BEWARE of rumours, impersonations of regime officials and false news of defections, Syria’s state-run newspapers have been warning their readers. Amid Syrian officials’ bluster about how they have won the first round of a showdown with Barack Obama, forcing him to truckle to Congress before he can attack Syria, President Bashar Assad’s regime is preparing for war.
Propaganda has intensified. Loyalist rallies were held in central Damascus the day after Mr Obama’s speech, cheering Mr Assad as a hero. A group of Syrians launched a campaign called “Hands Off Syria”, pitching tents in front of Mount Qassioun, a hub of military installations near the president’s palace, an area that could be targeted by the Americans. Syria’s television headquarters is said to have been moved from its prominent spot in the capital’s central Umayyad Square to a hidden location out of harm’s way. The Syrian Electronic Army, a pro-regime computer-hacking outfit, tweeted a message: “We are ready”.
Residents say the military is on the move, too. “Troops are being moved out of bases and into houses, schools and residential areas,” says a Syrian businessman who lives in Mezze, a smart district of Damascus. The army is also said to be shifting heavy weapons, including Scud missiles.
“It looks like the war protocol may be enforced,” surmises a former Syrian government minister who served under Mr Assad. If put into action, schools, due to open for the new term on September 9th, would stay shut. State-funded television stations would have to run identical programmes. The regime, says Syria’s deputy foreign minister, Faisal Mikdad, is ready.
Opposition members fear the regime’s preparations could include darker plans, too. They suspect the regime is not only hiding from attacks by moving into residential areas but also hoping to increase the number of civilian casualties that can then be blamed on the Americans.