I actually subscribe to the “Pushed to the Wall” theory. But, naturally, my interpretation of it is less regime-friendly than that of others. My version of the theory stipulates that Bashar & Co. simply lacked the necessary leadership skills and vision to be able to chart a new set of policies for the country vis-à-vis Lebanon, the peace process, and internal reforms, and that it was this mediocrity of theirs that pushed them to the Wall. Continue reading “The Lion’s Wall!”
Tag: The Assad Regime
Déjà Vu All Over Again, and Again, and Again!
“Less hostile” and “downbeat” don’t cut it. Assad’s speech was plain dumb. But what else did we expect? He is a hopeless case. A really hopeless case. There is nothing more that can be said about that, except to remind that when such people are in charge of anything, they are bound to fuck it up. Start counting the days towards disaster. We have a leader who courts them, many people who support him, and a whole population that stands idly by as if the whole thing does not concern them.
Dashing Gets a Lashing!
My former chief interrogator, Assef Shawkat , to whom I have referred as General Dashing in my earlier blog posts, has gotten his assets in the US frozen, in a symbolic move meant to demonstrate that the “family” is indeed “not off limits,” as far as this administration is concerned.
What does this mean at a time when the Syrian President is attempting to rally people to his side by freeing some political prisoners (while his agents are busy making more), and preparing to announce some important internal reforms, more likely in his upcoming speech this Saturday? Continue reading “Dashing Gets a Lashing!”
Khaddam Speaks! Bashar Squeaks!
Well, according to Reuters, an Egyptian journal will be running an interview with Bashar on Monday in which he denounces Khaddam’s stands and refutes his accusations.
In the interview Bashar asserts that he never threatened Hariri and he says that no one attended the last meeting between them. But it should be noted here that the meeting to which Khaddam had referred was not the last meeting between the two men but an earlier one. Khaddam made this very clear in his interview with al-Arabiya. Continue reading “Khaddam Speaks! Bashar Squeaks!”
The Ammar Abdulhamid Archive 