The Assad Doctrine vs. the Obama Doctrine

Last week saw two conflicting doctrines emerge: The first with President Barack Obama's speech concerning the role of his country in the Arab popular uprising demanding change, and the second with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's speech concerning the role of the Syrian regime vis-à-vis the popular uprising demanding reform in Syria. While the Obama doctrine is currently the focal point of a debate taking place among its proponents, opponents and critics -- on both sides of the political spectrum -- the Assad doctrine reveals two possibilities, albeit which both have a single outcome: that the space afforded for the debate is of a military and security nature, as Assad came to the conclusion that the demonstrations held by the Syrian people, are part of a conspiracy. For him, 'preventing strife is a national, moral and religious duty, and all those who contribute to preventing it, but fail to do so, are part thereof.' The possibilities revealed, meanwhile, are either that the powers that be, whether they are economic in nature or are part of the intelligence community and the military, have opposed any move towards reforms and forced Assad to chose between postponing them or

repressing the protests; or that Assad himself has chosen to pursue the 'doctrine' of triumphalism, by purporting that 'crises are positive situations, if we manage to control them and emerge from them victorious.'

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