Regional responsibility

Increasing numbers of states – including those in the Arab world – are protesting against the brutal suppression of the democracy movement in Syria. As such, President Bashar al-Assad has become a pariah of the international community.

The Arab League, the United Nations, the EU and the Pope have all positioned themselves on the side of the demonstrators in their appeals to the Syrian leadership. Even the Sunni Arab monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council, usually the engines of counter-revolution par excellence, have taken this step.

Five months after the first protests began, Syrian President Bashar al- Assad appears to have no more support in the Arabian camp

But countries like Saudi Arabia walk a narrow line. After all, criticism of the government and the Islamic order of the state are punishable offenses in Saudi Arabia itself. Even if its criticism of Syria can be linked to the long-term quarrels between Riyadh and Damascus, the long list of appeals from the Arabian camp points to that fact that no government in the region can afford to be quiet on the brutal offences against human rights in Syria.

The Arab Spring has caused the political and moral code of a whole region to shake to their foundations. Even in Turkey, which because of its own problems with the Kurds and its proximity to its neighbor Syria has traditionally had good relations with Damascus, is applying increasing pressure on Assad.

Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan said at the weekend that his country can no longer stand idly by and watch the violence. Foreign Secretary Davutoglu has protested against the actions of the Syrian security forces – and Israel has supported this. Because the last thing Israel needs is a civil war and chaos in Syria. Only a stable border along the Golan Heights can guarantee its own security.

It can hardly be expected, however, that appeals of morality will have any effect on Assad, given his unscrupulous actions to date. His tanks stem from Soviet stockpiles and his armories are bulging with new supplies of weaponry from Iran. Tehran will not drop its ally Assad so readily. Both nations strive to exert influence over the Shiite Hezbollah militia and try to control Lebanon by proxy.

If anything can bring Assad to his knees, it is his country's economic situation. Because Syria's economy, after five months of protests, is on the point of collapse.

While Western sanctions may be little more than hot air, Turkey and the states of the Arab League really have the possibility to turn the thumbscrews on Assad by way of an economic blockade. In this respect, these regional states carry a high degree of responsibility.

To stop Assad's terror campaign against sections of his own population, there needs to be more than just moral appeals but also an economic blockade and, above all, an oil embargo.

Through this, in the medium term, the state institutionalized corruption with which the Assad regime and his allies have gotten rich and the bourgeoisie has profited from over the years could be eradicated. Other erosions of his power base would then be inevitable as economic restraints will restrict the arbitrary government of Assad.

Author: Daniel Scheschkewitz / nda
Editor: Michael Knigge