Damascus, it seems, does not care for Barack Obama’s advice. In a much anticipated policy speech on Thursday, May 19, the U.S. President urged Syria’s President Bashar Assad to take steps toward political transition or else “get out of the way.” Said Obama: “The Syrian government must stop shooting demonstrators and allow peaceful protests.” It wasn’t as if no one was listening. That evening, people in Damascus sat in shops and cafs drinking mint tea and smoking from water pipes as they watched the speech, which was dubbed into Arabic. The American President’s remarks were also shown in major squares around Damascus on large displays that normally screen commercials.
On Friday, however, reports of deaths filtered in from throughout Syria as security forces fired on demonstrators who took to the streets after noon prayers, as has been their custom for the past couple of months. According to activists inside and outside the country, perhaps 30 people have been killed and scores more injured — a clear indication that Obama’s words have not had the desired effect on the country’s ruling clique.
