There is very little chance of Tahrir Square style protest in the Syrian capital Damascus, but protests elsewhere show that Assad's control is illusory, argues leading dissident Ammar Abdulhamid.
Observer keep using Egypt as their reference, despite the radically different circumstances prevailing in both countries. In Egypt, high-rankling military leaders sides with the protesters early on. In Syria, and due to the sectarian background of most top military generals, their allegiance to the Assads remains strong and they feel equally threatened by the protest movement...
Assad's control rests solely on military strength and the willingness of its supporters to resort to violence under protection by military and security forces. The fact that pro-Assad rallies, their size notwithstanding, only take place when they are directly organized by the state while protests happen on a daily basis, around the clock and throughout the country comes as an additional evidence of the Assads' limited base of support and loyalty.
The Assads' control does not extend far beyond their guns and their tanks. Everything else is now a mirage.
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