PARIS, July 10, 2008
Syria's Intentions Slowly Coming Clear?
World Watching For Signs That Assad May Be Moving Toward The West, Away From Iran
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A Syrian woman shades her face from the sun as she walks past giant banner portraits of President Bashar al-Assad in a street in Damascus in this May, 2007 file photo. (AMMAR/AFP/Getty)
The world will be watching closely this weekend as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrives for a rare visit to Paris. The question lingering: will he finally and publicly decide which camp to join - the West or Iran?
The United States and its European allies have serious concerns over the Syrian government's behavior.
The main issues troubling Western leaders include Damascus' strong alliance with Tehran; its clandestine nuclear program; its alleged support of terrorism - particularly allowing foreign fighters into Iraq; interference in neighboring Lebanon and a lack of internal reforms. The list goes on.
Relations between France and Syria have been strained since the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a February 2005 bombing in Beirut, blamed widely on Damascus.
Paris decided to shun Syrian officials after the murder, particularly in light of then-French-President Jacques Chirac's strong personal ties to Hariri. Syria has consistently denied any involvement in the killing.
Since his election, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has taken the lead, inviting Assad to join some 40 other foreign leaders for the Sunday launch of the new Union for the Mediterranean, aimed at boosting cooperation between the European Union and Mediterranean rim states.
The Syrian leader, accompanied by several of his ministers and his wife Asma, will stay in Paris after the summit for France's Bastille Day celebrations. He will watch the massive military parade pass from the iconic Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde; his very presence truly unthinkable only a few weeks ago.
Syrian opposition groups have called for a rally in Paris on July 13, the day before the parade, to demand an end to the "arbitrary arrest of intellectuals and political opponents," and for human rights reforms in Syria.
France, which assumed the presidency of the European Union this month, has indicated Assad's invitation was a just reward for Assad's help in brokering a power-sharing deal between rival politicians in Lebanon - ending a political stalemate that threatened the stability of the entire region.
"The Syrian president is not a perfect example in terms of respect for human rights, but he is making efforts," said one French presidential aide.
Assad, who was only 34 when he took power from his father Hafez in 2000, has turned out to be an incisive strategist who knows how to play his cards quite well.
After months of strained relations, Assad is expected to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Paris on Saturday. Mubarak refused to attend a March Arab summit held in the Syrian capital.
Analysts say Damascus has made several diplomatic moves lately which have helped it break a long period of global isolation.
Assad recently allowed a team of U.N. inspectors to visit a remote building site that was bombed by Israel in September. U.S. officials and, off the record, Israel, claim it was a plutonium-producing reactor in the works.
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Syria also used its influence with the Damascus-based Hamas group to help forge a ceasefire between the Islamic militant movement - which governs the Gaza Strip - and Israel. And, most significantly, Damascus agreed to hold indirect, Turkish-mediated talks with Israel to determine the fate of the disputed Golan Heights. The talks are expected to be upgraded soon to face-to-face negotiations after an eight year freeze. There is no doubt Damascus is anxious not to put all its eggs in the Iranian basket.
Amir Teheri, Middle East analystSome analysts suggest that the new Union of the Mediterranean, which has generated resistance from some of France's vital allies, including Germany and Spain, may be more theater than substance.
But the meeting, and Sarkozy's new attitude toward Damascus, will have at least one very visible outcome: Syrian and Israeli leaders together in the same place - though seated opposite each other, according to the alphabetical table arrangements.
Assad has rejected the notion of a direct meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on the sidelines of the Paris summit, saying such a meeting would be "premature."
But, the Syrian leader did welcome the French "break," and in an interview with French daily Le Figaro on Tuesday he invited Paris to play a direct role in eventual talks between Damascus and Tel Aviv. Officials from within the Syrian government tell CBS News that Damascus will soon send an ambassador to Paris for the first time in two years.
"My impression is that (Sarkozy) is enthusiastic about these negotiations and wants France to play a direct role," Assad declared. "If he confirms it to me, I will immediately invite him to support directly this peace process."
Assad and his foreign minister have repeatedly asked for U.S. involvement in these negotiations. The Americans, however, have been reluctant to open up to Damascus until it makes a firm commitment to disengage from Tehran, as well as from anti-Israel Palestinian and Lebanese groups declared "terrorists organizations" by Washington.
Many analysts say the moment Syria decided to publicize the negotiations, it began the process of distancing itself from Tehran - although Syrian and Iranian officials readily deny their relationship is jeopardized by the prospect of a Syria-Israel deal.
"Ideologically, the secular Baathist Arab regime in Syria has little in common with Iran's Persian and Shiite Islamic revolutionary leaders," long-time Middle East expert Amir Teheri told CBS News.
"There is no doubt Damascus would change its course if there were other options on the table for it to choose," added Teheri, an Iranian analyst based in London. "There is no doubt Damascus is anxious not to put all its eggs in the Iranian basket."
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Having power but being unwilling to use it is more often perceived by these nations as weakness.
Syria is a WEASEL state. They will make allies with those whom they fear most.
Posted by trishab4
What is the gross national product of Syria?
How much does the average Syria earn??
Syria can stand on it''s own all it wants but it needs
trading partners and the West likes it''s trading partners to be lets say friendly to us and not the bad
guys...
-Syria does not have to show the World what side it stands. Why does Syria have to stand by the West? Syria is an independant nation and it can stand its own position with no influence from nowhere. It does not have to join the Sheeple of nations either to the West or the East. The Midle-East has its own equilibrium and needs noone to meddle into its own business. Nations of the Middle-East have grown up all over History and always succeded to negotiate peace settlements and long peaceful periods of time. As soon as th West (or the East) entered the Middle-East, this equilibrium was disrupted into a disbalance to the detriment of local Nations.
-LEAVE THE MIDDLE-EAST ALONE...
The US has had solid defense agreements that are about 30 years old promising to defend Israel, Saudi Arabia, and with proof, Kuwait. The US has the similar agreements with Japan, NATO nations and South Korea.
Iran is a mosquito to the US military might.
I thought we were tring to get them killing each other. Civil war was the plan all along.
right?
Hasn''t the US supplied enough money and weapons for Israle to defend itself. If not, we have wasted a lot of money helping to build up Israel''s defenses to a point where they can''t defend themselves from Iran!!
I saw this episode in a Wild E. Coyote cartoon.
[Posted by GOP_forever at 08:57 AM : Jul 10, 2008]
are you referring to his brush clearing efforts on the ranch? i agree ... he''s very good at this.
Posted by OneAmerican- at 11:01 AM : Jul 10, 2008
That is not nice to say.
Now which is his best side ?
[Posted by linymo at 09:46 AM : Jul 10, 2008]
a mention of jimmy carter and no mention of egypt? are you an ideologue ... a glass is half empty type ... or both?
Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
source:http://www.appliedlanguage.com/country_guides/syria_country_people.shtml
Get ready, 18 year olds -
The DRAFT is coming!
- by whiskyrocker July 10, 2008 9:30 AM EDT
- These arabs will stick together until the end.
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