Syrians can no longer use Facebook to keep in touch with people, or more importantly, groups that criticize the government.



Though many in the United States like to criticize the government over the Patriot Act, Reuters suggested a far worse scenario for critics in Syria. Not only has a year-long crackdown put dissidents in jail, it has now reach social networking site Facebook.

Perhaps someone will bring this up when the Syrians arrive for the Annapolis conference, but probably not, especially if Bush Administration wonks think they can extract some concessions from Syria over Hamas. Facebook censorship isn't going to take up time on the Annapolis slate.

Ammar al-Qurabi, head of the National Association for Human Rights, said in the Reuters piece, "We have asked officials and they said Facebook could become a conduit for Israeli penetration of our youth, but the real reason for blocking the forum because it provides for criticism of the authorities."

Such criticism has been part of building a part of Syrian society that isn't under the grip of its government. Criticism has been part of American society all the way back to Thomas Paine, but it probably won't rate a mention when the conference begins along the Chesapeake Bay.

"They cut off communications between us and the outside world. We are used to this behavior from our government," Mais al-Sharbaji said in Reuters.

Syria, Facebook, Censorship

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