The Syria of Hafez alAssad comes steadily closer to the society of contradictions portrayed by George Orwell in 1984. The official slogan of the ruling Ba'ath party is “unity, freedom, and socialism.” Yet as one Western diplomat stationed in Damascus recently pointed out, the salient characteristics of Syrian life are the antithesis of these high ideals.

Power is concentrated in the hands of a clan of Alawites, a Shi'ite offshoot considered heretical by the Suu ni Muslim majority. The most overt opposition is that of the fanatical, fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, which has attempted to assassinate Assad and has succeeded in killing hundreds of officials and supporters of the regime. The government has unleashed the special Defense Brigades, under the command of Assad's brother Rifaat, and allowed the Mukhabarat, the secret police, to conduct a reign of terror and intimidation, including searches without warrant, detention without trial, torture, and summary execution. The result has been increased resentment against the regime among the majority of the population.