrain’s leaders have intensified their claims that Iran is trying to topple their government.<\/p>\n

“Iran’s behavior and contacts with some nations and organization about the international affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain is a clear intervention,” Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa told reporters Friday. “I’d like to remind all of you of the incident that had taken place in Iran last year or even before that,” referring to the 2009 protests.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Demands of the Deraa Leaders<\/a> includes:
\nRelease of those imprisoned, replacement of the Governor and security, investigation and punishment of those who shot demonstrators, end emergency law, free market in land sales, without intelligence oversight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The government is cracking down on the people of Deraa. The gloves are off. 15 killed. Deraa is very poor and Islamic – it optimizes everything that troubles Syria – a failed economy, the population explosion, a bad governor and overbearing security forces. It is an explosive brew. Even if the government can contain violence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[90,91],"class_list":["post-8692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-demonstrations","tag-deraa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nDeraa: The Government Takes off its Gloves: 15 Killed - Syria Comment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Deraa: The Government Takes off its Gloves: 15 Killed - Syria Comment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The government is cracking down on the people of Deraa. The gloves are off. 15 killed. Deraa is very poor and Islamic – it optimizes everything that troubles Syria – a failed economy, the population explosion, a bad governor and overbearing security forces. It is an explosive brew. Even if the government can contain violence […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Syria Comment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-03-23T18:10:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-03-24T00:57:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.euronews.net\/images_old\/11\/W300px_syria-protest-210311m.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joshua\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@joshua_landis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@joshua_landis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joshua\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"26 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/\",\"name\":\"Deraa: The Government Takes off its Gloves: 15 Killed - Syria Comment\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.euronews.net\/images_old\/11\/W300px_syria-protest-210311m.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-03-23T18:10:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2011-03-24T00:57:10+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.euronews.net\/images_old\/11\/W300px_syria-protest-210311m.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.euronews.net\/images_old\/11\/W300px_syria-protest-210311m.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Deraa: The Government Takes off its Gloves: 15 Killed\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Syria Comment\",\"description\":\"Syrian politics, history, and religion\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80\",\"name\":\"Joshua\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.joshualandis.com\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/joshua_landis\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/author\/syriacomment\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Deraa: The Government Takes off its Gloves: 15 Killed - Syria Comment","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Deraa: The Government Takes off its Gloves: 15 Killed - Syria Comment","og_description":"The government is cracking down on the people of Deraa. The gloves are off. 15 killed. Deraa is very poor and Islamic – it optimizes everything that troubles Syria – a failed economy, the population explosion, a bad governor and overbearing security forces. It is an explosive brew. Even if the government can contain violence […]","og_url":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/","og_site_name":"Syria Comment","article_published_time":"2011-03-23T18:10:07+00:00","article_modified_time":"2011-03-24T00:57:10+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.euronews.net\/images_old\/11\/W300px_syria-protest-210311m.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Joshua","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@joshua_landis","twitter_site":"@joshua_landis","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Joshua","Est. reading time":"26 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/","url":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/","name":"Deraa: The Government Takes off its Gloves: 15 Killed - Syria Comment","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.euronews.net\/images_old\/11\/W300px_syria-protest-210311m.jpg","datePublished":"2011-03-23T18:10:07+00:00","dateModified":"2011-03-24T00:57:10+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/www.euronews.net\/images_old\/11\/W300px_syria-protest-210311m.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.euronews.net\/images_old\/11\/W300px_syria-protest-210311m.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/deraa-the-government-takes-of-its-gloves-as-sectarianism-rears-its-head\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Deraa: The Government Takes off its Gloves: 15 Killed"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/","name":"Syria Comment","description":"Syrian politics, history, and religion","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80","name":"Joshua","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.joshualandis.com","https:\/\/x.com\/joshua_landis"],"url":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/author\/syriacomment\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p38J3A-2gc","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8692\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}