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18

Mohamed Bouazizi and the symbolism of his fate that sparked all the
revolutions across the Middle East.
The images of the rebels in Libya liberating their country (as it seems
they are close to doing) and chanting songs of freedom, like their
Egyptian and Tunisian counterparts before them, will no doubt be
another powerful inspiration and morale booster for the Syrian
people.
Qaddafi’s departure will also make it possible for the international
community to devote more attention and energy to Syria and come up
with more creative and coordinated policies to assist the Syrian
people, short of bombing Damascus or sending arms. That all eyes
are currently on Assad is certainly bad news for the dictator.
Yet whatever the international community devises, the Syrian protest
movement must do a better job organizing and convincing the world
that it is more or less ready to take over once Assad falls. For that, the
protesters need to create a truly united and inclusive political front
(the National Council which the Syrian opposition formed today in
Istanbul is a good first step, but it remains leaderless and still needs
to come up with a tangible platform that goes beyond the demands
for freedom and regime change).
Interviews with Arab intellectuals and ordinary citizens broadcast on
satellite TV channels across the Arab world tell us that many Arabs
believe that the rebels in Libya have made a mistake in asking for
Western (“colonial”) military intervention. But the rebels' salvation is
that they quickly came together and formed a transitional council,
gaining world recognition and persuading major powers that the
alternative to Qaddafi is indeed viable.
Right now, the West, and especially Syria’s neighbors, are concerned
that Assad’s departure will lead to chaos and perhaps even sectarian,
civil war that could spill over to other parts of the region.

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