Is Syria next in line? This is the question that is being asked these days as the "tsunami" of popular uprisings continues to sweep a number of Arab countries.Inspired by the anti-government protests that have so far toppled Tunisia's Zine al-Abidine Bin Ali and Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, Syrian youths have launched a faceless, Facebook revolution designed to demand regime change, reforms and democracy.

This is similar to the origins of the protests in Egypt, which started online before moving to the streets. What is common to all these popular movements is their failure to produce charismatic leaders, leaving the door open for them to be hijacked at some future date, possibly by well organised and well entrenched

The Syrian revolution was launched on March 15 in the southern town of Daraa, close to the Jordan border, where thousands of Syrians have clashed with security forces and attacked government buildings.

Human rights organisations and opposition sources say at least eight persons have been killed in the confrontations, the worst since President Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father more than a decade ago.

The demonstrations have since spread to other parts of Syria, prompting Assad to send step up security measures. Foreign reporters have been banned from crossing the border to report on these recent developments.

The anti-government protests were initiated by a small group of activists on Facebook, where they set up a page under the name "Syrian Revolution 2011." Within weeks, the initiative won the support of tens of thousands of people.

Eyad al-Hussein, a member of this Facebook campaign, said the techniques used to mobilise protesters were similar to those used in other Arab countries. He told the Gulf News newspaper that until mid-February this year, Syria seemed to be immune to the virus of "sweeping revolutions" in the Arab world.

But the Syrian activists have no illusions that al-Assad and his Baathist regime, which has maintained a tight grip on Syria for nearly five decades, will go down so easily. "The Syrian dictator is not like the Presidents of Egypt and Tunisia," remarked Lebanese political analyst Abdel Jawad Tmaizi. "He's one of those tyrants who won't give up easily. He will fight to the last drop of blood."

The Syrian President's handling of the anti-government protests so far suggests that he indeed plans to use as much force as possible to suppress his opponents. Syrian human rights organisations have already accused the regime of al-Assad of using "excessive force" against the demonstrators in the south of Syria.

Many Syrians fear that al-Assad would resort to the same measures that were used by his late father, Hafez al-Assad, to suppress anti-government movements. About two decades ago, Assad senior ordered his army to shell the city of Hama, killing an estimated 20,000 people.

Some Arab political analysts have praised the extraordinary courage of the protesters who are willing to defy such a brutal and ruthless regime. "This is a kind of a brave adventure in the country of Bashar al-Assad," said Ghassan Imam, a columnist with the Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. "In that country, dialogue is conducted only through clubs and arrests."

He and other commentators predicted that the opposition movement in Syria would follow suit with Libya and eventually resort to arms to bring down the regime.

He also pointed out that Syria was different from other Arab countries because it has 18 different sects and ethnic groups. "In Syria there are no Zines and Mubaraks," the influential columnist added. "In Syria there are the tanks of the Presidential Guard, headed by al-Assad's brother, Maher."

The collapse of the regime in Syria would be seen as a severe blow to Iran. Syria is Tehran's closest and strongest ally in the Arab world and the two countries have a common goal in suppressing moderate Arabs and Muslims. Both Damascus and Tehran provide financial and military aid to Hizbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine, enabling the two groups to remain as strong as ever. 

Tokyo/Fukushima, March 22
Japanese workers scrambled hard today to restore power at the troubled Fukushima nuclear plant as smoke rose from two of its reactors in the tsunami-hit northeast, which was jolted by a series of new powerful quakes, including two measuring 6.6 on the Richter Scale.

Authorities sought the help of the US military in tackling the “extremely tough” situation at the plant, close to which highly concentrated radioactivity was detected in iodine and cesium in seawater, sparking fears about food safety.

The nuclear plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), said the seawater pollution in the region had expanded, but the country’s nuclear safety agency said there were no immediate health threats.

The amount of radioactive iodine reached 80.3-fold of the standard level at the point 8 km south of the plant and 16.4-fold at the point 16 km south, Kyodo news agency reported.

The Fukushima prefectural government denied the possibility that seafood from the area was distributed to markets saying fishing had not been conducted near the nuclear plant, where emergency workers battled to avert a widespread disaster by trying to reconnect power lines and cool overheating reactors. — PTI 

BRIEFLY

China to produce ‘human milk’ from genetically modified cows
Beijing: Chinese scientists claimed to have created a herd of more than 200 cows that is capable of producing milk similar to that of humans. Genetically modified (GM) dairy products that are similar to human milk will appear on the Chinese market in two years, according to the state-run China Daily on Tuesday. The technology is at the "cutting edge" worldwide and will ensure "healthy protein contained in human milk is affordable for ordinary consumers, a scientist from the Chinese Academy of Engineering said. — PTI

First turbaned Sikh in Oz police
Melbourne: The police in Australia's Victoria state on Monday inducted its first officer from Sikh community who will wear a newly designed police turban, a media report said today. The Victoria police inducted its first officer from Sikh community who will wear a newly designed police turban, a media report said today. The first officer, Constable Amitoj Singh, who graduated from the police academy, would wear a newly designed police-issue turban, featuring the service's checker board pattern. — PTI

A melt-in-the-mouth pill for impotence!
London: Move over, the blue pills that have to be swallowed with water. Now, a melt-in-the-mouth drug for impotence which can help you ignite your passion in just seconds after popping it, say scientists. A team at German pharmaceutical giant Bayer AG has developed the first melt-in-the-mouth tablet, called Levitra orodispersible, for impotence. Priced at £4.50, the pill fizzes on tongue and dissolves in seconds, British newspaper the Daily Mail reported. — PTI

UN congratulates Haitians for poll
United Nations: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated the Haitian people and authorities for the successful presidential runoff. Ban noted that the new administration will have to step up in the reconstruction of the country after the terrible tragedies that affected Haiti in 2010. Mirlande Manigat and singer Michel Martelly, representing the Democratic and Peasant's Response Parties, respectively, were running for the presidency in the runoff. — Prensa Latina

5-yr-old Indian becomes millionaire
Dubai: A five-year-old Indian boy has become a millionaire overnight after winning a lottery at a national bond draw here. Ebrahim Fahimuddin Shaikh became the second millionaire in the year when the February draw of National Bonds Corporation picked his name. Ebrahim's father received the life changing call on Saturday. — PTI