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Gaddafi's death and a warning for dictators

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Syrian and Yemeni opposition warn leaders they could be next

Opposition leaders from Syria and Yemen have a grim warning for their governments: Pay attention to what happened to Gaddafi--you could be next.

Highlights

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
10/21/2011 (1 decade ago)

Published in Middle East

Keywords: Syria, Yemen, opposition, tyrants, Gaddafi, dictators, , Arab spring

ANKARA, TURKEY (Catholic Online) - Omar Al-Muqdad, a Syrian opposition activist living in Turkey said, "This is a lesson for all dictatorships: The clear fate of all who kill his people is to end up under the feet of the nation." He also added that the Syrian national assembly "blesses the Libyan people that got rid of an infamous dictator such as Gaddafi."

He also said that it would inspire the Syrian people to topple President Bashar Al-Assad who would "suffer the same fate" if he fell from power.

In Sweden, Yemeni blogger Afrah Nasser said, "whether he was killed or not, I hope Saleh is watching the news closely." She said that she is hopeful her country's opposition will get international support.

She clarified, "the support we need is sanctions against Saleh and boycott of Saleh's regime and acknowledgment of Yemen's opposition National Council. Nasser is blogging from Sweden for fear of being killed should she return home.

Opposition representatives from both Syria and Yemen made numerous statements on the occasion of Gaddafi's death on Thursday. They are hopeful that their respective regimes will see it as a warning that a similar fate could befall them should they continue to oppress their people and refuse change.

Some analysts predict that the death of Gaddafi will have a galvanizing effect on opposition parties throughout the middle east, and that governments will become increasingly nervous as a result. David Hartwell, a regional expert said, "I think what we've seen in the past is that Tunisia had the effect of emboldening the opposition in Egypt. That has ripple effects out to Yemen and Libya itself."

Of course, the ripple effects could be far more widespread than any experts are capable of predicting. Certainly expectations are high for opposition groups in Syria and Yemen. However, active opposition groups also exist in other Middle Eastern countries, and even in Saudi Arabia a close American ally, the Arab spring movement has emboldened women to insist on more rights under the current regime. Perhaps most surprising, the Arab spring movement has even emboldened American youths to take to the streets as part of the Occupy Wall Street protests.

Although violence is unlikely to spread outside of Syria and Yemen, world leaders will do well to keep watch and pay better attention to their people.

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