Syria will take time.  How long? I doubt anyone is sure.  For the time being, there is no urgency from the international community to protect the human rights of the Syrian people.  Amnesty International places the number of deaths in Syrian to 1,200 since March; Human Rights Watch to at least 887.

Protest in Baniyas, Syria (Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/syrian-freedom-captured/5736897472/).

While the world became preoccupied and fascinated with Tunisia and Egypt, the other Arab leaders from Morocco to Bahrain (with the s support of a number of regional and foreign States) put in place a wide range of policies specific to each country to slow the rebellions.  In each of these countries, the speeches and “concessions” only become more and more insulting, as leaders spoke to their subjects as if speaking with little children unable to comprehend as an adult does.

For Syria, the world’s strongmen agree – Bashar Al Assad maintains the status quo.

In one op-ed in the Washington Post, Peter Harling and Robert Malley explain why the Syrian regime is “digging its own grave.”  The truth is, none of these postcolonial structures were ever built to last.  Mohamed Bouazizi dug their graves.  Assad is ensuring to stay in as long as he possibly can and to create a backup plan once his time is over.  The difference between him and the likes of Ben Ali, Mubarak, Gaddafi and Saleh, is that the world is giving him a lot more time to ensure the most possible gains.  At least Assad has the decency to show his indifference to his people, by not appearing on State TV and speaking to them as if speaking to first-graders.

It isn’t about “criminal gangs” or Islamists (whatever that awful term means) and the ruling regime could care less about these “threats” to their country.  It is about power, and the fear and paranoia of losing their place in the elite club of Arab status quo rulers.  The rebellion in Syria encompasses all colors of the social, economic, political spectrums.  The fears that were brought up about these threats in Egypt, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere have been found to be baseless.  As Joseph Massad noted in Al Jazeera, you are made to believe that these governments are as good for the Arabs, as they are good for the West; that “they prefer dictatorial rule…leading to the conclusion that it would be best to uphold their dictatorial rulers whose repressive policies, we are told, are inspired by Islam and Arab culture.

For the international community right now, Syria isn’t worth change and reform – at least not yet.  For Assad, there are a number of creative ways to weaken him, while ensuring that he is never removed from power.  Assad ensures that no ordinary Syrian, interested in the socio-economic development of the Syrian population, will become a leader.

Assad ensures that such an ordinary Syrian does not gain the global prowess to take back the Golan Heights and take action in support of the Palestinians to their south, the Iraqis to their East, and to the demands of the Arab population.

For the elites, Assad maintains the status quo.  Better him than anyone else.  Its good for the other rulers dealing with their own rebellions and the interests of the elite global stakeholders.

You can follow events of the Syrian Rebellion, including graphic evidence of crimes against humanity here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Syrian-Revolution-News-Round-ups/108855819196476?sk=wall. Also, the “Final Conference Statement of the National Coalition to Support the Syrian Revolution,” can be found at: http://syrianrevolution.org/?p=7398.

Excellent song on Palestinian Statehood and the United Nations in September (Arabic only)…