Afterward they began to swagger again. The party took the forums seriously enough to dispatch senior leaders around the country for a series of pep rallies for its members. Those attending said party members had hit Mr. Khaddam with questions mirroring those at the open forums about corruption, incompetence and the pace of change. Senior figures inevitably cite the conflict with Israel as the guiding limitation. You have threats coming against Syria every day, and the capital is only 60 miles from the front line.
Critics call that a convenient excuse.
Syrian officials retort that change is coming but will require two or three or four more years.