The Hama Massacre - Reasons, Supporters of the Rebellion, Consequences

Scholarly Paper (Advanced Seminar) aus dem Jahr 2006 im Fachbereich Politik - Int. Politik - Region: Naher Osten, Vorderer Orient, Note: 1, Veranstaltung: Israel and Arabs - between war and peace, 76 Eintragungen im Literaturverzeichnis, Sprache: Englisch, Anmerkungen: This paper analyses the backgrounds and consequences of the Hama massacre, an uprising of mainly Muslim rebels in Syria in 1982, which was brutally crashed down by Syrian government forces. It examines the interests of the different national, regional and international groups supporting the revolt, such as Islamic fundamentalists,other Arab states and anti-Soviet interests of the West in the Middle East.A special emphasis is put on the role of West Germany and the Syrian Brotherhood in Germany. , Abstract: In February 1982, the Syrian city of Hama became well known worldwide as the place of the "Hama massacre". After a large and long-planned uprising of Muslim rebels against Asad and the Ba'th party, mainly organised by the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, Syrian government forces crushed the rebellion with brutal force. An estimated number of 20.000 to 40.000 citizens were killed by Syrian army units under the control of General Ali Haydar, 15.000 missing persons have not been found until today. This incident evoked heavy condemnation of the so-called 'pro-Moscow military regime' of Asad in the German press. It was accused to "be one of the bloodiest regimes in the Middle East, shaken from fear of espionage and with pro-soviet declarations and refusal of any peace policy overbidding itself every day anew." (Ranke, P.M., "Nur noch mit Gewalt", Die Welt, 12.2.1982). The Asad regime was portrayed in West German newspapers in the same way as in the writings of the Muslim Brotherhood as a sectarian minority regime and little distinction was made between the goals of the Brotherhood and the goals of the Syrian masses. This paper analyses the reasons, supporters and consequences of the Hama massacre, focussing on the triangle between Asad, the Muslim Brotherhood and West Germany. I will analyse why the Muslim Brotherhood in exile acted mainly from West Germany in its fight against Asad and why West Germany supported or tolerated those actions. I will furthermore analyse the interests of different groups and countries, internal, regional and international, involved in the Hama incident - and elaborate the reasons why they were interested in a destabilisation of Syria. On a global level I will consider the Hama incident in terms of cold war and the involvement of the Superpowers USA and USSR in the Middle East in the early 1980s.