Will Deraa Be Another Hama Or a Sidibouzid ?

Things in the Syrian city of Deraa are getting more bloody:

At least five people have died after security forces fired on protesters outside a mosque in the Syrian city of Deraa, human rights activists say.

There is also talk of large scale demonstrations being prepared across Syria for Friday. This now boils down to how ruthless the Syrian president can get, as Deraa can be the beginning of his undoing.

President Assad’s father, Hafez, has once crushed an uprising in the city of Hama in 1982. He bombed the entire city into smithereens and killed tens of thousands of Hamawis. But we live in different times today and it is very unlikely that his son, Bachar can repeat that feat. Just think of the potential youtube videos that can shock the world.

The irony is that anything short of crushing Deraa will embolden the rest of the Syrians. Those who lived in the scary shadows of Hama will take it as a sign of weakness if the regime went “soft” on Deraa and will be emboldened to take their chance for freedom. Deraa could very well turn into Syria’s Sidibouzid..

Bonus: To follow the events in Syria, Kafa Samtan ( كفى صمتاً ) is proving to be an invaluable resource. Check their website and follow them on Twitter.