As protests continued throughout Syria---in the southern cities of Daraa and Tafas and, further north, in the port city of Latakia---the US is finding itself with a growing headache about how to deal with the recent uprisings in the Middle East. Not only are the pro-democratic revolts that swept long-time leaders out of power in Tunisia and Egypt now occurring in Syria, one of the most repressive countries in the Middle East. Protests that have left one dead and hundreds wounded have also occurred in Jordan whose king, Abdullah II, is a close American ally.
61 people have been confirmed dead in the protests in Syria, says the New York Times. The growing chaos in Syria could, the New York Times, both 'dash any remaining hopes for a Middle East peace agreement' and also alter the American rivalry with Iran for influence in the region and pose challenges to the United States’ greatest ally in the region, Israel.' Saturday saw protesters burning down offices of the ruling Baath party in both Tafas and Latakia, even as President Bashar al-Assad's government sought to make new concessions, releasing some 200 political prisoners, according to the BBC. Thousands assembled in Tafas at the funeral of three protesters. Supporters of Assad have also staged counter-protests and clashed with anti-government demonstrators.
Robert Ford, the new American ambassador in Damascus, has been 'quietly reaching out to Mr. Assad to urge him to stop firing on his people,' says the New York Times. The US fears that the unrest in Syria could cause problems in Lebanon and Israel and undermine the its policy in the Middle East. Indeed, Assad's crackdown of the protests 'calls into question the entire American engagement with Syria,' a policy championed by Sen. John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. As the New York Times further notes:
Last June, the State Department organized a delegation from Microsoft, Dell and Cisco Systems to visit Mr. Assad with the message that he could attract more investment if he stopped censoring social networks like Facebook and Twitter. While the administration renewed economic sanctions against Syria, it approved export licenses for some civilian aircraft parts.
The Bush administration, by contrast, largely shunned Damascus, recalling its ambassador in February 2005 after the assassination of a former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri. Many Lebanese accuse Syria of involvement in the assassination, a charge it denies.
When Mr. Obama named Mr. Ford as his envoy last year, Republicans in the Senate held up the appointment for months, arguing that the United States should not reward Syria with closer ties. The administration said it would have more influence over Syria by restoring an ambassador.
But officials also concede that Mr. Assad has been an endless source of frustration — deepening ties with Iran and the Islamic militant group, Hezbollah; undermining the government of Saad Hariri in Lebanon; pursuing a nuclear program; and failing to deliver on promises of political reform.
That is, the US has been so eager to 'use Syria to break the deadlock on Middle East peace negotiations' that it has not been more insistent that Assad carry out political reforms.
According to a Syrian activist, who asked not to be named quoted in theGuardian, '"There is not yet the critical mass needed."' Others say that Assad is 'trapped':
"The regime is stuck. The less they offer, the more protests there will be; the more they offer, the faster the regime changes its dictatorial nature, and this would be the start of the end," said Bilal Saab, a Middle East analyst at the University of Maryland in the US.
Protests have been going on in Yemen for the past two months, with demonstrators refusing to waver from their central demand that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down immediately. He has so far refused to do so---he has previously said that he would step down in 2013---but on Saturday, says the BBC, he is reportedly close to negotiating the terms of his departure. Saleh has been in power in the Middle East's poorest country for 32 years. Chief among the reasons for his so far refusing to depart are, says the Guardian, the 'fate of his family'---both his sons and his nephews (one of whom is his son-in-law) hold powerful positions in the military. Recent defections by top military figures and tribal leaders to the opposition have significantly weakened Saleh's power base.
In Bahrain, the Guardian reports that one demonstrator died after suffering from the effects of tear gas. He had been participating in a gathering a Shia village that troops dispersed.
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