SYRIA ON THE BRINK – AT 9:14 A.M. ET:  Syria, by orders of magnitude, is a far more important Mideast country than Libya.  It is at the heart of Arab civilization, but is also an ally of Iran.

There have, in the past weeks, been violent clashes in Syria between demonstrators and government forces, resulting in scores of deaths.   Yesterday, Syria's leader, Bashar Assad, delivered a speech to the Syrian people that essentially promised nothing, and seems to have only angered anti-government protesters even more.  The latest action by the Syrian regime is unlikely to tame that anger:

DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar Assad, facing a wave of demonstrations for greater freedoms, has set up a committee to look into replacing a decades-old emergency law with anti-terrorism legislation.

The state news agency SANA said on Thursday the panel would study and prepare "legislation including protecting the nation's security and the citizen's dignity and fighting terrorism, paving the way for lifting the emergency law."

It said the committee would complete its work by April 25, but gave no further details.

Repealing emergency law, used for decades to snuff out any opposition to monolithic Baath Party rule, has been a central demand of protesters who have held two weeks of demonstrations in which more than 60 people have been killed.

COMMENT:  Today is likely to be a quiet day in Syria.  It is tomorrow that we look to with anticipation.  Friday is the most important protest day in the Arab world, the day when people attend mosques, then congregate for political activity afterward. 

The question is whether Syria will explode tomorrow, with the government reacting with brute force.  If that happens, it can profoundly change the future of the Middle East.  Syria is critical to any peace with Israel, and essentially controls Lebanon.  All eyes will be on Syria tomorrow.

The Assad family  – Bashar's father preceded him as president – has a history of extreme brutality toward the Syrian people.  Thousands were killed under daddy's regime.  So far Bashar hasn't given an inch.

March 31, 2011