Syria's Business of NATURE OF GOVERNMENT

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SERIOUS TRAVELLING REPORT OF SYRIA'S NATURE OF GOVERNMENT AS OF 2013

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  The modern Syrian State, as we know of it today is 'republic' in Western Asia boarding the Mediterranean Sea that was established as a French mandate after the First World War and gained independence in April 1946 as a parliamentary republic. There has been a lot ambiguity concerning its politics and the great number in military coups and civil wars made a clear evaluation difficult. Yet, as stated in the 2012 Syrian Constitution, the state is formally a “democratic state with full sovereignty” and Bashar al-Assad is in its presidential rule (Qordoba 8). However, this account has significant limitation in trustworthiness due to its origin and its purpose. One, the source was written by al-Assad's regime of the Syrian Arab Republic and therefore is likely to disregard negative aspects of his governance and manipulate information to fit his likes. Two, the source's purpose of trying to not only inform, but moreover to persuade Syria's strength and respectability to other nations, is likely to decrease the source's accuracy and credibility.

      An example of the possible inaccuracy and limitations of the source is the contradicting Department of State's report on Syria's nature of government. Check it out: 

"The Syrian Arab Republic is ruled by an authoritarian regime dominated by the Socialist Ba'ath Party. The Ba'ath party espouses a largely secular ideology; however, Islamic traditions and beliefs provide a religious foundation for the country's customs and practices. While the 1963 Emergency Law, which authorized the government to conduct preventive arrests and override constitutional and penal code provisions against arbitrary arrest and detention, was rescinded on April 19, 2011, the practice of arbitrary arrest and detention has not abated." — Department of State [Link]

      Although this source is fairly objectively reporting about Syria nature of government, note the word choice and the impact it has on the overal tone of the text. Terms like "authoritarian" and "dominated" effectively impact the overal siding of the text and gives it meaning. Since the source's origin is the US Department of State and the FBI and its corresponding purpose is trying to back US military involvement in Syria, one most note the possible limitations of this text. 

      Moreover, check out Scott Stewart's report on the possible, yet very likely, consequences of US, Turkish, Saudi Arabian, and European intervention (both humanitarian and military) has on the Arab world and many other nations around the globe.

      Although much of the international aid has been a humanitarian one, which includes shelter aid, food and equipment shippings etc., there "have been numerous videos released showing Syrian rebels using weapons such as the M79 Osa rocket launcher, the RPG-22, the M-60 recoilless rifle and the RBG-6 multiple grenade launcher. The Syrian government has also released videos of these weapons after seizing them in arms caches. What is so interesting about these weapons is that they were not in the Syrian military's inventory prior to the crisis, and they all likely were purchased from Croatia. We have also seen many reports and photos of Syrian rebels carrying Austrian Steyr Aug rifles, and the Swiss government has complained that Swiss-made hand grenades sold to the United Arab Emirates are making their way to the Syrian rebels." — Scott Stewart.

CITATION:

Bureau of Consular Affairs. "Syria." Syria. U.S. Department of State, 12 July 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
Hinnebusch, Raymond. Modern Syrian Politics. Rep. University of St. Andrews, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2013. <http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=5266>.
Horrocks, Peter. "Syria Profile." BBC News. BBC, 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 21 Jan. 2013.
F., Isabella. "Advantages of a Unitary System of Government." Reference.com. Dictionary.com, 2013. Web. 22 Jan. 2013.
Stewart, Scott. "The Consequences of Intervening in Syria." Stratfor – Global Intelligence. Stratfor, 22 Jan. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/consequences-intervening-syria>.