The Syrian authorities can say that they prevented the opposition from establishing a permanent and safe spot for protests. They prevented it from finding a freedom square where it can organize million-people demonstrations and put up tents while awaiting the regime's yielding to the demands of the revolution's youth. They also prevented it from taking over the city and announcing a transitory committee, and from controlling a border point that offers it the opportunity to welcome the dissidents coming from the outside, along with developed communication technology and human rights organizations. The Syrian authorities can say that they went through a tough and bitter confrontation for five months and that they maintained the unity of the military, security and political apparatus. Indeed, during this period, and despite the extreme cruelty of the practices, no major split was registered at the military or security level or at the level of the state and the [ruling] party. It could be argued that the cases of defection that were recorded in the ranks of the military were very limited and did not include senior officials in the apparatus that is implementing repression. The Syrian authorities can also say they have so far proved that the protest movement is unable to uproot the regime and its institutions. Also, the involvement of Damascus in the protest is still limited, shy, and far from dangerous. The same can be said about Aleppo, albeit to a lesser extent. The Syrian authorities can also say they sent a firm message to those concerned that the situation in Syria is in no way similar to the situation in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya or Yemen. Further, they will defend their existence and continuity regardless of the prices at home and abroad. They would rather coexist with the girdle of Arab, Islamic and international isolation than accept the restriction of their security apparatus and the dismantling of their sources of strength. Also, the opposition must accept the reforms that will be recommended from a position of strength. On the other hand, the opposition can say that the five months showed the impossibility of the security solution; that the killings fueled the uprising rather than extinguish it; that the cities that were exposed to disciplinary operations take any opportunity to resume the protests; that excessive use of force raised the ceiling of demands from a few reforms to bringing down the entire regime. The opposition can also say that the authority has lost the battle of the media. And that experience showed it does not have a convincing story to offer, even to those who were helping it look for excuses or mitigating circumstances. We can also mention here Turkey, Russia, and other countries. The opposition can also say that Syria's relationship with Iran, which was considered one of the reasons behind its strength, has now become a cause for its isolation. And that Syria's traditional balance of power in the Arab world has registered a significant erosion that is due to the Arab spring. And that Syria's friends - politicians, writers and analysts - felt extremely embarrassed as they watched on TV the harrowing images broadcast from several cities. And that the protests organized by the Syrian communities abroad are unprecedented scenes. The opposition can say that the shock of the authorities at the outbreak of protests confirms the failure of the security forces in being aware of the true changes that were brewing within a broad sector of people. And that the shock itself reveals the [ruling] party's isolation within society and its transformation in large part into a big club for employees whose reading of the situation is influenced by resorting to old books and jargons and by the security apparatus's hold on it. And the absence of the [ruling] party and the behavior of the security services in the past months have damaged the credit of the president, whose presence was acknowledged by the opposition at the beginning of the events. Between the authority's reading and that of the opposition of the outcome of the [past] five months, the fire and bloodshed continue. The crisis in Syria has become a major concern for the countries in the region. The major powers consider it now at the forefront of their priorities. Obama's recent exchanges reflect the desire to shorten the Turkish deadline. Developments on the ground facilitate Erdogan to wash the situation off his hands. Everything suggests that the coming days will be difficult and costly to Syria and to its relationship with a number of countries regionally and internationally.
