The Debate Surrounding The Ouster Of
The Al-Assad Regime
04 Jan 2012By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid
Everyone has their own hopes or fears regarding the
outcome of the ouster of a deeply rooted regime like
the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. Many people
believe that the Syrian regime, like the Saddam
Hussein regime in Iraq and the Gaddafi regime in
Libya, has played a destructive role in the region
over the past 30 years. Therefore, the ouster of the
al-Assad regime would liberate the entire region, not
just the Syrian people, whilst also providing an
opportunity for the return of stability, which is
something that many have dreamt of over the past
decades.
However, because the region is a puzzle made up of
many different pieces, there are some who fear that
the collapse of the al-Assad regime will transform the
region into a multilateral war zone for the
foreseeable future.
Which of these two views is correct?
We are not new to regional and international
struggles, indeed the Middle East has long been the
scene of such confrontations. South America is
experiencing a period of stability, as is the majority
of the African continent. Even the states of the
former Soviet Union, which witnessed a phase of unrest
and instability, are now – for the most part –
experiencing stability Therefore, it is the Middle
East that has suffered more than any other region of
the world, and therefore is the most in need for
stability.
If regimes that are based on chaos, such as the Saddam
Hussein, Gaddafi, and al-Assad regimes, were not
toppled and ousted, then our region would continue
burning. However now, the last of the evil Arab
regimes is reeling, and may collapse at any time in
the near future. I believe this will change the
political dynamic of the Middle East for the better.
However, others believe that the collapse of the
Syrian regime will lead to chaos and wars. Those who
maintain this are not necessarily supporters of the
al-Assad regime, rather their vision is based on the
principle that the region is like a house of cards,
and that if you remove one card, the entire edifice
might collapse. They also speak about the regional
ambitions of the Turks and the Iranians, amongst
others, and compare the collapse of regimes to cracks
in a dam, with the Middle East ultimately drowning in
physical confrontations and battles, after decades of
cold war.
However I don't support this view. I believe that the
Turks are preoccupied with their own internal
situation, and so they have no expansionist ambitions.
As for the Iranians, they are too weak today to launch
any regional wars; rather they fear how the collapse
of the al-Assad regime will affect their own internal
situation.
Al Rashed is the general manager of Al -Arabiya
television. He is also the former editor-in-chief of
Asharq Al- Awsat, and the leading Arabic weekly
magazine, Al Majalla. He is also a senior Columnist in
the daily newspapers of Al Madina and Al Bilad. He is
a US post-graduate degree in mass communications. He
has been a guest on many TV current affairs programs.
He is currently based in Dubai.
©
EsinIslam.Com
Add Comments