War (of Words) with Syria
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Friday, May 02, 2003
[Background on Hezbollah, including South American connection.]
Operation Syria
Hezbollah should be on Powell’s agenda
National Review Online -- May 2
By Rachel Ehrenfeld
hen Secretary of State Colin Powell arrives in Syria on Saturday, he will no doubt raise the issue of Hezbollah with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. The Syrians claim that they have no control over Hezbollah. Besides, Damascus will argue, Hezbollah's terrorist activities are aimed only against Israel, and therefore are justifiable. But Secretary Powell should recall the recent statement of Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, made in the run-up to the U.S.-led war in Iraq: "In the past, when the Marines were in Beirut, we screamed 'Death to America!' Today, when the region is being filled with hundreds of thousands of American soldiers, 'Death to America!' was, is, and will stay our slogan."
[Being a disinterested arbiter is out of fashion.]
US has asked Syria to ‘dismantle’ Hezbollah: Rice
Middle East Online -- May 2
JERUSALEM - The United States has demanded that Syria "dismantle" the militant Lebanese Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah, US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice was quoted as saying in an Israeli newspaper Friday.
"At every opportunity, we have asked Syria to stop supporting terrorism, dismantle Hezbollah, close the headquarters of terrorist groups in Damascus and end the threat posed to Israel from rockets in south Lebanon," Rice said, in remarks published in Hebrew in the Yediot Aharonot daily.
Rice was referring to the positions in south Lebanon held by the Iranian and Syrian-backed Hezbollah, which led the resistance to Israel's 22-year occupation of the area which ended in May 2000.
Aside from frequent violations of Lebanon's airspace by Israeli warplanes, which draw ineffective anti-aircraft fire from Hezbollah, the Lebanon-Israel border has been largely quiet since the Israeli pullout.
Rice also pressed Israel to "react in a positive way to the changes in the Palestinian leadership," referring to the new reformist government of prime minister Mahmoud Abbas that began work on Wednesday.
"Israel must improve the humanitarian situation and restore freedom of movement to the Palestinians," she said.
But Rice assured Israel of continued backing from its key ally. "The United States has proved that it is a true friend on whom Israel can rely, and this is particularly the case with President Bush."
[An analysis of recent interaction between the US and Syria.]
Assailed by US rhetoric, Syria circles its wagons
The Christian Science Monitor -- May 2
By Nicholas Blanford
DAMASCUS, SYRIA – Secretary of State Colin Powell arrives here tomorrow for crucial talks during which he is expected to pressure the Syrian government to drop its support for militant anti-Israel groups and abandon its alleged pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.
But the Syrians, stung by a recent barrage of criticism from Washington, are reluctant to yield to what they see as uncompromising American diktats.
When Washington criticized Damascus midway through the war, Syria reacted defensively, denying the charges outright.
It apparently took the personal intervention of Jacques Chirac, the French president, who has close ties toAssad, to persuade Damascus to take Washington's threats seriously. The border with Iraq was closed and Iraqi refugees turned away.
"The Syrians are rattled by what happened in Iraq and the pressure from the Americans... but they cannot be seen caving in to US demands," says a diplomat.
Syrians are still fuming over a visit last weekend to Damascus by Tom Lantos, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives' International Relations Committee and a longtime critic of Syria.
Mr. Lantos publicly chastised the Syrian government, declaring it had made a "historic mistake" in supporting Iraq, and saying that "the time is long overdue to correct the course of Syrian policy."
He delivered to Assad a list of conditions that Damascus should fulfill "if Syria is to forge a new relationship with the United States." Syrians regarded Lantos's demands as the height of American arrogance and bad manners.
[Analysis and opinion on the value of Syrian economic and political reform in the face of US pressure.]
What Must Syria Do To Defend Itself?
Dar al hayat (Lebanon) -- May 2
Patrick Seale
Syria must now reform under external pressure. Respect for the rule of law, the granting of political and economic freedoms, responsible government and greater accountability - these must surely be Syria's best defense lines at this critical time. President Bashar al-Assad came to power promising reform. He now deserves all possible support as he steers Syria through the dangers ahead.
[Mobilize your base.]
Poll: Some would support attack on Syria
UPI -- May 1
By Lou Marano
WASHINGTON -- A surprisingly high percentage of Republicans polled would favor a military attack on Syria if President Bush believes it has been trying to make chemical or biological weapons, supporting terrorism, and giving sanctuary to Iraqi leaders.
Fully 53 percent of those who identified themselves as Republicans among 2,179 adults the Harris Poll surveyed online nationwide between April 17 and April 23 responded to this question in the affirmative. Harris Interactive said it used the same methods to forecast the 2000 elections with great accuracy, and it is "very confident" that the data are representative of the U.S. population. The results were released Thursday.
[Another article on the Druze/IDF kidnap plan.]
Four Druze accused of plotting to kidnap IDF soldier
Ha'aretz -- April 28
By Uri Ash
Charges were filed Monday morning against four Druze men from the Golan Heights village of Bukata accused of plotting to kidnap an Israel Defense Forces soldier and then to transfer him to Hezbollah in Syria to serve as a bargaining chip for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
[Pay site, just the abstract is free.]
Druse village shocked by terror allegations against four residents
Jerusalem Post April 30
DAVID RUDGE
Jerusalem -- The arrest of four Golan Heights [Druse] men on suspicion of coordinating with Hamas officials in Gaza to kidnap an IDF soldier and hand him over to Hizbullah came as a surprise to many, especially residents of their village.
"I know the feelings of the residents of Bukata and of all the Druse villages on the Golan Heights, the religious leaders and ...
[Powell's comments in Spain on Israel/Palestine and Syria.]
Powell: Don't Derail Mideast Peace Plans
The Associated Press via New York Times -- May 1
MADRID -- Secretary of State Colin Powell warned Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Thursday against letting violence ``immediately contaminate the road map'' toward peace that President Bush has offered.
Powell spoke after meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio in Madrid -- the place where the ``road map'' first began taking shape a year ago between the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia.
Later Thursday, Powell was to have dinner with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar. He then heads to Albania on Friday and then to Syria, where he will meet with the foreign minister and President Bashar Assad. Those talks are a prelude to another Mideast journey by Powell next week for talks with Abbas and Sharon. [What about Lebanon? Lebanese papers have expressed concern that the 3 hour stop-over in Beirut might be dropped from the itinerary.]
In Syria, Powell said he intends to take up U.S. allegations that Syria supports terrorism, the ``changed strategic situation'' in the Middle East now that Saddam Hussein is gone from power, and the movement of wanted Iraqi leaders across the border into Syria after war was under way in Iraq.
The fact that Syria now has a different Iraq as a neighbor, plus the road map and the new Palestinian leadership, ``is a new strategic dynamic that they should consider,'' Powell said. He said he expects his sessions in Syria to be ``rather full and candid,'' but he is not seeking any specific outcome.
``It's an opportunity to review where we are,'' Powell said.
[Signs of conciliation from Syria. Analysis of issues expected to be covered in Powell's meeting.]
U.S. - Syrian Ties Face Critical Moment
The Associated Press via The New York Times -- May 1
DAMASCUS, Syria -- In the days before Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to Damascus, Syria has given indications it wants to avoid a collision course with Washington.
It has sealed its border with Iraq. It has expelled more than 30 Iraqis, many from Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. It coordinated with the Americans the departure from Syria of one-time Iraqi intelligence official Farouk Hijazi, who is now in U.S. custody.
And its state-run newspapers are putting a positive spin on Powell's trip, scheduled to begin Friday.
``We hope that Powell's visit would achieve the hoped-for positive results and would be a real start for U.S.-Syrian relations,'' the daily Al-Thawra said Wednesday.
Syria: Powell to be welcomed for dialogue
UPI -- May 1
By Dalal Saoud
BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Sharaa said Thursday U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell was being welcomed in Damascus to hold a dialogue to repair damaged ties.
He told reporters in Beirut: "We welcome Mr. Powell in Damascus and he will naturally receive the adequate hospitality. All what we wish to hear from him, he can relay to us in a form of dialogue and explain what is going on in the region on the bases of the declared positions from the United States and Syria."
On Thursday, Sharaa said Syria will be ready to answer U.S. questions "in a spirit that does not derive from a state of enmity or fulfillment of others' demands."
Asked about U.S. demands to disarm Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group, which Syria backs, and cease support for Damascus-based Palestinian militant groups, Sharaa said: "I won't answer any question related to demands because we did not hear these demands and no one asked us these matters."
He said part of the "intimidation campaign" against Syria was being led by media networks that he didn't identify, and Sharaa warned that "we should not bow to that degree about repeated demands being presented by Israel to Washington and then Washington reflecting them in some media."
He said Hezbollah was a Lebanese political party and Lebanese officials were better placed to answer any U.S. queries about it.
But he said: "Attention should be directed to the Israeli occupation in the first degree before it is being directed to those who resist occupation."