Israel Matzav

Arab commentators agree: Assad behind Naqba day events

Arab commentators agree that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was behind Sunday's events at Majdal Shams on the Syrian border.

The Syrian government "made use" of Sunday's rallies to "divert attention from... the Syrian uprising which has been the main event in Syria for months," said Burhan Ghalioun, director of the Centre for Contemporary Eastern Studies.

...

Sunday's protesters -- most of them Palestinian refugees living in Syria -- would have never made it across the armistice line without a nod of approval from President Bashar al-Assad's embattled regime, analysts said.

"Neither the Syrians nor the Palestinians in Syria can move alone. Syrian security services use people as tools. They inspire, organise and point out" to people what to do, said Ghalioun.

"If the Syrian regime was in a different situation, it would have not allowed the protesters to enter through the Golan," he said.

What happened Sunday "fell right within the regime's will."

Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Centre in Beirut, agreed that the protesters could not have done it without the regime's support.

This is risk free for Assad. Israel isn't going to start a war over an invasion that looks mostly like civilians. Assad gets his crackdown out of the headlines for a day or so. And if someone happens to steal his way in long enough to bring back some intelligence, all the better.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Majdal Shams, Naqba day, Syrian border breach

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:11 PM