Saturday May 21, 2005

I've Been Thinking:

Things are heating up in Syria.

President Bashar Asaad's uncle Rifaat is returning to Syria after years of exile.

Rifaat, 68, is the brother of Hafez. He was exiled in 1984 as the result of a failed coup against his brother. Rifaat returned in 1992 after the death of their mother and was permitted, by Hafez, to remain in Syria. But in 2000, when Bashar took over his father's presidential position Rifaat returned to exile.

What has Rifaat been up to? He has been running an alternative Syrian Arabic News Agency out of Europe, called ANN. He has a following and a voice.

No one knows what will happen now.
What we do know is that the return of Rifaat is a major challenge to the rule and power of Bashar Assad.
There is no democracy in Syria so Rifaat's very presence is a threat. It is a message for reforms and change.
Will Rifaat's voice be heard? I doubt it. But the future of Rifaat will send a message to the people of Syria. Will he be assassinated? Exiled? Even allowed in the front gate?

Keep your eye on Syria.