New protests expected in Syria after Assad speech

New demonstrations are expected in Syria after Muslim Friday prayers following President Bashar al-Assad’s speech to parliament Wednesday. Although Assad did not lift the country’s state of emergency, analyst Barah Mikhail says he may have satisfied some Syrians with promises of reform.

Reuters/Syrian state TV

And new reforms are necessary, says Mikhail, a researcher at the Fride thinktank in Madrid.

“A priority from a political point of view would be to allow the creation of associations and political parties,” he told RFI. “Because if Mr Assad doesn’t open up the political scene the problem will be that people will again feel frustrated.”

Assad’s reference to foreign-inspired plots against Syria's enemies are nothing new, Mikhail says, but appeal to the audience he was trying to reach.

“By talking about foreign threats, Mr Bashar Assad is doing something that people are convinced of because between 2004 and 2008 they have seen … close threats and strong pressures developed by the United States and by France on their own government,” he says.

He points out that Israel bombed Syrian territory when Ariel Sharon was Israeli prime minister from 2000-2006.