Assad’s Decree 408 = Arab World’s Boldest Regime Reform

[Nottingham]

July 7, 2003, 11:26 PM (GMT+02:00)
Assad’s Decree 408 = Arab World’s Boldest Regime Reform

On July 6, the day before he took off for Cairo, Syrian President Bashar Assad signed Decree 408 in the name of the ruling Baath party. This bureaucratic measure hit the Syrian political system like a bolt from the blue. In a trice, the party which had governed ever corner of Syria’s civil and military administration single-handed for forty years was removed from the levers of control. For decades, the lowliest officials in government and the economy, every university lecturer, journalist, military and police officer was obliged to be a member of the Baath party. .....more

This is an interesting piece of news if its true!

Assad signs decree removing ruling Baath party’s grip on government and positions of influence. He executes quiet withdrawal of 40,000 Syrian troops from Lebanon but for small pocket near Syrian border.

Now heres the Big Question is this for real and why is Assad bringing his troops home?:bounce:
http://www.debka.com/

[acmavm]

1. Possible worried about an attack on the old homefront?

n/t

[Nottingham]

2. Thats what I think when I saw it! Notice he did it Quietly

How do you move 40,000 troops quietly :bounce:

[Aidoneus]

3. he's not his father.

One of the hopes about him since he gained power is that he would be one to "lighten up" or relax the system built across decades by his father. Anything other than DEBKA?

[bemildred]

4. I don't see anything yet.

I think its more of the "we won" horseshit,
but time will tell.

Edit: there is this

http://www.aljazeerah.info/News%20archives/2003%20News%20archives/July%20/7n/Ruling%20Party%20in%20Syria%20Set%20to%20Ease%20Political%20Grip.htm

[ze_dscherman]

5. Nothing about "withdrawal"

in the Al-Jazeera article.
But reforms in Syria are a good thing if only Assad succeeds. Could be a tough ride.

Syria withdrawing from Lebanon? Now that would be Israels dream. Free fire zone on Hezbollah.

[Julien Sorel]

6. Assad just arrived in Cairo yesterday.

It's absurd to think he would order such radical changes, and then leave his country. That's how coups happen. This is more Debka BS.

I have access to some Reuters info that isn't likely to be printed by mainstream media, and there was something that went out on the wires yesterday about the Baathists 'easing' their 'grip on political life,' but that might be just words, and it certainly wouldn't change the structure of Syria's government very much.

[bemildred]

7. It's always good to remember that "talk is cheap".

"When you have to kill a man it costs nothing to be polite."
-- Winston Churchill, On formal declarations of war

[Nottingham]

8. Thanks guys for all your info! I'm really interested in troops movement!

I was interested in the 40,000 troops moving back to Syria.
Either its a retreat to protect Homeland which I believe is the real
reason or its a way of making the retreat look Nice which is my bet.
:bounce: