Long road to freedom: Seven reasons why Syrian protesters have so far failed to topple Assad

Physical repression isn't the only reason Syrian protesters have suffered serious setbacks. Middle East expert Bilal Y. Saab of The University of Maryland gives us seven other factors that explain why things might get worse before they get better for the Syrian opposition in its quest to topple Assad.

7. Fighting against all odds

It is no wonder the Syrian opposition movement is having great difficulty moving forward. It has to not only fight an adversary that continues to kill and maim but it must also overcome its own shortcomings, while trying to make a believer out of a still skeptical West.

In this context, the Syrian people are fighting against all odds. However, if they pull it off and manage to oust the Baathist regime, it may well be a more impressive demonstration of people power than that in Egypt – and one more consequential for the politics and security of the entire Middle East.

Bilal Y. Saab is a PhD candidate at the University of Maryland’s Department of Government and Politics, in College Park.

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