Don't believe the promises of the Syrian Regime

It’s either that large powers are naïve or that they’re trying to buy more time to enable the Syrian regime to regain its power and triumph over its rivals, even if the cost is the total destruction of Syria and deportation of the majority of its people.

Let’s assume good will by regional, Arab and International powers. That they are trying to reach national reconciliation in Syria and that they are seriously trying to sustain what is left of the country and stand in the way of transforming it into another Somalia in the middle of a vulnerable area. If this is the case, then that’s fine, but the big problem is that the regime in Damascus will not accept historical reconciliation with its people.

Syrian Vice-President Farouk Al-Sharaa called for this to happen in Syria under international supervision over a year ago, but that resulted in Bashar Al-Asad being so harsh with him; isolating him and leading Al-Sharaa to completely withdraw from the political scene.

Some non-influential members of the regime tried to stop Syria getting in to this situation from the beginning, but they were met with insults and warnings from Al-Asad. Firas Talas, son of the former Syrian Defence Minister Mustafa Talas who was very close to Hafez Al-Asad, said that Al-Asad used very harsh terms against all those who tried to advise him. Some of those calling for reconciliation heard the following: “Dogs need to go home. I’m the one who decides the necessary reform.”

Al-Asad made it clear in his first speech, weeks after the outbreak of the revolution, that he is not ready for any reconciliation or concessions. He challenged his opponents to get on the streets and fight and he carried out his threats so quickly. Tanks poured into Daraa right after the speech.

In short, the regime wanted a vicious war with the people and the opposition since the beginning. Al-Asad will not back down at the last minute and accept national reconciliation which sensible men of the regime proposed at the beginning of the crisis, especially since he and his regional allies have been involved in unprecedented crimes.

There is no way a president who’s done all this would consider a resolution. Participating in negotiations with the opposition at Geneva’s second conference is only a trick in order to buy some time so he doesn’t appear to be part of a bloody regime that does not accept peace.

The mentality of the Syrian regime is that of Generals which means it responds to the smallest external pressures, but refuses to give the slightest concessions for its people and it always relies on procrastination, evasion, and buying time, then it denounces its promises and attacks its rivals. In this context British magazine the Economist mentions a significant incident which the opposition, who accepted negotiations with the regime, should pay attention to.

The magazine says: “In the eighties, all Syrian unions rebelled and caused a major headache for Hafez Al-Asad. He feared this heated activity which started to threaten his regime. Al-Asad did not try to suppress it, but he negotiated with them and indeed, leaders of the unions believed him and started negotiations, where he promised to give them all they want if they stop their activities.

“Al-Asad succeeded with his cleverness to defuse the unions, but as soon as their activities stopped, he nationalised union work in Syria altogether and finished off the entire movement, taking away all the independence they used to enjoy.

“He established a special department responsible for union work in the regional leadership office, where they completely became affiliated with the Baath party and lost all their independence. This was not all.

“Syrian intelligence arrested all union leaders and activists in Syria and put them in jail. After that, unions gave up all their demands in exchange for the freedom of their leaders, but Hafez Al-Asad refused to release any of them despite huge mediation by top Arab officials. So union leaders spent tens of years in Al-Asad’s prisons and unions became another arm for the Baath party”, if not a branch of Syrian intelligence.

If we go back to the early eighties, we find that one of the opposition parties which was banned then, the National Democratic Assembly, presented some demands which look almost identical to the demands presented by representatives of the Syrian people to the regime in Geneva Conference II a few days ago.

The document which was presented 34 years ago called for the “lifting of the siege of the cities, withdrawal of the army, special forces and defence brigades to their bases, withdrawing tanks from cities and positioning them in the face of the Israeli enemy.

“Cancelling the state of emergency as it no longer has justifications and all that comes as a result of it; mainly the state security court. Allowing democratic freedom for parties, social commissions and individuals, freedom of establishing parties, issuing newspapers, freedom of movement for citizens. Releasing all political prisoners from all religions, faiths and political views, or giving them open and just legal trials that guarantee their legal right of defending themselves.

“Banning the over control of intelligence forces and stopping the cancerous growth of these services, seriously rethinking their form, limiting their power to external security, while the Ministry of Interior becomes responsible for internal security according to democratic law.

“Establishing a national unity government that dissolves the ongoing parliament and calls for free elections of a constituent assembly to formulate a new constitution for the country based on principles of freedom, democracy and equality among citizens.”

The regime promised to fulfil these demands 34 years ago, but it did not. On the contrary, it became more entrenched, authoritarian, fascist and violent and thus it would be wrong to expect any political settlement with the regime, even if the time is different.

Recent history has shown that despite the destruction of Syria over the past three years, the regime has not learned lessons and did not offer anything to ease the fears of the Syrian people or to comfort them.

Rather, the security forces and army became more aggressive and continue to violate the Syrian people’s most basic rights, killing Syrians and attacking their belongings, torturing them to death has become so easy for Syrian security forces. These attacks were the cause of all the bad things in the country, as if the regime is telling the people that no matter what happens, we will not change, but rather wait for something that is ten times worse when things are restored the way they were.

If you listened to the speeches of supporters of the regime you would notice that it does not call for a real national reconciliation. The neighbourhoods which made amends with Al-Asad in the Damascus countryside are now called “the deceived” as if he is promising them severe punishment later.

A Syrian journalist who used to work for an international media outlet said the regime pressured him to leave his work during the first week of the revolution, so he did and he has stayed home for the past three years.

A few weeks ago he was summoned by a branch of intelligence for interrogation, when he asked them why they were interrogating him when they knew he had left his job at the start of the revolution as per their request; they replied: “We want to interrogate you about your work prior to the revolution.”

All this and they talk about reform and national reconciliation.

The author is a presenter at al Jazeera TV in Qatar. This is a translation of the Arabic text published by Al-Sharq newspaper on 2 February, 2014

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.