Syria: The regime is shaking – elements of dual power emerge

After
dying down for a period, demonstrations in Syria have returned to
record levels in terms of their size and geographical distribution. The
Syrian Revolution 2011 facebook-page estimates the number of
demonstrators as ranging from 3 to 5 million on Fridays and the number of demonstration locations to be in their tens and hundreds covering the whole country. The most
notable development is that the protests are becoming a daily phenomena
in many areas. significantly the movement is expanding inside the two
largest cities of the country, Damascus and Aleppo involving
neighbourhoods like Al-Mazeh in downtown Damascus and Salah Al-Din inside
Aleppo.

The forces of the regime have not been able, after weeks of trying,
to bring under their control areas such as Baba-Amrou in Homs City and
Khan-Shekhun in the Idleb countryside. These failures of the Assad
forces seem to have paved the way for the forces of the Free Syrian Army
(FSA) to gain control of a resort town called Zabadani, only 45 
kilometres from Damascus. A few days later they scored a victory
temporarily driving out the security forces of the regime in Douma, a
suburb of Damascus. This definitely indicates a change in the balance of
forces between the regime and the revolution.

The last two days have seen dramatic developments. Intense fighting
have been taken place all over Syria, most importantly around the
capital Damascus, where defecting soldiers claim to have partial
control over some areas only 8 kilometres from the presidential palace.
Today (Sunday), officer Maher Al-Na’imi, the spokesperson of the FSA, spoke to
Al-Arabia TV and said that the forces of the FSA have been strengthened and
emboldened and they continue to be strengthened with fresh daily splits
in the armed forces. He mentioned that in the last few hours units
stationed in the periphery of Damascus have defected with their military
vehicles (tanks etc.). If confirmed this would be the first time
soldiers defect with vehicles and heavy artillery.

Al-Na’imi has threatened dire consequences if the regime does not stop
its attack on the surrounding areas of Damascus or if the air force is
used against the defected soldiers, reminding the regime that the
presidential palace is now within the reach of the FSA. However, a military expert from Beirut explained that the regime
is refraining from using the air force fearing that the air force itself
might defect! Another expert speaking from Cairo made the point that
two thirds of the Syrian Army is being kept in barracks for fear of
immediate mass defection of they are deployed against the people.
Al-Na’imi added that they had information that already around 1500 army
officers are in jail due Syrian intelligence forces being to suspicious
of their loyalties.

Many of these informations remain unconfirmed but there are growing
indications that they reflect the real situation on the ground. This
would indicate a turning point in the Syrian revolution. The regime is
frightened. Troops  and tanks were heavily deployed inside Damascus for
the first time today, and there are also reports of a number of
explosions took place in the Abasi’yn square and Al-Sabeh Bahrat square
in Damascus. Also, the road to the Damascus International Airport was
cut off for a few hours apparently due to skirmishes between the Assad
forces and FSA.  In parallel, the regime deployed its thugs in mass
numbers in Aleppo after mass demonstrations broke out in neighbourhoods
such as Salah Al-Din and Al-Fourdos. It was reported that scuffles broke
out with demonstrators fighting back with stones and their bare hands.
One of the regime thugs was reportedly killed by demonstrators and a
security bus was wrecked. 

In addition to what seems as a rapid collapse of the forces of the
regime in the last hours, interesting news have come from the town of
Zabadani. For many weeks there has been news of the formation of popular
committees and revolutionary councils in areas like Dar’aa, Homs, Der
Al-Zor and Idleb, but no concrete details have been available on this
matter. Today we saw a glimpse of this process for the first time with a
declaration coming from "The Free Local Council in Zabadani". This
declaration is translated in the following paragraph as we received it:

"The Free Local Council in Zabadani:   

Having lived in freedom for two months after its youths repelled the
violent attack of the Assad gangs aimed at destroying it and sabotaging
it, and after persisting in standing in the face of any possible attack
upon it, Al-Zabadani sought to build its own democratic
experience………..The people of the town gathered to set up an
election system based on family affiliation so that each 1000 citizen
get one seat. The families agreed to form groups of around 1000 people
each, and all components and sects of society participated in the
process, most notably the Christians, where a priest delivered a
touching speech in the constituent assembly………each family or group
of families were asked to elect a representativesfor each of their 1000
members and a general commission was formed, out of which 60 ran for
the election of the local council resulting in the formation of a
council of 28 members distributed on a number of offices. They elected a
president and a secretary and formed a number of offices: political
bureau, financial bureau, health and rescue bureau, military and
security council, administration and general services bureau. The
council and the offices have assumed their duties and the general strike
has seized. [apparently there had been an ongoing general strike in the
area – ML] The school have reopened their doors and the new flags have
been raised, saluted every morning together with slogans for the fall of
Bashar Al-Assad and his miserable criminal regime. The Imams of the
mosques were replaced by ones belonging to the people and committed to
the revolution. A special branch for security and investigations,
popular tribunals, and a detention center were formed…..the vehicles
of the Free Army put on their special plates and started patrolling and
forming groups to control and watch for any potential hostile forces.
Committees record the entrance and exit of strangers. Everyone is
participating is a massive workshop to prepare what is needed to repel
an potential attack, including military, food, and health needs, and
also to accommodate refugees asking for safety from the brutality of
Shabiha (thugs) and their regime. Also, to provide supplies other ruined
cities and villages and help them to be liberated. The city council
appointed by the regime was prohibited under the penalty of detention
and trial of any authority that does not come to exist based on free
elections. The streets and squares were renamed by the names of the
dignified martyrs. The clinic of the opposition figure, Dr. Kamal
Labawani, was chosen as the centre for the free city council since it is
located by the major mosque in the old commercial city centre where
demonstrations start and where the first martyrs fell. Democracy is a
new experience and a new born baby that needs attention and everyone
knows that they are lacking experience and culture of democracy, and
that it is necessary to move to the system of parties. But first an
atmosphere of freedom is necessary for different party point of views to
form and crystallize…..It is a start, and a successful start if God
wills. We want it to be the beginning of the liberation of all lands and
people of the homeland who are dear heroes deserving all good, respect
and support……and God will bring success…….."

What we are seeing in Zabadani is obviously the emergence of an
alternative power. The regime no longer has any means of asserting its
authority and the masses have created their own democratically elected
organs of power. In each and every revolution in the history of
capitalism, starting with the Paris commune of 1871, such forms of
council power have appeared. In Russian they were called "soviets". They
formed the basis for the revolutionary government after the 1917
revolution and thus the "Soviet Union". Similar councils have also
appeared in the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions. It is unclear if
similar councils have developed to the same extent in other areas of
Syria but it is likely. Also, Zabadani has become a focal point of
attention for the struggling masses throughout Syria. It is therefore
likely that other places will be inspired by it and follow its example.
These councils mean the beginning of a situation of dual power, at least
at a local level. If these was to develop at a higher level the days of
the regime would be over.

Unfortunately, the petty-bourgeois opposition politicians who have
appointed themselves as "leaders" of the people, never believe or trust
the masses. More concretely, they are afraid of the independent
movement of the masses as it threatens their own "leadership" position.
Still, after seeing these marvellous development and the iron
determination of the masses, the Syrian National Council (SNC), and the
General Commission of the Syrian Revolution (GCSR)are both calling for
foreign intervention to save the revolution from being militarized!
At a time when the masses are taking the initiative and arming
themselves, creating their own power, these gentlemen of the liberal
opposition are appealing for "peace," an appeal which amounts to leaving
the people unarmed in the face of brutal military repression.

Things are moving quickly. It is difficult to gauge precisely the
stage the movement is at. What is clear to many activists in Syria is
that there is no turning back. The developing dual power in Zabadani and
other places can only be resolved in one of two ways: either the masses
seize the initiative boldly, or the regime smashes the movement in
blood.  

The demands of the day are:

• A national general strike must be called immediately. Occupy work
  places, factories, and offices. Paralyze what remains of the power of
  the regime.
• It is time for a general armed insurrection. Mobilize the free
  soldiers. Arm the masses. Appeal to the ranks and lower officers of the
  Army to defect and join the revolutionary people.  It is time to take
  Damascus. March on Versailles.
• No to foreign intervention. The Syrian masses can and must complete
  the job themselves. Denounce the political leaders who keep sewing
  illusions among the people. The masses are more than capable of
  overthrowing Assad.
• From workers councils in all factories and workplaces.
• Democratically elected councils in every neighbourhood. Link
  revolutionary councils from all villages, towns, cities and workplaces
  in a democratically elected national council of representatives
  expressing the will of the people and the interests of the revolution.
  Down with impotent and bankrupt SNC and GCRS. For a revolutionary
  government based on committees of workers, farmers and youth.