In the Lion's Den_ An Eyewitness Account of Washington's Battle With Syria - Andrew Tabler [48]
I left my house at 9 AM for the short walk to the Syria Today offices in the Damascus Free Zone, an area behind the customs house in Damascus where nominally export-oriented businesses escaped Syria’s convoluted taxes and tariffs. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Othaina Sahara, a new Syria Today staff member who also worked for the state-owned Syria Times. “The Ministry of Information says the opening speech will begin at noon. Let’s turn on the television and see if there is any news,” Othaina said in his usual cheerful voice.
News bulletins on Syria’s satellite news channel about the upcoming conference raced across the screen. Listening carefully, I discovered that the opening speech would be aired in only fifteen minutes, at 10 AM. A few minutes later, Hugh and a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times arrived, looking haggard.
The time had finally come. We all piled into the office meeting room, readying notebooks and tape recorders for Assad’s speech. As Hugh described the appalling inadequacy of the media center, a TV commercial for a local brand of cheese was suddenly blacked out. A few seconds later, a video graphic of Baathist and Syrian flags appeared, complete with triumphal music blaring in the background.
Coverage then cut to a smiling and waving President Assad strolling down the stairway of the Ebla Cham Conference Center. As he took his position at the main podium, everyone in the Syria Today office settled into their chairs and got ready for perhaps the most anticipated speech of Bashar al-Assad’s presidency—we all hoped that the big reforms that had been anticipated for five years were finally at hand.
Assad began by praising the role of the Baath Party in Syrian life and the concerted efforts the different working committees had made running up to the conference. “The Baath Party remains a vanguard force in the life of our people and our country,” Assad said. “Some of the writings and proposals that preceded the congress caught my attention…. Whether or not we agree with some of these propositions, and whether they take an upbeat approach to the party or not, and whether they are appreciative or critical of the party, they go to show that the Baath Party is a popular force, central to Syrian life.”
Given the fact that reformers had not won in elections of the working committees, I immediately assumed that Assad in fact had opposed some of the more radical reform suggestions concerning changing the constitution. I moved closer to the TV set, making sure I heard every word. Perhaps Assad was going to break free and set a new course for the party himself.
It was wasted effort. Assad surprisingly began his speech with a critique of the communications and IT revolution:
[This] revolution has made room for theories and projects, as well as lifestyles that have overwhelmed Arabs and threatened their existence and cultural identity, and has increased doubts and skepticism in the minds of young Arabs. The forces behind these events have created an illusionary virtual reality that inspires our feelings in a way that drives us in a direction identified by others…. This leads in the end to the cultural, political, and moral collapse of the Arab individual and his ultimate defeat, even without a fight.
Strange words from a president who has been hailed as the father of Syria’s IT revolution for the past five years.
The speech then went from bad to worse. Assad continued the state’s mantra that economic reform in the country was progressing but was simply hamstrung by personnel problems. According to Assad, there was nothing wrong with the Baath Party or its ideology—rather, “individuals” were responsible for its failings. A new initiative to combat the country’s rampant corruption problems was then given lip service by the president.