Q&A with Farid Ghadry on National Review Online (via Glenn).
First, an example of what I think is the critical point in the fall of any government.
NRO: How much of a risk is it for these people who are out in "martyrs' square" protesting?
Ghadry: It would have been risky if the Lebanese army followed orders by stopping demonstrators and used violence against them. But as it turned out, the Lebanese army helped the peaceful march by allowing people to sneak into martyrs' square, thus challenging their own orders. We saw army people wearing armbands with the color of red and white and small children distributing white roses to the army who did take them. That in effect is what brought the government down. They could not control the people or the army.
(emphasis mine)
Also, like I said, there's no way democratization is stopping at the border:
[Ghadry:] My friend Michael Ledeen told me that the demonstrations in Lebanon are really freeing Syria. How true that statement is!
This was interesting as well:
NRO: Are the people in Syria liable to be seriously encouraged by the Lebanese? Or is the Baath grip too strong?
Ghadry: In my talks with the Syrians inside Syria, they are resisting demonstrating because as one human-rights activist told me: "President Bush has yet to call for freedom for the Syrian people." The Syrians are afraid to march without the international cover and the encouraging words of our president. We believe that the moment Syria leaves Lebanon, the president will hammer a strategy for Syrians to gain their freedom and democracy away from a culture of violence that is besieging Iraqis, Lebanese, and now Israelis. It is a question of time and that is why Syria may not leave Lebanon peacefully. On the other hand, the Baath party's grip is strong, but the events in Lebanon have shown a brittle militant system that, if pushed a bit, could break apart.
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
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