War (of Words) with Syria
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Wednesday, Apr 16, 2003
[Discussion of arms control in general, and how that applies to Syria.]
Council of Foreign Relations, via New York Times -- April 15
Q&A: After Iraq, Pressure on Syria?
In an article you wrote for Arms Control Today, you express concern that the administration is focusing more on the countries that possess weapons of mass destruction than on the weapons themselves. Can you expound on that a bit?
The administration has correctly identified a number of key problems with the international non-proliferation regime, including the difficulty of enforcing many of these treaties. The administration is right; for far too long, we've let violators get away with these violations, or allowed the treaties to mask clandestine programs that countries were conducting.
But I fear that [administration officials] have lurched too far in the other direction, weakening the international rule of law in the process, and perhaps gone so far as to now downgrade the role of the United Nations in this process. By focusing on what they think are the key proliferation violators--Iran, Iraq, and North Korea--[U.S. officials] risk ignoring the proliferation problems that are created by other countries that have large stockpiles of nuclear, chemical, or in some case biological weapons--including Pakistan, India, and Israel--and the prominent role that nuclear weapons play in our own national security strategy.
This creates a double standard in the world, where some countries are allowed to have these weapons, while others are not. It's a strategy of picking and choosing good guys and bad guys, which in my view will ultimately fail, in part because the good guys and bad guys keep changing. In one decade we may be allowing or even encouraging a country to have these weapons and in another decade we may find that that country is now a threat to our own security. Remember, Iraq and Iran used to be good guys. We helped both of those countries develop their deadly arsenals. Pakistan is a good guy now. That country is deeply troubled, and is in a profoundly unstable area of the world. There's no guarantee of where Pakistan is going in the future.
The Age (Australia) -- April 16
Bush bomb plotter seen in Syria
A suspected high-ranking operative of the Iraqi intelligence service who is believed to have played a key role in a 1993 plot to assassinate [former] US president George [H.W.] Bush has been spotted in Syria.
Faruq Hijazi, whose last official post was Saddam Hussein's ambassador to Tunis, flew to Damascus on a commercial jet in an apparent attempt to seek refuge in the country following the toppling of the Iraqi government by US forces, said a US official, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.
[Assessment of Syria's military strength's and weaknesses.]
Slate -- April 15
Assad's Situation
Syria's military machine may be hollow—but it isn't harmless.
By Fred Kaplan
After the Israelis stripped bare the myth of Syrian defenses in 1982, Hafez Assad abandoned his goal of achieving "strategic parity" with Israel and instead aimed for "strategic deterrence." To that end, he built up huge stockpiles of biological and especially chemical weapons—including an arsenal of missiles with sufficient range to reach Israeli cities, as well as bombs and artillery shells to kill enemy troops on the battlefield.
Australian Broadcast Corporation -- April 15
Interview with Alexander Downer, Foreign Minister of Australia
KERRY O'BRIEN: But in this new pre-emptive age, why isn't war at the end of the chain, if Syria doesn't respond to America's warnings in the way America wants it to?
ALEXANDER DOWNER: Well, never be too rapid in making foreign policy by analogy, as I often say that to people.
Look, in this particular case, there are Security Council resolutions.
There hasn't been 12 years of endeavours to get Syria to disarm from chemical and biological weapons.
The circumstances are not directly analogous with Iraq.
And that conclusion shouldn't be drawn.
But that's not to say that the Americans aren't right to have concerns about Syria.
New York Times -- April 14
Syria Harbors Iraqis and Grants Transit to Hezbollah, U.S. Asserts
By DON VAN NATTA Jr. and DOUGLAS JEHL
WASHINGTON — Syria is allowing some members of Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim militant group based in Lebanon, to travel from Syrian-controlled southern Lebanon to Iraq, current and former United States intelligence officials said today.
[More on Hezbollah.]
Daily Star -- April 15
Hizbullah warns of fallout from US regional plans
Maurice Kaldawi
A senior Hizbullah official warned Monday that fallout from the US-led war in Iraq may soon affect Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran and the region.
Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy secretary-general of Hizbullah, was speaking to reporters after visiting Aram I Keshishian, Armenian Orthodox Catholicos of the House of Celicia, at his seat in Antelias.
Qassem said the visit was part
of a “big tour” by Hizbullah officials involving religious and political leaders and designed to discuss developments concerning Lebanon in particular.
“Time has proved that the American steps in Iraq are the beginning of steps covering the whole region and providing an appropriate cover for Israeli designs,” Qassem said.
“(Israeli Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon is talking about the favorable chances he is expecting from the aggression on Iraq. In addition, there are accusations against Syria that it possesses weapons of mass destruction. This confirms that the Iraqi step is an American crossing over to other steps covering Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran and the whole region,” he said.
He added that what happened in Iraq “does not mean it can happen again in other spots, because the circumstances are different and so are the governments.”
Accordingly, we cannot prevent a possible danger but we can prevent events which others think of realizing, he said.
Replying to a question about the recent “campaign against Damascus,” Qassem said: “We and Syria are in the same trench and will remain united in confronting challenges.”
“We consider this American campaign to be aimed to weaken the Syrian and Lebanese position and an attempt to break the relationship between the two countries,” he added.
[Discussion of Hezbollah defiance. Review of Mofaz's plan to present Israel's demands to Syria via US.]
The Daily Star
Hizbullah: ‘Whatever happens, we are ready’
by Nicholas Blanford
The Hizbullah fighter, one of three manning an observation post on Sheikh Abbad Hill, ignored the taunts of “Terrorist! Terrorist!” from an unseen Israeli soldier in the giant concrete compound on the other side of the border fence, and simply said: “Whatever happens, we are ready.”
[More detail on Hezbollah reaction than carried in BBC story posted below.]
Al Bawaba -- April 15
Hizbullah dismisses US threats against Syria
Hizbullah believes US pressure on Syria and Iran will not be translated into military action and is only a tool for pressuring those opposed to US designs in the region.
The political adviser to Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, Hajj Hussein Khalil, told The Daily Star in an interview, published on Tuesday, that the US pressure was “nothing new.”
[Only a few questions on Syria in today's White House briefing. Quoted below is perhaps the most pointed exchange. This is in sharp contrast to the April 14th briefing which was peppered with questions about Syria. I find it surprising that their were no references to today's Guardian article, which I read late last night.]
White House Briefing -- April 15
www.whitehouse.gov/news/briefings/
Q Why is the focus on Syria?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the focus is on Syria is because Syria is the nation that's harboring Iraqis.
Q Do you have proof of that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, certainly, we would not have said it, Secretary Powell would not have said it, the President wouldn't have said it.
Q Why don't you present the proof, then?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, as always, Helen, this is an old argument. We have information that comes into our hands for a variety of means. We prefer to keep getting that information. We feel confident --
Q Don't think it will enhance your credibility if you showed us?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think our credibility is rather strong.
[Concise review of official and press responses.]
Utusan Express (Malaysia) -- April 15
World leaders, press alarmed as US turns sights to Syria
PARIS - World leaders and press reacted with a mixture of caution and dismay on Tuesday to the United States' escalating threats to Syria, which it accuses of harbouring Iraqi leaders and chemical weapons.