War (of Words) with Syria
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Tuesday, Apr 22, 2003
[Analysis of US pressure and its effects on Syria's politics.]
Syria's stark choice
Assad must decide whether to purge prominent figures from his regime or face renewed US wrath
Guardian -- April 21
Brian Whitaker
Syria, unfortunately, is playing directly into the hands of American neo-conservatives.
According to diplomatic sources, the onslaught from Washington is by no means over, and the US is now threatening to expose key business figures in Syria over military sales to Saddam's regime.
The American move could plunge Syria into political turmoil because those involved are closely linked to the country's "old guard" - senior members of the regime who retained power after the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, succeeded his father almost three years ago.
More articles by Brian Whitaker.
Syria welcomes Bush's soothing comments
Syrian FM says Damascus always favored dialogue with Washington following US President's statement.
Middle East Online -- April 21
DAMASCUS - Syria welcomed Monday an apparent softening of US charges against Damascus, with Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara saying the country always favored dialogue to confrontation with Washington.
"We welcome the recent statement by President (George W.) Bush and I would like to add that Syria from the beginning never wanted confrontation but dialogue with the USA," he told reporters during a joint press conference with visiting Spanish counterpart Ana Palacio.
[Lieberman uses language similar to my previous commentary -- that Syria hasn't decided yet.]
Lieberman: 'Aggressive diplomacy' needed in Syria
AP via The Advocate -- April 20
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., says "very aggressive diplomacy" and possible economic sanctions are needed to persuade Syria to join sides with the United States and against terrorism.
Lieberman, a candidate for president in 2004, told CBS' "Face the Nation" in an interview broadcast Sunday that the Syrians have not taken sides. He said they have provided some help to America in pursuing al-Qaida terrorists, but continue to house and support several terrorist groups.
"Remember that after Sept. 11, when we declared that war on terrorism, we said it was time for the nations of the world to take sides," Lieberman said. "Either they were with us or they were with the terrorists. The Syrians have not clearly taken sides
[Lengthy report on Hezbollah. Discusses potential access by Hezbollah to WMD in Iran and Syria. Discusses Hezbollah's successful resistance to Israeli occupation of Lebanon, and their involvement with Palestinian militants.]
Hezbollah: "A-Team Of Terrorists"
60 Minutes -- April 18
(CBS) This is what deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage had in mind a few months ago when he pinned this label on Hezbollah.
"Hezbollah may be the 'A-Team of Terrorists' and maybe al-Qaeda is actually the 'B' team. And they're on the list and their time will come,” says Armitage. “There is no question about it - it's all in good time. And we're going to go after these problems just like a high school wrestler goes after a match. We're going to take them down one at a time."
But Hezbollah's leader, Sheikh Hasan Nasrallah, who we met in Beirut, insists that his group no longer poses a threat to the U.S. Unlike the leadership of al-Qaeda, he isn't hiding from anyone. You may never have heard of Nasrallah before, but he is a hugely popular figure, not just in the region but also among Arabs living in the West
[This blog may be morphing into a war of words with militant groups in Lebanon. Good thing I didn't hard code the name. In Lebanon, Nasrallah spoke of "Death to America". But he probably came to realize those words were amplified far beyond Beirut. Hezbollah seems to want to do some PR in the US to avoid being the most obvious target for US retalitation to Arab retaliation to the invasion.]
US faces retaliation: Hezbollah
AFP via news.com.au -- April 21
The US-led war in Iraq will encourage Islamic militants to retaliate against the United States, the leader of the Lebanon-based Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah has said.
"American policies in the region encourage this kind of retaliation, whether we agree with it or not," Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah told CBS television's 60 Minutes program.
[Next stop Bekaa Valley?]
US prepares for strike by Hezbollah
Sunday Times (UK) via Daily Times (Pakistan) -- April 20
By Tony Allen-Mills
WASHINGTON: American military planners have been told to draw up options for possible retaliatory action against Hezbollah and other Middle Eastern terrorist groups in the event of suicide attacks on US forces in Iraq, according to official sources in Washington. Intelligence specialists have concluded that the greatest threat to US military bases in Iraq may come from groups operating out of Syria.
“The opportunities for mischief-making that might make a pretext for escalation have just multiplied enormously,” said John Pike, a military specialist with globalsecurity.org, a Washington think tank.
The influx of American troops had presented the region’s terrorists with “a target-rich environment”, Pike said. Anti-American operations might include border incursions by Hezbollah guerrillas or groups operating out of Iran, and car or truck bomb attacks on US targets in Baghdad. Other sources said that if Hezbollah went on the offensive, the Pentagon would respond in kind.
[Bush on Syria at Fort Hood, Lugar on Iraq at Meet the Press, Woolsey on Syria at Fox News Sunday.]
Bush Hails Signs That Syria Is Starting to Cooperate on Iraq
New York Times -- April 20
By JOHN TIERNEY
WASHINGTON — President Bush emerged from Easter services today with unusually peaceful words for Syria, which his administration has accused of aiding Iraq during the war and sheltering its leaders as fighting ended.
James Woolsey, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency under President Clinton, criticized Syria's leader, Bashar Assad, for being "really over the line" last month by raising the prospect of terrorist attacks against American troops in Iraq. "He is on the side of the terrorists and those who would, I think, like to continue to run totalitarian regimes in the Middle East," Mr. Woolsey said in an appearance on "Fox News Sunday."
[A review of the war of words over the past week or so.]
Next Stop: Syria?
The Bush Administration applies the screws to another "rogue nation." What's behind the sudden indictment — and how scared should Damascus be?
Time -- April 28
By ROMESH RATNESAR
Just days after U.S. troops entered Baghdad, the Bush Administration was already contemplating a new scrape. A group of the President's top foreign-policy advisers — including Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and Colin Powell — gathered in the White House to discuss the road ahead. Only half the meeting was devoted to developments in Iraq. The rest of the session was spent debating how to tackle a fresh target: Syria.
Hawks recycle arguments for Iraq war against Syria
The Washington Times -- April 16
By David R. Sands
The talk over war with Syria increasingly resembles a spring rerun of the debate over war with Iraq, with virtually the same cast of characters and plot.
Neoconservative Richard Perle, a leading hawk in the Iraq debate, yesterday called for Congress to pass a "Syrian Liberation Act" modeled on the 1998 law that made regime change in Baghdad official U.S. policy.
via a warblogging post with commentary and links
[Review of Hezbollah speech from several days ago, plus background on the organization.]
Hezbollah Vows Anew to Target Americans
Bush officials, fearing attacks, debate whether to go after the group and backers Iran and Syria.
Los Angeles Times -- April 17
By Josh Meyer
WASHINGTON -- Hezbollah, a militant Islamic organization backed by Iran and Syria, has issued a new call to arms against Americans in the Middle East, touching off fears of terrorist attacks and debate withinthe Bush administration over whether to move more aggressively against the group and its key sponsors.
The military wing of Hezbollah, long considered by the U.S. to be among the world's most dangerous terrorist groups, has focused largely on Israel because of its past occupation of Hezbollah's homeland in Lebanon and other contested territory. But the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has triggered a spate of anti-American rhetoric from the Shiite organization and its leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah.