Reform party of Syria
www.reformsyria.net
The Game Syria and Iran are Playing
Washington DC, October 9, 2004 /RPS Opinion/ -- Every time the U.S. acts or reacts to Syria, Iran pops out to either divert or dilute the international community's work. The latest was a surprise visit of Khatami to Damascus on Thursday.
Khatami understands well that a weak Syria will isolate Iran not only vis-à-vis Iraq but also in the European Parliament, the U.S. Congress and most important in Vienna where the IAEA is watching closely Iran's bold declarations of her nuclear ambitions. So Khatami visits Syria once in a while to share intelligence and do his Castro pep rally. The unfortunate thing is that Syria is listening and although it seems that they are cooperating with the U.S. on many of the tracks that Burns and Rodman initiated on 9/11 of this year, they are also looking for a way out of the pressure and only Iran can provide them with relief.
There is consensus amongst the various departments in the U.S. (i.e. Pentagon, State, Treasury, etc..) that Syria's past history of escaping pressure prevent them from conducting simple fact-finding missions with Damascus. They fully understand that the gun must stay cocked and pointed to Assad's head in order to get real results. The problem is that Iran is working as hard to tell the Syrians that the reality is that the gun pointed to their head is a toy gun.
Iran feels that its work as a regional player has just begun. They feel that their time has come to flex some muscles in the region after suffering continuous disdain by the west for their extremist policies and a long war with Iraq. Although the Iraq war can be viewed as a problem in the U.S., the Iranians are viewing it as an opportunity. An opportunity to institute the policies they have yearned for for so long but failed to achieve: Unite the Shia'a under the umbrella of Tehran and use the oil as a weapon to build Islamism according to their vision. To achieve this grandeur, Tehran needs Damascus as a sidekick to divert attention from their scheme.
At the end, Tehran knows that Damascus will fall to the democratic forces. But not before Tehran reaches the point of no return. More precisely, the point when an atomic threat can guarantee them the hegemony they long for. Today, they are working with Syria on many fronts but none more important than the one showing leadership and resolve. The pep talk Khatami made to Assad underscores Assad's naiveté and the hardliners' wish for pressure relief. The Syrians are listening and we will see in the days to come some more actions by Damascus to undermine the talks being conducted today with the U.S.
Furthermore, Syria, like Iran, is looking beyond Iraq. The Assad clan wishes to remain in Lebanon for economic reasons (the 300,000 annual jobs that need to be created are causing a problem to Assad) but also for political reasons as well. A Syria in retreat under pressure is a weak Syria, something the Ba'athists are trying very hard to dispel and Iran is there to give them that boost. The question remains: How will Syria use Iran to get the U.S. off her back? And how is Iran going to help Syria maintain its grip in Lebanon for diversionary and ideological reasons? The answer may reside in Boucher's statements yesterday when he said once again that Syria must exit Lebanon. It shows a relentless pressure by the U.S. in spite of the multi-track talks going-on at this time between Washington and Damascus.
Reform Party of Syria
Assad Talks of Wars and Bloodshed
Washington DC, October 9, 2004 /UPI Feed/ - Syrian President Bashar Assad chose to speak during a conference in Damascus that hosted Syrian expatriates on Saturday to send several important messages that hinted to how Damascus was set to deal with mounting and continued international pressures in the near future.
Assad seems to have opted for a tougher attitude to confront pressures from the United States, and its once good ally France, and the United Nations whose various demands range from the need to cooperate in Iraq, ease the grip on Lebanon and cease support of militant Lebanese and Palestinian groups such as Hezbollah.
A smiling and calm Assad acknowledged the "very dangerous international circumstances" but warned that "we are living a state of chaos" due to the "wrong concepts ... that prepare for more wars and bloodshed."
In a first clear criticism of the United Nations since the Security Council passed Resolution 1559, which calls for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon and disarming militias, Assad said the international institution was initially created to establish peace and justice in the world.
" It (U.N.) is now being transformed as an arm for big forces at the expense of the interests of the smaller countries and became a tool for interfering in their internal affairs," he said, adding that the Security Council adopted Resolution 1559 in this context.
He said although Syria constantly supported the United Nations and its institutions, it does not mean that it cannot criticize "the mistakes, especially the double-standard in dealing with the international resolutions."
He said Res. 1559 was "portrayed" as aiming to protect the sovereignty of Lebanon following the extension of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud's mandate for three more years last month.
The United States, France and other European countries accused Syria, which is the main power broker in Lebanon, of "forcing" Lahoud's mandate extension and preventing new free elections in the tiny Arab country.
Assad, who realized that pressures are pouring on his nation not only from the United States but also France, appeared sure that something serious was afoot against his country.
"Res. 1559 in its context was ready some time ago and is aimed at reaching other objectives," Assad said as he maintained that the international resolution has nothing to do with the Lahoud mandate extension.
Assad believes that the "real objectives" of Res. 1559 is to "internationalize Lebanon's internal situation ... which means a return to the 1980s." He was apparently referring to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the subsequent deployment of a multinational force that was soon forced to leave the country after a series of suicide bombings.
Categorically denying interference in Lebanon's internal affairs, he recalled how Syria protected Lebanon, mainly its Christian inhabitants, when it dispatched its troops to help stop the then-raging 1975-90 civil war.
Referring to the United States and France, which were behind Res. 1559, he said "if they are eager to protect Lebanon, what did they offer to Lebanon during the past years and where were they" since the civil war first broke out in 1975.
He asked why Washington and Paris approved an extension of the mandate of former Lebanese President Elias Hrawi in 1995 and opposed Lahoud's mandate extension last month.
Assad rejected accusations that his country wants to control Lebanon and argued that Syria has no interest in doing so.
"If we want to impose our hegemony, why have we been withdrawing our troops since five years?" Assad asked. "A weak Lebanon harms Syria as much as a weak Syria harms Lebanon."
Assad fears that U.S. and French efforts to implement Res. 1559 would only plunge the Middle East region into more violence.
"Where are they taking us? The region was at the edge of the volcano while now it is in the heart of the volcano," Assad said, noting that Lebanon and Syria have been so far "the safest countries" in the region "under the present circumstances."
"Haven't we learned from Sept. 11 and Iraq? If the volcano explodes, it will hit all countries, the close and the far ones," he said. "Isn't it time to learn from these lessons?"
Assad described the situation in Iraq as "catastrophic" and hard to predict. He however reiterated Syria's eagerness to "do what it can to preserve Iraq's stability" which requires "a new constitution and the withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign forces."
Israel's unabated military incursions and attacks against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank added to deterioration in the region and to fears of widespread violence, he said.
According to Assad, the Arab people were "in a state of despair because of the undeterred Israeli hegemony ... and state terrorism" it was practicing on the Palestinians.
Assad acknowledged many recent mediation efforts by the U.S. and European countries to resume Syrian-Israeli peace negotiations,
While Arab-Israeli peace negotiations remain deadlocked, several attempts were made by U.S. and European mediators to convince Syria to start "secret" peace talks with Israel.
"Some proposed secret negotiations, but Syria's position is clear and we replied: What is the goal of secrecy? There are two possibilities: (1) bad intention, and we should take lessons from the Oslo agreements for which the Palestinians are paying a dear price, or (2) the Israelis are not ready for peace."
Assad believes the problem lies with the Israeli citizens "who do not seem to be ready for peace. There is no apparent conviction in the peace process."
He said mediations to resume Israel-Syria peace negotiations were "maneuvers" but reiterated readiness to hold peace talks in the open.
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