Syria on the Verge of Collapse

Newsmax ^ | Thursday, 19 Jul 2012 09:04 AM | By Judith Miller

[robowombat]

The Syrian regime seems on the verge of collapse. The killing of several key officials — the defense minister and the president's brother-in-law — suggests that the regime that has already killed 17,000 could crumble far more quickly than most experts anticipated even a few weeks ago.

The next 36 hours are critical, Syria watchers say.

"Will the regime choose to massacre its way out of the crisis?" Andrew Tabler, an expert on Syria at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and author of "In the Lion's Den," a book about life under Bashar al-Assad's regime, said. "And if it takes that path, will the army remain loyal and carry out its orders?"

.....

While the death of Syrian Defense Minister Daoud Rajiha, a Christian who had held his post for less than a year, got most of the initial headlines, the loss of Assef Shawkat, the president's brother-in-law, is a far more debilitating blow to Damascus. Gen Shawkat was not only the mastermind of the crackdown against the rebels, but the man who oversaw it.

A charter member of the regime's inner circle, he was married to Assad's sister, Bushra. He was among the more experienced members of President Assad's team, having served as an adviser to Hafez al-Assad, President Assad's father, who was known for his brutal suppression of a Sunni Muslim uprising in Hama in 1982.

With the elimination of Shawkat and of other senior figures in the national security building when it was struck today, the regime's security apparatus has been virtually decapitated.

Though reports of those killed and wounded were still being confirmed, Syrian sources and independent journalists reported that Hisham Ikhtiar, Syria's national security chief, and Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar, were among those critically injured, and may have died in the attack.

[robowombat]

Maybe. But we have heard this stuff before about other groups. These sort of regimes are much tougher than western liberals can ever imagine. Here where lck of guts and toughness is considered a positive idication of leadership the mindset of folks in Damascus or Astan or whatever is just well alien.

[deadrock]

Nothing to fear. Obama and his Brotherhood are standing by.

[ari-freedom]

“These sort of regimes are much tougher than western liberals can ever imagine.”

You mean, like Qadaffi and Mubarak’s?

[1raider1]

We were told, “Just wait ‘til Ghadaffi turns his military loose”, “Just wait ‘til Mubarak unleashes his military”. These things never happened. I believe the MB gets control of a majority of these countries’ forces before they launch their rebellions. There are always a few loyalists that resist for awhile, but in the end the rebels sheer numbers turn the tide.

[tsowellfan]

September 11th is beginning to look like it paid off well for the terrorists thanks to Obama.

We removed them from Afghanistan and gave them Egypt and Libya. Now they may have Syria.

[ccmay]

I’m always delighted to see dictators get what’s coming to them. The Ceaucescu execution was one of the best Christmas presents ever. I’m not under any illusion that the next Syrian thug will be any improvement, but a nice firing squad or gallows or mob dismemberment for Assad and his glamorous wife would be just the example many of the rest of the world’s politicians sorely need, “pour encourager les autres.” And I would not exclude certain of our own worthless politicos among those who could benefit from such instruction in the rights of the people.

[Dosa26]

RE where lck of guts and toughness is considered a positive idication of leadership
It makes ladies swoon

[SharpRightTurn]

“I’m not under any illusion that the next Syrian thug will be any improvement”

You are right that Assad is a thug.

And I agree with you that the next Syrian thug will likely not be an improvement. In fact, I will be very much surprised if the next thug is not much worse, rides a crest of Islamofacism, and persecutes Christians to the point of extermination.

The choices in Mohammedanstan are bad and worse.

[1raider1]

Maybe, but your way ends with, at best, France. I’d rather see a replay of the American revolution in these countries.

[AU72]

Michael Leeden reported:

Reports in the Arab-language press indicate the head of Iran’s covert foreign operations Quds force was killed in Wednesday’s bombing in Damascus.

Al-Quds Force’s long-elusive commander, Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, is reported to have made several trips to Damascua to meet with Assad and his top commanders since January of this year. Iran has made no bones about having bolstered Assad’s embattled regime with members of its own elite Revolutionary Guard, but the death of Suleimani would be a direct blow to Tehran.