Syria has released over 400 Kurds who had been arrested earlier for anti-government demonstrations. At least 22 were killed, and 150 wounded, when the police attacked the demonstrators. Over 700 were arrested during anti-government demonstrations in five Syrian cities. While many of the demonstrators were Kurds, many were simply out protesting decades of dictatorial rule by the Baath party. The government blames the unrest on an American conspiracy to destabilize and conquer Syria. But the real enemy is the overthrow, by coalition troops, of the Baath party in Iraq. That, and the Iraqi Kurds governing themselves in northern Iraq for the last twelve years. These two developments provide inspiration for Syrian, Iranian and Turkish Kurds.