Syria’s Phase of Radicalisation – Par Crisis Group
April 10, 2012
Syria’s Phase of Radicalisation
I. OVERVIEW
As the 10 April deadline Kofi Annan (the UN and Arab League joint Special Envoy) set for implementation of his peace plan strikes, the conflict’s dynamics have taken an ugly and worrying turn. Syrians from all walks of life ap-pear dumbfounded by the horrific levels of violence and hatred generated by the crisis. Regime forces have subject-ed entire neighbourhoods to intense bombardment, pur-portedly to crush armed opposition groups yet with no re-gard for civilians. Within the largest cities, innocent lives have been lost due to massive bomb attacks in the vicinity of key security installations. Perhaps most sickening of all have been pictures displaying the massacre of whole fami-lies, including the shattered skulls of young children. The first anniversary of what began as a predominantly peace-ful protest movement came and went with only scattered popular demonstrations. Instead, there was immeasurable bloodshed […].