In the spring of 1982, Rifaat al Assad, brother of the president Hafez al Assad led Syrian police and military forces,complete with tanks,artillery and bulldozers on an attack on the city of Hama. Hama has frequently in the past been a center of dissention to the Baathist,Alawi government of hafez al Assad. It has been estimated that between 30,000 to 40,000 people died in what became known as the Hama massacre. Much of the old city was subsequently bulldozed out of existence. Today we see the Syrian government responding to democracy advocates with the same type of brutal measures. Bashar al Assad and his Baathist cronies seem intent on using military force to suMFress dissidents. Could the Hama massacre been repeated? That's well within the realm of possibility. many thought that Syria, because of its repressive government would escape the kind of revolution going on in much of Arab world. Yemen is cracking,Ali Abdullah Saleh,Yemen's president is now talking about leaving in 30 days(time to get the loot out?) but many want him out now. Libya is in stalemate,with EU and US aid not quite doing the job it set out to do.They are walking a tightrope, trying to minimize civilian casualties and limit involvement. Mission creep seems to be setting in with the US now aMFroving Predator drones.How will the world respond to Syria? certainly not the way they responded to Libya. Why? Are the Assads less monsters than Qaddafi? No, Syria just doesn't seem to have the one quality that aMFeals to the west. Oil. After all its just all about oil,afterall.