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Crisis in Syria worsening

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    Dr. Fouad Ajami talks about how Syrian rebels hang on while pressures build on Assad's regime

  • Duration 8:15
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And please explain how did we get to this point whereas even the Syrian government is saying there's a civil war.

When you're an executive at -- -- has finally told his people -- in the state of war we've known that the city is in the State's poor.

And in fact if you go back to the beginning of this Oakland out of spring.

In -- 2011.

Every society and out of was displayed its own -- -- statistics there was a rebellion in Tunisia it was mild.

In two weeks -- -- -- -- was gone.

There was that rebellion in Egypt is square eighteen days they've -- was -- that was accrued rebellion in -- and finally.

NATO -- -- an end and Qaddafi was killed and dragged out of drainage pipe.

And then was this.

Difficulties but city of the civilians with the -- for the band against the regime.

Because deep down that society understood that there is would be very very difficult for them and that that regime is so dug in.

I'm still torn up by this -- -- fault line between us and immaturity and not Illumina to that's in power so we see this at the spectacle that would see.

Its newest of the importance of issues that -- say -- white minority that runs.

Syria and then there's a Sunni majority this is not what's happening in other countries and the Middle East in the Arab Spring.

Why is -- different -- What I think city it was always unique if you wouldn't it that the country can make the case every country has its own you know the stemmed out of world conceals a luck -- -- -- some reality but that's because his minutes.

To make a very long story short.

-- was that a minority of mountaineers they would the poorest of the sodium population.

So they went into something that was very important this was that way out of poverty the military once they went into the military they woke up some three decades those -- that I -- independence.

And they've conquered from -- -- they would lucky that we're lucky in having to stay very.

Capable of dictator Hafez Assad the father the father as a matter how -- -- should file it immediately made the country.

So he really became set up a dictatorship and that and the -- -- -- his -- but it's a military dictators it's.

Almost like you concluded totally -- despotism mean the idea that you have a soldier from the mountain.

Like how possess that who came from a topography.

But rooting for thirty years by terror and then -- queasy about his own son that made a mockery.

To the symbols of both Republican ruled that.

City it was prides itself on.

Generally I'm making this fascinating buys in Syria -- in Libya I'm likened agents and other countries of the military has hung tough is in Syria they have they have not affected they're not been a widespread defections just saw.

In the Libyan military.

Yet at the same time the Syrian -- military is keeping a -- power unlike the Egyptian military which turned then turned on number.

That's why is -- so cohesive when I think is very interesting because you're right.

The Egyptian military through about a under the bus -- and they just they decided to get rid of them because Egyptian military has a kind of a pride of its own tradition.

And they were not go to Q and egyptians this was not something they wanted to do and the people who -- the people who were killed in -- Lot of them with -- by the police the army always maintained its own pride as a corporate institutions.

As the -- of of -- in in Syria absolutely different.

The officer -- of the lords of the army -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- And the brigades.

Makes -- such a way.

That you have -- I -- -- commanders that and then you have even his comments photos.

Within the military units and then you have the puts -- new recruits who don't know what to do.

-- -- Harrison about a year ago I was with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff admiral Mullen former challenged and I asked him what will the Egyptian military do as bad as the people at first where.

And he said he talked to his counterpart in Egypt and the counterpart promised him.

That the Egyptian military would never fire on the Egyptian people that they would stand with the Egyptian people but now you're seeing.

The Syrian military.

Killing -- continuing to kill their own people.

How does everybody stay in this fight and I understand the military and outside have decided it's killer -- they're not going to stop -- but where does this Syrian resistance come from.

When the city of resistance comes from that sense of violation.

That ordinary civilians have come to feed they would rule by terror for four decades.

And they looked around and early 2011 and they witness this out of flouting if -- an all around them they even look at societies they look down on.

Let me in Yemen and Libya and -- -- out of people have been in the midst of this event and asking for freedom.

So they began the civilian and as one facility and said.

What began as a as a yearning for freedom became a kind of killing because that's that the regime as hunkered down its -- dug in.

And you're right that when you look at the Egyptian army and you see -- professionalism.

But when you come to the city and on me but who's the most powerful figure in the sit in on this bush -- his younger brother mad at -- Who is another major figure in -- sit in on is his brother -- Cost of -- -- another -- so this is not a professional army this is the army this has been the arm.

Of those community about it we this is Matt thinks that if it did a community an -- -- -- -- and and they know that given what they've done for the country for four decades that they would be showed no mercy of the day after the.

-- so they'll just continue to -- and I got to look at the example that they saw in -- that they -- and Tunisia.

And the last thing you want to do is give and right to the demonstrators because you'll be get their get rid of you.

Yes and I think that's but the it -- -- -- -- but I think they also -- the the the very.

-- cute and these Snead said of this of that today and they know that they are -- dreaded despise community dreaded minority.

And they know that ordinary means teams in this society 75%.

Of the population so the lesson is they're not going to be a -- indefinitely.

By 101112%.

Of the population -- Focus on how to get away with -- and they -- the Russians -- the Iranians.

-- the Chinese standing.

Behind the front.

Well I think that's that's that's -- to -- -- I think.

The Russians and the Chinese the Chinese they have put -- -- -- -- they don't want.

And he went into theater in Denton benefits that they don't want anyone else that -- And there benefits that if the Russians because that's that asset in that region.

They haven't even base and talk to us on the Mediterranean.

A warm -- base insidious.

MS they only military naval base and have outside of Russia.

-- that he could keep base but that's that it is the impression and it's what they have.

So look and that I shows that having a good on all time.

Because we know remember that this the -- -- in the affairs of the world and in the recent meeting in Mexico between President Hu who today and and President Obama.

The the arrogance of Putin was born of the of this recognition that they have a card to play -- city as a card that it -- that hell bent on staying there.

Because being -- -- -- mean also being in Lebanon.

The incident mean also close to Israel and so put it on -- of this are neither of us countries get out -- Cyrus famers here we're happy I have -- do so what are they options.

Obviously you've just been asked by the way to one of the wreckage -- what I've been at the event driven times through the city it's a keyboard and spend a lot of time with the refugees.

And it's very interesting I spent a lot of time with -- people who come to the camps.

And you know spend the night for the weekend -- -- -- defenders and sneak back to Syria overnight.

And actually a couple of them.

Immediately.

-- the best -- of accompanying them to Syria which they get I kind of I think you're -- knighted airlines I declined so I think.

Did it goes on and in this city and also this that this fight is not yet spent.

The protagonists that you believe.

Match if you on the side of the city and a billion that is the sense of justice does so society that really wants stability from the Steelers.

On the part of the regime this -- -- regime that was bid for a moment like this they have been to Katie.

Did organize the units to survive this kind of event.

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