Syrian Elite to Fight Protests to ‘the End’ - Anthony Shadid

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/world/middleeast/11makhlouf.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

This could be the earliest stages of the Syrian Civil War we are seeing, though I  suppose there is still time for the regime to capitulate. But, I simply don't see the regime capitulating. Ever. One glance at what happened in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya should quell any illusions we have that Assad will grant any freedoms.
The Syrian elite represent the minority ruling class. An end to their control of the ruling apparatus means an end to their wealth, their businesses, and for many, their lives. As they see it they have no stake in a Syria without their rulership, so better to destroy Syria then to surrender their leadership. Further, they seem to be playing up the specter of another Libya to the West: do as we say and leave us be or you'll be dragged even further into the tangles of our wars. No western nation can afford, financially or politically, to take on yet another Middle Eastern war and Syria knows it. This is why they have cut to the chase, so to speak. The brutality is early and raw and Assad will not have weeks of protests roiling his countries, he seeks to kill his internal enemies quickly. It will not work, obviously. He has already lost his grip on the populace. They will remain whether it is in a low grade civil conflict or whether they remain just out of reach, as they do in Iran. This has many years to play out, I just hope it resolves better than our last foray into the Middle East did.