Al-Assad using terror to cling to power

THE lethal attacks on the people of Syria by President Bashar al-Assad are outrageous, but al-Assad and his family have repeatedly shown that they care as much for international opinion as they care for the lives of those who oppose them.

In recent days, Syrian forces killed at least 20 people despite promises from al-Assad that his security response had ended.

The latest killings came after European and America leaders called for al-Assad to resign. The calls led to thousands of protestors taking to the streets around the country.

The United Nations estimates that 2,000 civilians have been killed. UN investigators said Syrian forces had fired on peaceful protesters, often at short range, “consistent with a shoot-to-kill policy”.

Though economic sanctions are in place and tourism revenues have collapsed, it seems that, without outside military intervention, the people of Syria will have to either remove al-Assad or endure his cruelties for some time to come.