Vol. 75/No. 46      December 19, 2011

The Turkish government announced a freeze Nov. 30 on Syrian assets and banned transactions with the Syrian central bank.

The Arab League, which had earlier suspended Damascus from membership, imposed economic sanctions Nov. 27. The measures include restrictions on money transfers from Syria, a travel ban on some officials, and a halt to commercial flights, although much commercial trade is exempt.

The Arab League claims it is taking action because of concern over repression in Syria. The government of Qatar, which hosts the U.S. military’s Central Command, was a prime mover of the Arab League’s decision. Like many members, Qatar is a monarchy. More than 85 percent of its 1.7 million people are immigrant workers who are denied any political rights.

Press TV, funded by the Iranian government—the main backer of Damascus—criticized earlier anti-Syria moves saying that the “Arab League has always stayed away from condemning or even criticizing rights abuses by its member states. For instance, the body has totally ignored ongoing brutal crackdowns, killings, arresting and torturing of anti-government protesters and activists in Bahrain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Morocco [and] Jordan.”

Voice of America noted that a Dec. 1 White House statement welcoming new EU sanctions “reflects the Obama administration approach of more frequently coupling Iranian actions with the situation in Syria.”

Moscow, like Tehran, is one of just a few governments maintaining close relations with al-Assad. State-run Russia Today reported Dec. 2 that the Russian nuclear aircraft carrier Admiral Kuzentsov will be visting the Syrian port of Tartus, the only 24-hour port open to the Russian navy in the Mediterranean. Russia has large investments in Syria.

In an effort to crush the rebellion, Assad’s police and military forces have killed at least 4,000 people since the uprising began in mid-March, according to the United Nations. Opposition forces say that some soldiers have defected from the Syrian army and have carried out armed actions against the regime.

But so far there are no signs of any significant fissures in the army, Assad’s main tool for keeping his regime in power. Along with his base in the minority Alawite Shiite community, which dominates the top military leadership, al-Assad has also cultivated support among capitalists from the Christian minority, as well as among merchants and other capitalists in the majority Sunni population. Since the start of the uprising, Assad has raised wages for government employees by 30 percent.

Fearing that the overthrow of the regime could bring Islamists to power, both the Israeli and U.S. governments initially were reluctant to call for al-Assad’s departure. But as the uprising continued both governments saw it as an opportunity to strike a blow against Tehran.

Writing in the New York Times Nov. 18, former Israeli Ambassador Itamar Rabinovich said that Tel Aviv has abandoned its “the devil we know” policy, arguing that the Syrian revolt is “equally significant as a war by proxy between Iran and its rivals.”
 
 
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