Assad's Man Recognizes 'Legitimate Demands' When He Needs To
The New Arab reports that Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a key figure in the Syrian opposition (and former al-Qaeda affiliate, let’s be clear), now 'recognises' the 'legitimate demands' of Alawite protesters. This sudden empathetic pivot comes after decades of the Assad regime, (primarily Alawite-led), crushing dissent with unflinching brutality, from Hama in 1982 to the widespread massacres since 2011.
Apparently, 'legitimate demands' only register when they threaten stability on your side of the fence. One might wonder where this 'recognition' was for the millions of Syrians, regardless of sect, whose legitimate demands for basic human rights were met with barrel bombs and chemical weapons. This isn't newfound compassion; it's a desperate play for internal cohesion when sectarian violence,
exacerbated by years of war, splinters into new fronts. It seems the only thing more legitimate than a people's cry for freedom is a regime's need to prevent the next uprising from within its own perceived base.