'..The signs are clear: the murderous Assad army, the regime's iron first, is disintegrating, albeit slowly..'<blockquote>'I hope this brief historical context and the few stories mentioned above contain enough information which can now help us analyse the current situation. Contrary to the conspiracy theory type of analysis, which accuses the US and its allies of starting the unrest in Syria, it is now an established fact that spontaneous and peaceful demonstrations erupted after the government refused to hold to account those who tortured those teenagers who sprayed anti-regime graffiti on school walls.
In fact, the initial demands of the protesters were very simple, and did not contain a single slogan which demanded the downfall of the regime.
As peaceful demonstrations widened, and spread from one city to the next, Assad's security forces naively thought that by using lethal force to crush these growing protests, the barrier of fear that was starting to collapse would be immediately restored. Contrary to their wishes, however, the more lethal the force they used, the more Syrians became determined to overthrow the regime - by then most had lost hope that their simple demands were going to be met.
..
The fact that Syrian revolutionaries are not receiving the help they need to win the battle against the Syrian regime will certainly prolong the conflict..
..
Syrians have already demonstrated mind-boggling courage and determination. They have made sizeable gains over the past year and they will certainly continue to make more. The signs are clear: the murderous Assad army, the regime's iron first, is disintegrating, albeit slowly. While it is no reason to celebrate, it is the Syrians' last hope, and if I were living inside Syria, I would hope the same.'
- Maher Arar,
'The opposition movement inside and outside the country must walk a fine line between independence and intervention.' 14 Jul 2012</blockquote>
Context<blockquote>
'..started with absolutely peaceful demonstrations.' - Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani
'..means Assad leaving power.''..a no-fly zone in Syria.''..Russia and China will pay a price.' - Clinton</blockquote>