War (of Words) with Syria
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Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003
[This Guardian exclusive is causing a buzz today.]
The Guardian -- April 15
Bush vetoes Syria war plan
Julian Borger in Washington, Michael White, Ewen MacAskill in Kuwait City and Nicholas Watt
The White House has privately ruled out suggestions that the US should go to war against Syria following its military success in Iraq, and has blocked preliminary planning for such a campaign in the Pentagon, the Guardian learned yesterday.
In the past few weeks, the US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, ordered contingency plans for a war on Syria to be reviewed following the fall of Baghdad.
Meanwhile, his undersecretary for policy, Doug Feith, and William Luti, the head of the Pentagon's office of special plans, were asked to put together a briefing paper on the case for war against Syria, outlining its role in supplying weapons to Saddam Hussein, its links with Middle East terrorist groups and its allegedly advanced chemical weapons programme. Mr Feith and Mr Luti were both instrumental in persuading the White House to go to war in Iraq.
Mr Feith and other conservatives now playing important roles in the Bush administration, advised the Israeli government in 1996 that it could "shape its strategic environment... by weakening, containing and even rolling back Syria".
However, President George Bush, who faces re-election next year with two perilous nation-building projects, in Afghanistan and Iraq, on his hands, is said to have cut off discussion among his advisers about the possibility of taking the "war on terror" to Syria.
[Persistent questioning and extensive comments by Fleischer on Syria in today's briefing. The quotation below is just a small sampling. Repeated statements by Fleischer about WMD, terrorists and Iraqi leaders in Syria. The Golan Heights is not part of Israel/Palestine roadmap.]
White House Press Briefing -- April 14
whitehouse.gov/news/briefings/
Q Have you gotten any feedback yet from Syria?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I think that Syria has received the message. Keep in mind, the United States does have diplomatic relations with Syria. We have an ambassador in Damascus. Syria has received the message not only from the ambassador, but from other officials in the government.
And I think it's important for Syria to recognize that not only is it important for -- the wise way to conduct diplomacy, but also as a way of sending a message to the people of a newly-liberated Iraq, the people of Kuwait, others in the region who do not want to see Syria take in or harbor those who have been engaged in decades-long practice of tyranny, of brutality and of persecution against the Iraqi people. Why would Syria want to harbor those people? It's an important question, and we look forward to Syria's response to it.
Q In recent days, many announcements by senior officials about Syria's weapons of mass destruction have led people in other parts of the world to believe that Syria is probably next on the United States target list. And I'm wondering if you want to disabuse us of that notion?
MR. FLEISCHER: Thank you. Let me make two points. What's next on the United States target list is Iraq. What is next is exactly what we have described, which is completing the military mission in Iraq, because there still are dangerous places and there still is risk of pockets of fighting and resistance. What's next is the reconstruction of Iraq, working with Iraqis, working with the international community, working with the coalition to rebuild Iraq. If you want to know in the President's mind what is next, that is what is next.
In terms of Syria and chemical weapons, indeed, the President was asked a direct question yesterday: does Syria have weapons of mass destruction? And, indeed, as the President's habit, he answered the direct question. Syria does have chemical weapons according to a report that was just released by the CIA to the Congress. It's a public document and an authoritative one. I brought it to your attention earlier today.
So when the President is asked a direct question, he answers it. [ed. note: I'm biting my tongue here.]
[More Syrian reaction. Reaction from Egypt, Germany and Turkey.]
Dar Al-Hayat -- April 14
Syria Denies U.S. Accusations
Syria on Monday rejected U.S. accusations that it had chemical weapons and was sheltering former Iraqi leaders.
The increased U.S. pressure on Syria now that the Iraqi regime is overthrown prompted a warning from Europe. "We need to concentrate on winning the peace, and not on getting into a new confrontation," German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said as he arrived at an EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg.
It also prompted Syria to seek support from other countries. Syrian President Bashar Assad met with a junior British envoy Monday on the future of the region post-Saddam Hussein, as well as Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal and Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir. He spoke to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak by phone Sunday night.
"We will discuss with our brothers in Syria and other Arab countries how can we avoid the dangers ahead," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said in Cairo following talks Monday between Mubarak and visiting King Abdullah II of Jordan.
[Reaction to Sunday's US comments on Syria.]
Radio Free Europe -- April 14
U.S.: Washington Piles Pressure On Syria, Sparking French, Arab Reaction
By Jeffrey Donovan
Their remarks drew a quick reply from France, whose foreign minister is on a swing through the Middle East. Dominique de Villepin said that now is not the time to be pressuring Syria and that the world community should focus instead on rebuilding Iraq and reviving Middle East peace efforts.
Asked about Villepin's remarks, Rumsfeld bristled, accusing Paris of ignoring reality and living a lie. He added: "The comment that you cited suggests that the truth doesn't have any value, and the truth does have value. And the fact of the matter is that Syria has been unhelpful, and pretending that that is not the case is to deny the truth, and I don't think you can live a lie."
France's call was joined by Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mussa, who told reporters in Cairo that U.S. threats against Syria would only further inflame the situation in the Middle East.
[More from Rumsfeld. Review of Fleischer's comments]
Al Bawaba -- April 14
US directs additional hostile rhetoric at Syria: Rumsfeld speaks about chemical arms tests
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Monday accused Syria of carrying out tests involving chemical weapons over the past 12 to 15 months and allowing some Iraqis to flee into Syrian territory.
Further increasing U.S. pressure on Iraq's neighbor, Rumsfeld said the United States has "intelligence that indicates that some Iraqi people have been allowed into Syria, in some cases to stay and some cases to transit."
"I would say that we have seen chemical weapons tests in Syria over the past 12, 15 months," he said. "We have intelligence that shows that Syria has allowed Syrians and others to come across the border into Iraq, people armed and people carrying leaflets indicating that they'll be rewarded if they kill Americans and members of the coalition."
Rumsfeld made his comments during a news briefing outside the Pentagon after meeting with visiting Kuwaiti Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammad al-Salem al-Sabah.
Financial Times -- April 14
Israel demands US take action against Syria
By Sharmila Devi in Jerusalem
"We have a long list of issues that we are thinking of demanding of the Syrians and it is proper that it should be done through the Americans," Shaul Mofaz, Israeli defence minister, told the Maariv daily.
"It starts from removing the Hizbollah threat from southern Lebanon."
He also called for "an end to Iranian aid to Hizbollah through Syrian ports".
[More reactions to US statements.]
BBC -- April 14
US warns of Syria sanctions
The United States has stepped up its pressure on Syria, warning of possible sanctions against Damascus over its suspected chemical weapons programme and alleged help for fugitive Iraqi officials.
A Syrian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Bouthana Shaaban, insisted that "the only country in the region which has chemical, biological and nuclear weapons is Israel".
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair told Parliament he had received an assurance from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that no fleeing Iraqi officials would be allowed into Syria.
"He assured me that they would interdict anybody who's crossing over the border from Iraq into Syria," he said. "I believe they are doing that."
Russia has urged Washington to tone down its criticism of Syria.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said :"Harsh statements being made in Washington may considerably complicate the situation in the Middle East".
Department of State -- April 14
WHITE HOUSE WARNS "SYRIA NEEDS TO COOPERATE"
The White House called Syria a "rogue nation" and a
"terrorist state," and White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer
reiterated President Bush's warning that "Syria needs to cooperate."
[New statements on Syria by Fleischer and Powell.]
CNN -- April 14
White House steps up criticism of Syria
From Dana Bash
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rejecting Syria's denial that it harbors senior Iraqi leaders, the Bush administration on Monday hinted at possible sanctions against Syria as it raised anew accusations that Damascus is engaged in chemical weapons programs.
Secretary of State Colin Powell alluded to "possible measures of a diplomatic, economic or other nature" against Syria.
At the White House, Press Secretary Ari Fleischer declined to say what actions, if any, the United States might take against Syria if it does not "cooperate," but he refused to rule anything out.
"There are acceptable standards of behavior that the world and certainly the free Iraqi people hope will be followed by its neighbors including Syria and part of that is not to harbor Iraqi leaders ...Syria needs to cooperate and not harbor Iraqi leaders," Fleischer said.
Fleischer quoted from a 2002 public CIA report that Syria "already held nerve gas... but is trying to develop more toxic and persistent nerve agents."
"Why should they have chemical weapons?" asked Fleischer, noting that they are not signatories to the Chemical Weapons Treaty that bans them.
Reuters -- April 14
Britain's Straw Says Syria Cooperated with Saddam
KUWAIT - British Foreign Minister Jack Straw said on Monday there was evidence that Syria cooperated with Saddam Hussein's toppled administration in recent months and urged Damascus to change its attitude now that he was gone.
Straw said on Monday Syria was not "next on the list" for military action, but said there was evidence that Syria cooperated with Saddam's toppled administration. He urged Damascus to change its attitude now Saddam was gone.