re: #41 NJDhockeyfan

The WMD usage signals to his supporters that he’s in it to win it. He’s not going to flee, leaving his supporters answering to the angry mob. Of course, it means that if Assad does lose, those supporters are wholly screwed. They will continue supporting him because the alternative is worse.

Assad surrounds himself with loyalists, and if there was any dissent he’s probably dispatched them (which is another way of instilling fear and yes-men who accede to Assad’s whims).

That is, up until someone realizes that this has gone too far and moves to punt Assad. It’s what happened in Egypt, where the violence on the streets finally convinced the military to send Mubarak packing. However, Egypt is a different case from Syria considering that the military wields a tremendous amount of power in Egypt and essentially has chosen all the leaders of the country since Nasser rose to power in the 1950s. The Egyptian military is more respected than other Egyptian institutions.

However, the military in Syria is subservient to the Assad clan. A coup is not as likely to come from the military or the inner circle.