LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 04/09
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus
Christ according to Saint Matthew 14:13-21. When Jesus
heard of it, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds
heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity
for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached
him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the
crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves." (Jesus)
said to them, "There is no need for them to go away; give them some food
yourselves." But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have
here." Then he said, "Bring them here to me," and he ordered the crowds to sit
down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to
heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and
were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over --twelve wicker
baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand
men, not counting women and children.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Unfair conclusions?
Now Lebanon 03/07/09
Archaeologists unearth rare vessel from Jesus’ era-By
Agence France Presse (AFP) 03/08/09
Sleiman
has introduced a new culture to Lebanon’s political process-By
The Daily Star 03/08/09
Dancing With Damascus-Wall
Street Journal 03/07/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August
03/09
Saniora: No Need to Discuss Possibility of Hariri Bowing Out-Naharnet
Report: Franjieh in Diman
before August 15-Naharnet
Al-Mustaqbal to Jumblat: Each Party Has the Right to Adopt its Own Stance-Naharnet
Jumblat: Many of My Slogans Weren't Welcomed by my Supporters-Naharnet
Walid Jumblatt's exit could weaken US-backed
coalition-Los Angeles Times
Jumblatt: I will avoid debate with
Future, wait for explanation. Now Lebanon
March 14 Acknowledges
Differences in Views with Jumblat, Yet Would Keep his Place
-Naharnet
Al-Mustaqbal to Jumblat: Each Party Has the Right to Adopt its Own Stance
-Naharnet
Jumblat: Many of My Slogans Weren't Welcomed by my Supporters
-Naharnet
Hamadeh: Jumblat's Stances Not Blow against Coalition
-Naharnet
Bassil: Hariri Did Not
Inform Us of His Decision Not to Appoint Defeated Candidates
-Naharnet
Jumblat Won't Visit Syria
Before Hariri Does, Sources
-Naharnet
Eid: I am Not Above the
law
-Naharnet
Berri: Jumblat's Remarks
Could Have Repercussions for March 14
-Naharnet
New
Insight into Joseph Sader's Kidnapping
-Naharnet
Raad: Nothing is Hindering
Cabinet Formation
-Naharnet
Saniora Hails Drop of Veto
Power, Says Change Comes Through Constitutional Institutions
-Naharnet
Reports: Israeli Study Suggests Placing Ghajar under UNIFIL Control
-Naharnet
Gemayel: No real evaluation for
Jumblatt’s recent stances-Now Lebanon
Report: Iran plane was carrying arms for
Hezbollah-Ynetnews
Cracks appear in Lebanon's Western-backed ruling
majority-Monsters and Critics.com
Fatah convention draws Palestinian exiles-The
Associated Press
Sleiman
calls for constitutional reform, praises army-Daily
Star
Jumblatt
says its time to part ways with March 14, slams electoral platform-Daily
Star
Sfeir
lauds Lebanese Army’s role-Daily
Star
Israel
studying report on leaving northern Ghajar-Daily
Star
Hizbullah slams Obama administration for extending sanctions on Syria-Daily
Star
Generic
drug consumption in Lebanon can cut health costs-Daily
Star
PLO
co-founder Shafiq al-Hout passes away at age 77-Daily
Star
Swine
flu plays role in death of Lebanese-Daily
Star
‘Al-Fasad’ host at large two days after arrest warrant-Daily
Star
Mental
health patients suffer from serious lack of funding-Daily
Star
War
veteran left fighting new battle with schizophrenia-Daily
Star
Lebanon
shows similar mental health to West-Daily
Star
Lebanon
sees dramatic rise in arson-Daily
Star
Animal
activists urge restraint on stray dogs-Daily
Star
Report: Iran plane was carrying arms for Hezbollah
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3755510,00.html
Italian newspaper says plane crash north of Tehran which left 168 people dead was caused by explosion of fuses slated to be delivered to Lebanese organization. According to report, members of Revolutionary Guards among casualties
Nir Magal Published: 08.02.09, 09:57 / Israel News
An Iranian plane crash two weeks ago – which left 168 people dead – was caused by the explosion of sophisticated fuses slated to be delivered to Hezbollah, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported Saturday, quoting sources in the Middle East.. According to the report, the pilot of the Tupolev plane, which was making its way from Tehran to Armenia, sent an emergency warning 16 minutes after takeoff. Shortly afterwards, the plane crashed in northwest Iran. European sources tell Al-Hayat that Shiite group trying to divert global attention away from blast that proved it is violating Resolution 1701 by focusing on IDF activity along border According to the sources, the aircraft was carrying a large number of modern fuses composed of 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of explosives and electrical instrumentation. The report is in line with testimonies on explosion sounds heard before the crash. According to the sources, the plane was meant to transfer the fuses from Iran to Armenia, and from there to Syria through Turkey, and then on the ground to Lebanon. This route was chosen, according to exiled opposition sources, so as not to draw attention.
According to the report, the transfer of arms was a special operation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and some of its members were among the crash victims. It was also reported that the presence of security forces at the site of the crash was not a coincidence. According to information received from Lebanon, the weapon was to be hidden in one of the shelters built by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. However following an explosion which destroyed such a facility on July 14, the Iranian decided to hide the fuses north of the Litani River
Jumblatt says
its time to part ways with March 14, slams electoral platform
Opposition leaders reiterate optimism on cabinet formation
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Monday, August 03, 2009
BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Head MP Walid Jumblatt reconsidered
Sunday his alliance with the March 14 Forces, saying "it was driven by necessity
and must end."
Opposition leaders, meanwhile, reiterated on Sunday their optimism regarding the
formation of the cabinet within days, while March 14 figures highlighted the
need to grant the government monopoly over war or peace decisions, a reference
to Hizbullah's struggle with Israel. At the opening of the PSP general assembly
at the Beaurivage Hotel in Beirut, Jumblatt stressed on the need to reconsider
forming a new alliance "free of bias." The PSP leader slammed the March 14
electoral campaign, saying it was "driven by the rejection of the opposition on
sectarian, tribal and political levels rather than being based on a political
platform." Responding to Jumblatt's comments, the Future Movement issued a
statement saying that the March 14 Forces had never rejected the opposition,
adding that ruling majority's slogan would be always be "Lebanon First." "The
June 7 parliamentary elections led to sectarian alliances which should be
eliminated," Jumblatt said, adding that the "polls result should not be
considered a win." The March 14 Forces won a majority of 71 seats in Parliament
in the June polls.
Jumblatt, who stressed the need to abolish political sectarianism, emphasized
the necessity of good Lebanese-Syrian bilateral ties following the end of
Syria's mandate in Lebanon, a reference to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from
the country in 2005 following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri.
Regarding ongoing investigation into Hariri's assassination, Jumblatt voiced
hope that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) would uncover the truth behind
the crime, "without foreign powers meddling and influencing its decisions or
results."
Jumblatt, who said he regretted holding talks with US officials in 2006,
justified his meetings by saying that they aimed to protect the STL as well as
Lebanon's independence.
The PSP leader held talks alongside other March 14 leaders with US officials
from former President Georges W. Bush's administration prior, during and
following the summer 2006 Israel war on Lebanon. Also criticizing the current
electoral law, Jumblatt's political foe Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel
Aoun said in his editorial published on his party's website on Sunday that the
adopted law in the June 7 polls "was the worst." Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri
said Sunday that the new national-unity cabinet would be formed "within days."
In remarks published in the Kuwaiti daily Awan on Sunday, Berri reiterated that
the agreement between the opposition and the parliamentary majority on the
cabinet's make-up was concluded and discussions currently focused on the
distribution of ministerial portfolios. "The government formation will be
complete within days, the most difficult part has been finalized and we were
left with ministerial portfolios," Berri said. Highlighting the importance of a
national-unity cabinet, Berri said either coalition, "the March 14 and the
opposition, cannot rule on their own and must bear the country's
responsibilities together." The speaker added that the progress made with regard
to the accord among Lebanese groups on the government makeup was the result of
Syrian-Saudi harmony.
Berri denied claims of a possible Lebanese-Syrian-Saudi summit in Damascus
following the formation of the cabinet. However, he said that Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri had "no problem" visiting Syria either before or
following the cabinet-formation process. Sharing the speaker's optimism, his
opposition ally, Hizbullah's Loyalty to Resistance bloc head MP Mohammad Raad
said Sunday the formation process could speed up following an agreement on the
political framework of a national-unity government. During a ceremony in the
southern village of Houmin, Raad stressed that the political framework of the
upcoming cabinet guaranteed real partnership among Lebanese factions. "The
cabinet's formation was almost finalized and the only obstacles yet to overcome
were the distribution of portfolios and the nomination of ministers," Raad said.
Meanwhile, Phalange Party MP Elie Marouni accused the FPM leader on Sunday of
hindering the cabinet's formation given his demands regarding the distribution
of ministerial portfolios and the nomination of ministers. Marouni stressed that
opposition parties were "distributing roles" with regards to demands concerning
the cabinet's formation, adding that no real disagreements existed between their
groups. Concerning the timing of the national dialogue, Marouni rejected holding
sessions before the cabinet was formed, adding that no positive impact would
result if Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah continued to refuse to discuss the
party's weapons. The Phalange MP also urged Hariri to form a majority cabinet if
the opposition planned to obstruct the upcoming government's decision-making
process.
Sfeir lauds Lebanese Army’s role
By Maroun Khoury /Daily Star correspondent
Monday, August 03, 2009
DIMAN: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir lauded Sunday the role of the Lebanese
Army in protecting Lebanon and called for continued cooperation between all
securities institutions.
Sfeir’s stance came during a meeting with the head of the military intelligence,
Brigadier General Edmond Fadel, at the prelate’s summer residence in the
northern village of Diman.
The patriarch praised “the role of the military institutions in keeping security
and protecting the nation,” and “stressed the importance of coordination
between all security apparatuses.”
Fadel visited the prelate in Diman in order to inform him about the security
situation in the country and the efforts exerted by the intelligence directorate
in cooperation with other security institutions. Fadel also briefed Sfeir on the
nature of recently arrested terrorist networks. At the end of his sermon, Sfeir
congratulated the military on the occasion of Army Day.
Israel studying report on leaving northern Ghajar
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 03, 2009
BEIRUT: The Israeli Army should end its occupation of the northern side of
Ghajar if the village is handed over to UN peacekeeping body UNIFIL, an Israeli
security report has said.
The recommendations were made by Israel’s security services and a number of
ministries after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested a report on
Ghajar and the Israeli- occupied Shebaa Farms in order to “attempt to limit
Hizbullah’s armament under the pretext of liberating Lebanese land from Israeli
occupation according to Israeli officials,” Lebanon’s Al-Nashra news agency
reported on Sunday, quoting an Israeli radio station. Control of Ghajar should
be transferred to UNIFIL so as to circumvent “any infiltration by Hizbullah and
weapons or drug smuggling,” the report said. Residents from the village visited
Israel’s Knesset on July 17 saying any handover of Ghajar to Lebanon would be
tantamount to a death warrant for its residents. “The division of the village of
Ghajar is a death penalty for us, and is equivalent to taking us out to be
killed in the town square,” Ghajar’s Mukhtar Suleiman Mohammad Abu Hassan al-Khatib
said at the time.The villagers consider themselves Syrian. Israel took over
Ghajar in 1967 when it annexed the Syrian Golan Heights. The Jewish state
withdrew when it pulled out of south Lebanon in 2000, but reoccupied the village
in July 2006 during its 34-day war on Lebanon. – The Daily Star
Hizbullah slams Obama administration for extending sanctions on
Syria
Group denounces Washington’s ‘aggressive behavior’
By Patrick Galey and Carol Rizk /Daily Star staff
Monday, August 03, 2009
BEIRUT: Hizbullah condemned on Saturday US President Barack Obama’s decision to
extend sanctions on Syria as “imperial arrogance.” The Shiite group labeled
Washington’s announcement “aggressive behavior” and accused America of siding
with Israel with its diplomatic stance in the Middle East.
In a statement released to the Lebanese media, Hizbullah accused the Obama
administration of seeking to “maintain the Israeli enemy’s security and to cover
up its crimes” adding that it was “intervening in Lebanese affairs.” However, a
source close to Hizbullah told The Daily Star that the party was only concerned
with sanctions levied against Lebanese individuals. Although diplomatic ties
between the US and Syria have warmed in recent months with the announcement that
Washington is sending an ambassador to Damascus after a four-year hiatus,
Obama’s statement criticized Syria for pressurizing its neighbor.
The statement said that in the past six months “the US has used dialogue with
the Syrian government to address concerns … including support for Lebanese
sovereignty.”
It continued: “The actions of certain persons continue to contribute to
political and economic instability in Lebanon.” Simon Haddad, a professor of
politics at Notre Dame University, told The Daily Star that the sanctions were
unlikely to be effective. “It’s not enough to cut Syrian interference [in
Lebanese affairs]. The sanctions are not felt in Syria; they are too little and
the US should do more. “If the US didn’t agree with Syria’s behavior, why did
they send an ambassador? This is only to do with appearances,” he said, adding
that Hizbullah’s reaction was not unexpected. “We can see that Hizbullah still
has strong links with Syria and we should not be surprised that they are not
happy.”
On Saturday, the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat¸ quoting an unidentified US security
official, reported that the White House had implemented sanctions partly to aid
the full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701, as well
as the demarcation of Lebanese-Syrian borders and halting the flow of weapons
from Syria to Hizbullah. Haddad said the sanctions were insufficiently stringent
to achieve these multiple aims. “These sanctions are against individuals and are
just a way of reminding the Syrian regime that Americans are not fully satisfied
with their actions,” Haddad said. Also on Saturday, the daily An-Nahar reported
that the US administration had prevaricated on sanctions following “the waning
of political assassinations and violence in the country.” The paper also quoted
a US security source, stating that cancelling any US sanctions on Syria would
encourage Damascus to adopt hardline stances “that could negatively impact the
formation of the new Lebanese cabinet.”
Lebanon’s recent history has been marked by Syrian tutelage. Full Syrian
withdrawal only occurred in 2005, after hundreds of thousands of protestors
gathered in Beirut following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri. The killing of Hariri and 22 others in a huge car bomb attack in Ain al-Mreisseh,
Beirut on February 14 2005 has been widely blamed on Damascus. Syria has
repeatedly denied any involvement. Hizbullah’s statement accused the US of
harboring a “strong allegiance with the Zionist enemy.”
“We would want to see them limit Israeli intervention against Lebanon, this is
one important thing that America can do,” said the party source.
“Things are going steadily and positively with Syria. If the Americans are very
keen about our interests they should do something about the Israelis.”
Haddad said that the US would likely have reached its decision independent of
any Israeli influence. “Israel … doesn’t interfere with small details. This is
obviously decided by the Obama administration and it is one way for marking his
Middle East policy,” he said.
Fadlallah: US president failed to repair Arab ties
BEIRUT: Daily Star/An influential Lebanese Shiite cleric said Friday that
President Barack Obama’s outreach to the Arab and Islamic worlds has failed to
improve ties strained under George W. Bush, warning that the United States was
sliding back toward the policies of the previous administration.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah’s criticism in a Friday prayer
sermon in the southern suburbs of Beirut contrasted with his conciliatory tone a
few months ago and underlined a growing impatience with Obama. A frequent critic
of Bush, Fadlallah said in an interview with the Associated Press in April that
he believes Obama is sincere in trying to improve what the cleric called
America’s “ugly image” in the Arab and Muslim worlds. Fadlallah on Friday urged
the Obama administration to change tactics in its attempts to improve ties with
the region, warning that anti-American sentiment is rising. “The US
administration is gradually regaining its previous image under the Bush
administration by dealing with Iran’s nuclear issue in a way that ensures
permanent support for the Israeli entity, which pays no heed to all
international laws, particularly those related to the acquisition of nuclear
weapons,” Fadlallah told worshippers. Since he took office in January, Obama has
reached out to Iran in speeches and said his administration is willing to
negotiate directly with Iran over its nuclear program, reversing his
predecessor’s policy of seeking to isolate the country. Obama also has reached
out to Syria, which the Bush administration shunned because of its support for
militant groups.
Obama has supported a Palestinian state as a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict and called for a halt to Jewish settlement activity in the occupied
West Bank. He has sent his special Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, to the region
several times in a bid to promote a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace settlement.
“We tell the Americans who come to occupied Jerusalem to reassure the [Israeli]
enemy … that within a limited period of time you have almost foiled all the
objectives which your president tried to achieve in his calculated speeches to
the Arab and Muslim worlds,” Fadlallah said. Fadlallah, 73, is considered the
main religious authority for Lebanon’s estimated 1.2 million Shiites, the
country’s largest sect, and has followers throughout the Middle East. – AP
“It’s not
about the US sanctions on Syria; it’s more for the Lebanese people. Syria speaks
for itself; we are speaking for our officials,” said the source.
On Thursday, Obama extended sanctions against Syria and pro-Syrian individuals
for provoking instability in Lebanon.
Media reports on Saturday named some of the Lebanese figures allegedly affected
by the sanctions, including former Defense Minister Abdel-Rahim Murad, former
Public Works Minister Assaad Hardan, former State Minister Assem Qansou, former
Minister of Information Michel Samaha and former Parliament member Nasser Qandil
Analysis: Depressing signs from Riyadh, Ramallah and Damascus
Aug. 2, 2009
Herb Keinon , THE JERUSALEM POST
Call it the three noes of the summer of '09.
Following intensive efforts by US Mideast envoy George Mitchell to relaunch a
diplomatic process in the region that would lead to a comprehensive peace
process, the Arab world over the weekend - in three seemingly disconnected
events - seemed to give its response, and it sounded like echoes of the famous
three noes from Khartoum following the Six Day War.
Back in the summer of 1967, the Arab states - after the war - gathered in the
Sudanese capital and said no to peace with Israel, no to recognition of Israel,
and no to negotiations with Israel.
Well, we're obviously beyond that, but still, there were three significant
signals from the Arab world over the weekend, and they were all negative.
On Friday, in a speech marking Syria's Army Day, President Bashar Assad said
there would be no compromise on the Golan Heights, and that the return of the
region was "non-negotiable."
"The return of all occupied land... is nonnegotiable," he said in a speech. "The
Syrian Arab Golan will remain Arab... and will return to the nation."
That's the first no, and not a real surprise, actually. Syria has for years been
consistent in saying that it would start negotiations with Israel once Israel
committed to a total withdrawal from the Golan Heights, leading to the very
simple question: If Israel agrees to withdraw before the negotiations, what
exactly will the negotiations be about?
The second no, or - actually - the second possible no, came in the form of Arab
press reports over the weekend that Fatah, at its upcoming convention in
Bethlehem, will reject Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's call for a
Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.
If that's the case, that will indeed be a significant setback to attempts to
relaunch the diplomatic process, because this government will have trouble
pushing forward a peace process if the Israeli public is not convinced that any
future deal will ultimately result in an end to the conflict, and an end to Arab
claims against it.
The refusal of the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state means the
refugee issue will never be resolved, since the Palestinians will always claim
the right for descendents of Palestinian refugees from 1948 to return to Israel,
and Israel will continue to reject that demand because it would essentially mean
the end of Israel as a Jewish state.
The third no delivered this weekend, however, had to be the most disappointing
for the Obama administration, because it signaled that the administration's
intensive work over the last few months had essentially gotten nowhere.
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal stood in the treaty room at
the State Department in Washington on Friday, next to US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton, and pretty much said Israel could forget about getting any
gestures, or confidence-building measures, from Saudi Arabia.
"Incrementalism and a step-by-step approach has not and - we believe - will not
achieve peace," he said. "Temporary security, confidence-building measures will
also not bring peace.
"Today Israel is trying to distract by shifting attention from the core issue -
an end to the occupation that began in '67 and the establishment of a
Palestinian state - to incidental issues such as academic conferences and civil
aviation matters," he said. "This is not the way to peace."
Sounding like the Syrians, Saud essentially said first withdraw completely from
the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, and then we'll talk.
He blatantly rejected the Obama administration's game plan, which was that the
Arab world, led by Saudi Arabia, needed to show Israelis something - some weak
gesture like letting their planes fly over Saudi airspace on the way to
Thailand, or holding academic meetings - and then Israel might be in a more
giving mood and be willing to make concessions it was reluctant to make in the
past.
The Obama administration game plan has been based on asking something from
everybody. It has asked, most vocally and publicly, for Israeli concession on
the settlements, and for allowing greater movement and access for Palestinians
in the West Bank. It has asked the Palestinians to improve the security
situation and stop incitement. And it has asked the Arab world to take steps to
build Israeli confidence.
Mitchell's talks with the Israel and the Palestinians about what they are
supposed to give are continuing, but the Saudi foreign minister seemed to close
the door on any Saudi gestures. And that has to be a huge disappointment for the
Obama administration, though Clinton tried to put a positive spin on it, saying
- somewhat incomprehensibly - that what the Saudi foreign minister said in
perfectly clear English was not a setback to the administration's plans.
Sources in Jerusalem were less diplomatic.
"For many years most of the Arab world was not involved directly in the peace
process. It was like a soccer game, and they chose not to be a player, but
rather to sit in the stands and boo or cheer," one senior government source
said.
"If they decide to continue with that pattern of behavior they will continue to
be largely irrelevant," the source said. "They can continue booing and cheering,
but their ability to influence the peace process will be marginal."
And then, sounding a warning that Israel was indeed watching carefully to see
what gesture the Arab world would make, the official added, "It is clear that
Israel's ability to move forward in the peace process will be more limited if
the Arab world takes a decision to remain aloof."
Six months after US President Barack Obama took over and began seriously
recalibrating the country's Middle East policy, and a week after he sent his
A-Team here for intensive discussions, this is what he has to show for it: an
Israeli public that, as recent polls indicate, doesn't trust him; and an Arab
world that remains unwilling, despite all his coddling, to make any practical
move or gesture toward Israel - not promises of normalization at the end of the
process, but practical steps that would give Israelis any confidence in any of
those promises.
This article can also be read at
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1995- 2009 The Jerusalem Post -
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Dancing With Damascus
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204619004574322193567664878.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
The Wall Street Journal/ Gugust 02/09
Courting Syria really does require the audacity of hope.
Since taking power nine years ago, Syrian strongman Bashar Assad has: turned his
country into a safe haven and transit corridor for jihadists en route to Iraq;
funneled sophisticated munitions to Hezbollah and probably Hamas; sought to
build an illicit nuclear reactor with North Korean help; mostly failed to
liberalize Syria’s economy and resisted liberalizing its politics; publicly
declared that Israel would never “become a legitimate state even if the peace
process is implemented”; and ruled while Syrians have been implicated by a U.N.
investigator in the 2005 assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.
So, naturally, President Obama has made Syria a prime target for diplomacy as
part of his new Axis of Engagement.
The President has already restored full diplomatic ties with Damascus that were
cut off after the Hariri assassination. Last week, State Department envoy George
Mitchell visited Mr. Assad to discuss improved military-to-military ties and
easing some sanctions, though others remain in place. Now the Administration
believes it can entice Mr. Assad into abandoning some of his bad habits, like
sponsoring terrorist groups, meddling in his neighbors’ internal affairs and
maintaining close ties with Iran.
“We received assurances that the relations between the two countries should
resume on the basis of mutual interests and most importantly of mutual respect,”
Syrian deputy foreign minister Fayssal Mekdad told the Journal last week. “We
really welcome such a new approach.”
Associated Press
U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell shakes hands with Syrian President Bashar
Assad.
Damascus’s delight is no surprise, but the chances of success here are somewhat
lower than Hugo Chavez becoming a capitalist. Since the current president’s
father, Hafez Assad, came to power in a coup in 1970, the U.S. has repeatedly
imposed sanctions on Syria, withdrawn ambassadors and even shelled Syrian
military positions in Lebanon. But the U.S. has also repeatedly sought to engage
Syria as a partner—during the 1991 Gulf War against Saddam Hussein, and later as
a mediator in failed peace negotiations with Israel. After the fall of Baghdad
in 2003, George W. Bush dispatched Colin Powell to Damascus to try to win Mr.
Assad’s cooperation. Instead, Syria made itself a safe haven for the terrorists
who killed U.S. soldiers.
Likewise in Lebanon, the international community pressured Syria to withdraw its
army from the country after the Hariri assassination. But Mr. Assad redoubled
his support for Hezbollah, leading to its 2006 war with Israel, and he has since
helped to re-arm the group with heavy weapons and missiles despite a U.N.
resolution calling for an arms embargo. Meanwhile, numerous Lebanese anti-Syrian
politicians have been murdered by car bombs.
As for Syria and Iran, their strategic separation makes sense in geopolitical
concept. But in practice their ties won’t easily be severed. Mr. Assad’s
sectarian Allawite regime fears its own Sunni people and massacred them by the
thousands in the 1980s. Maintaining close ties to Shiite Hezbollah and Shiite
Iran are key elements to Mr. Assad’s strategy of political survival. Unlike
Egypt’s Anwar Sadat in the 1970s, Mr. Assad has given no signs of wanting to
engage Israel on equal terms and still shelters the leader of Hamas in Damascus.
We wonder what the Obama Administration can offer that would change that
fundamental calculus.
The self-styled “realists” who now run U.S. foreign policy say there’s no harm
in trying, but there could be if this latest American courtship turns into
pressure on Israel for concessions. And conferring U.S. prestige on Mr. Assad is
no incentive for him to behave less brutally at home. Mr. Obama believes his
Presidency represents a fresh start for America in the world, but as nice as it
would be to think so, Middle East history didn’t begin on January 20.
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