Syria's ruling Baath Party opens a congress in Damascus, where President Bashar Al-Assad has promised major political and economic reform. International pressure has been mounting against Syria in the wake of its withdrawal of troops from neighboring Lebanon.
STEVE INSKEEP, host: Syria's ruling Baath Party opened a congress today.  It's the first      country-wide meeting in five years, and it's met to discuss planned      reforms, what the Syrian president, Bashar Al-Assad, has labeled `the      great leap.' More than 1,100 Baath Party members are attending this      congress in Damascus, and that's where NPR's Ivan Watson is this morning.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: And, Ivan, one reason we're interested in this meeting is because of the      timing.  It comes after Syria has faced intense international criticism,      been forced to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.  So given all that,      what's expected of this meeting?</s>IVAN WATSON reporting: Well, Steve, President Bashar Al-Assad, he opened up this meeting and he      said that the Baath Party, which has ruled Syria for 43 years, does face      new challenges and new changes and it has to adapt.  It has to make a      great leap forward to meet the hopes of the Syrian people.  But then one      by one, I've been watching septuagenarian delegates stepping up to the      podium here and repeating much of the same rhetoric that Syrians have      grown accustomed to hearing during the past 43 years of Baath Party rule.      In fact, every time they even mention President Bashar Al-Assad's name      the audience automatically applauds, and some Syrians I've spoken with      say they're not hearing or seeing anything that signifies a great leap      forward.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Hm.  Well, this is a president who took over from his father      five years ago, was supposed to be a young and more modern leader.  What      is his record at home?</s>WATSON: Well, he does seem to be quite popular with the people.  They do      think he wants to bring about reform, and he has introduced some      freedoms, such as liberalizing a bit this centrally planned economy here;      introducing private banks, ATM machines, credit cards and cell phones.      And there's a bit more political freedom.  But according to the      constitution, the Baath Party is still enshrined as the leader of this      society, and in the month before this congress, we've seen an apparent      show of force from the authorities.  They rounded up members of the      country's only public political and cultural discussion group, they      test-fired several scud missiles in the past week, and yesterday, clashes      with the Kurdish minority in a Kurdish town of Qameshli on the border      here where protesters were calling for an independent investigation into      the mysterious death of a Kurdish cleric.  So getting mixed messages      here.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Is the government under any internal pressure to reform?</s>WATSON: I'm hearing from every Syrian that I talk to that they do want      change.  First of all, economic change.  There's 20 percent unemployment      here. University students I've spoken with all talk about going--leaving      the country to find work after they graduate.  There's also a lot of      complaint about huge corruption, bloated government agencies that squeeze      Syria's middle class for bribes and, again, loosening up the economy.      And that's not even talking about political freedoms.  For instance, the      Kurdish minority here, hundreds of thousands of Kurds, don't have      citizenship, don't even have the right to jobs or education.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Ivan, we mentioned that international pressure forced the      Syrians to withdraw from Lebanon.  Do other nations have any leverage to      force the Syrians to reform at home?</s>WATSON: Well, Europe has held up a trade deal with Syria, and Syria's      also under huge pressure from the US.  It's a big concern among Syrians      I'm talking to.  They are afraid of the looming threat of a confrontation      with the US. The US has been accusing Syria of allowing insurgents to      cross the border into Iraq and also continues to denounce what they say      is Syria's support of armed militants in Lebanon and in the occupied      Palestinian territories.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Ivan, thanks very much.</s>WATSON: You're welcome, Steve.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: That's NPR's Ivan Watson.  He is in Damascus where Syria has      begun a congress today.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: This is NPR News.