Syria Is Not Iraq: What We Need Now Is
To Protect The Syrians From The Criminal Al-Assad
01 August 2012
By Tariq Alhomayed
Since the outbreak of the so-called "Arab Spring" in
our region, we have always said that Tunisia is not
Egypt, which in turn is not Yemen, which itself is
different to Libya. Likewise, Bahrain is different to
all of the above, and Syria also cannot be compared to
any other case. Some Westerners and Arabs objected,
but this was proven completely true.
Today, some are saying that Syria will be like Iraq.
Most of those putting forth this assertion are
Americans, including the writers Thomas Friedman and
David Ignatius, in their respective articles published
in Asharq al-Awsat yesterday. But the facts based on
current realities, and likewise history, say that
Syria is not Iraq. In his article Friedman says he
hopes to be mistaken, and indeed he is. Iraq was not a
"minority-ruled dictatorship" [under Saddam Hussein]
as Friedman says, the Sunnis in Iraq are not a
minority and Saddam Hussein's rule was not sectarian,
although it was characterized by political
recklessness. Sectarianism is the product of Iran and
al-Assad, which reached new heights in the region
following the US occupation of Iraq, and exploded
further when Tehran's allies arrived to govern the
country, and with the assassination of the Sunni
leader Rafik Hariri at the hands of the al-Assad
regime.
Likewise, to say that Syria is like Iraq with similar
fears of the spread of terrorism and al-Qaeda, this is
an exaggeration and distortion of the facts. Extremism
spread in Iraq for two reasons; the first was the
presence of Shiite extremist groups affiliated to
Iran, such as the Sadrists and so on, and the second
was due to Tehran and al-Assad facilitating the entry
of al-Qaeda elements into Iraq in order to fight the
Americans by proxy. We must remember that those who
finally managed to curb al-Qaeda were Iraq's Sunni
Awakening Councils, liaising with General David
Petraeus. Remember how the Iraqi tribal leader Abu
Risha was assassinated after his famous meeting with
former US President George W. Bush! While we are on
the subject of al-Qaeda, it is worth mentioning that
Mohammed Saeed al-Issa, an advisor in the Syrian
People's Assembly, defected yesterday. He said he had
compelling evidence that the recent spate of car
bombings in Syria was carried out by the al-Assad
regime itself, and not by al-Qaeda or extremists!
Such talk of course will continue, but it is certain
that Syria is not Iraq as Friedman says, who is
clearly mistaken. Furthermore, the situation in Syria
does not require an Iranian-Israeli-Gulf-Turkish
alliance as Ignatius says, because this is a pipe
dream. What is required today is to protect the
Syrians from al-Assad's crimes, especially as the
regime resorted to weapons first, before the rebels,
and so protecting the Syrians is the priority. The way
to do this is through arming the revolutionaries, and
not through US military intervention as Friedman
suggests, believing the Americans could serve as a
guarantor as they did in Iraq, but this is not true.
America is the one that handed Iraq over to the
Iranians. Similarly, US fears of the spread of al-Qaeda
are also untrue, just like they proved to be unfounded
in Libya, where the elections results surprised the
entire region. The Islamists, for example, did not win
in Libya like they did in Egypt, where Washington was
particularly keen to overthrow Mubarak!
In conclusion, the Americans are seeking to address
their mistakes in Iraq, Egypt and elsewhere by making
another mistake in Syria. As the proverb goes, two
wrongs do not make a right. What we need now is to
protect the Syrians from the criminal al-Assad,
through safe areas, arming the rebels, and supervising
the situation. We must stick by the opposition to
ensure that there is indeed a "day after", and not
allow al-Assad to wreak havoc, for this is an
unforgivable crime.
Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat,
the youngest person to be appointed that position. He
holds a BA degree in Media studies from King Abdul
Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also completed his
Introductory courses towards a Master's degree from
George Washington University in Washington D.C. He is
based in London.
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