A Setback for Syria
British Foreign secretary David Miliband's trip to Syria earlier this week -- the highest level-level British visit in eight years -- was the latest sign of Syria's ongoing rehabilitation from a pariah nation to a regional player. Ever since Syria began a round of indirect peace talks with Israel, a string of European leaders have broken with the Bush administration efforts to isolate Syria and have found their own roads to Damascus. Syria has an "essential role" to play in the stability of the Middle East, Miliband said, and urged Syria to continue the talks, which have been stalled by the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert two months ago.
But yesterday, the International Atomic Energy Agency served up a reminder of just how difficult it will be for the Syria and the West to kiss and make up. The IAEA released a report yesterday which said that its investigation of the military site in eastern Syria which the Israelis bombed in September 2007 turned up evidence that could support claims by the Bush administration that Syria was trying to develop an undeclared nuclear reactor. In particular, the IAEA said that they found traces of processed uranium -- rather than depleted uranium, which might have come from Israeli munitions that destroyed the site -- and remains of a cooling system that matches the requirements for a nuclear reactor. Since Syria is a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the IAEA -- which overseas enforcement of the NPT -- has asked to widen its investigation.
In which case, the IAEA wouldn''t be the only international body bearing down upon the government of Syrian president Bashar al Assad. A UN Tribunal in the Hague is due to begin its proceedings into the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri sometime in December. So far the UN investigation into that 2005 assassination and other attacks in Lebanon has focused on high ranking officials in the Assad regime. While these investigations don't pose an immediate threat to Syrian government, they aren't going away quietly.
But even by themselves, negotiations between Syria and the West won't be easy. For one thing, The US and Israel expect that a key component of any agreement would require Damascus to end its strategic relationship with Tehran, and stop supporting of anti-Israeli militant groups such as Hizballah and Hamas. But it's that strategic partnership – which began when Syria was the first country to recognize the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979 – that has helped the Assad regime survive all those years as a Western pariah. Though a peace deal with peace deal with Israel sweetened with a Western package of aid and expertise would put Syria solidly on the path to sustainable development, it would require an leap of faith unlike how the Syrian government normally operates. As one Syrian official with direct knowledge of the Israel file told me: “In Syria, you're considered a bad politician unless you have five or six options." Instead, the Syrian government sees the Israeli track not so much as an end in of itself but as a confidence building measure and prelude to a grand bargain between Syria and Iran on the one hand and America and its allies allies on the other that would redraw the balance of power in the Middle East, the official said. And while the Syrians are more than glad to see the backside of the Bush White House, they may be in for a rude awakening when Obama administration takes over. The ever-short American attention span is shifting further East, away from Syria and Iraq and the Levant and towards to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obama may not try to isolate Syria, but he also may not have time to listen.
--Andrew Lee Butters/Beirut
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1
Come on, please give the Syrians a break. Why should they be penalised just because they want to keep all options open? They only want to remain friends with Iran, develop nuclear weapons, support Hizbollah and may be Hamas, and also make friends with the West. What's wrong with all this?
The sad bit of the Syrian story is that, the people of Syria, unlike Iranians or Saudis, are quite liberal. With the right leadership, Syria could be another Turkey! No, I am not arguing in favour of regime change in Syria. http://www.winnowed.blogspot.com
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2
"The sad bit of the Syrian story is that, the people of Syria, unlike Iranians or Saudis, are quite liberal."
It irks me that you would ignorantly compare Iranians to Saudis and state that they are not a freedom-loving, secular-oriented people. In fact, the significant majority of us are. Please don't go around saying things like this again.
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3
Why do you take us for idiots? First you want us to believe Israelis want US to take out Iran not Iraq, Second they want Obama wins with "%99.99" but not McCain, now we should forget about UN report on nuclear contamination in southern Lebanon during 2006 war and believe Syria is going nuclear while they were bombed with nuclear contaminated bombs? hey I want my several billions dollars free money back from my crook allies, Israel, to bail out my auto industry stocks, if baggers let us have our own money!
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4
persianadvocate,
Many, many people in the west are aware that Saudi Arabia and Iran have populations with diverse viewpoints ranging from religious fundamentalists across the full spectrum to secularists. However, it seems clear that the majority of people in both countries are, in face, religious conservatives.
In Iran, religious institutions enjoy a near total control of the government. In Saudi Arabia, the royal family has kept a devil's bargain with religious exteremists for decades, allowing many of the worst excesses of zealotry to be both allowed and encouraged by official government policy.
I'll give one example for each country: The lion's share of the funding for the fundamentalist madrassas that pump out the ideologues of Muslim terrorist groups are primarily funded by Saudis and could not exist without the Saudis' massive "charitable" donations. On the Iranian side, no political candidate can stand for office unless he's vetted by a council of religious leaders who often seem to manipulate elections by spuriously denying candidates the right to run based on "moral" issues.
Win our hearts and minds. Tell us how it is that your belief (that the majority of people in these countries are freedom-loving and secular) can possibly be true. If it were, they would not stand for the domination of their governments by religious organizations. Don't just descry statements you disbelieve in. Back them up with logic and fact.
I, for one, would dearly love to believe that most Iranians and Saudis want a liberal, secular government, but I've never seen any evidence at all that this is true.
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5
As a signatory the treaty, called NPT,syria should avid the efforts of manufacturing nuclear weapons and atomic reactors which supports voilation reageding the treaty.
AS for as the visiting high profile of Syria ,it will bring betterment in the tens circumstances,According to my mind Syria has adopted a right way by changing its police.
No doubt, Israel is the fact of the day,all the countries of Middle East and other muslim ststes of Asian Subcontinent should recognise it because it has becom indispensable for the world peace especially Middle East.
Iran is also signatory of the treaty(NON PROLIFRATION TREATY)but there are misunderstandings has been created , wh is responsible for such misunderstandings it is point ,require some time,It is a common view that new American Administrtion will resove the issue by the best point of view. -
6
According to my firm opinion,
hypocray is oprating in the minds of those
who has power and authority to solve the existing problems esclated in the world.
i am not ready to admitt that teh aunited Nations is helpless in resolving the Palestine issue,
why not, Iranian issue relating to its nuclear program can not be settled through bilateral negutiation,
Kashire is not too complicated to which globle leaders looks laying down their arma(wisdom)
There is nothing imposible,Talban are ready to have talke with Americans.
As for as , repatriation of USA armed forces from Iraq is concerned it has also been settled by taking a unanimously decison.
But some particular quarter for their ecnomic benefit and political supermacy every day colapse the wall which is build in the way of bloodshed.
There is nothing imposible, -
7
In case,
you want peace in the Middle East,
will have to recognise Israel, as soveriegn stae.
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