There have been 300 days of protest against the government of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad. They have made no dent in the government's resolve. Even the presence of an Arab League observer group has had no impact on Damascus's readiness to bring all its firepower to bear against civilian protestors. The most recent developments suggest that the situation will further deteriorate. All parties to this mess are pretending the truth is other than what it plainly is: A government is committing crimes against its people.
Sporadic protests began in Syria almost exactly a year ago, but they only became mass demonstrations in March. As the Arab Spring spread across the region, Syrian protestors seized the initiative thinking that their time had come as well, and the uprising took on a truly national character. They demanded more rights and the institution of genuine democracy in their country.
In response, the Syrian government made several concessions, including the lifting of the emergency law that had been in force for nearly five decades that permitted the suspension of the constitution. In a national address, Mr. Assad promised "national dialogue" that would include movement toward reform, parliamentary elections, and greater freedoms. Later that summer, a draft law was introduced in parliament that would liberalize politics by allowing more political parties.