Syria toughens pro-Saddam stance

The Age ^ | March 29 2003

[Rams82]

Syria and the United States traded harsh words today, as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he hoped the US would fail to depose Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld accused Syria of sending military supplies to Iraq.

In an interview published in the Lebanese daily As-Safir, Assad also predicted that, if the United States and Britain were to take over Iraq, they would be confronted by a "popular resistance" that would prevent them from controlling the country.

Syria, the only Arab member of the UN Security Council, voted for Resolution 1441, which paved the way for the resumption of weapons inspections in Iraq. It said it did so on assurances that this would avoid a war.

But as war approached, it joined China, France, Germany and Russia in preventing a new resolution specifically authorising an attack on Iraq.

Assad, never known for his diplomatic language, publicly predicted that the US would become bogged down in Iraq as it had in Vietnam, or would be forced to abandon the country as it had, in the 1980s, abandoned Lebanon, which is now under Syrian dominance.

His words made analysts wonder precisely what Syria's intentions are, especially since the interview was published the same day as a call by the country's religious mufti for suicide attacks against US forces.

But while those intentions were being debated, US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld spoke ominously of what he said were concrete actions.

He told a press briefing that Syria was shipping military supplies to Iraq, and termed this a "hostile" act.

"We have information of shipments of military supplies crossing the border from Syria into Iraq," Rumsfeld told journalists at the Pentagon, adding that the equipment included night vision goggles.

"These deliveries pose a direct threat to the lives of coalition forces," he said. "We consider such trafficking as hostile acts and will hold the Syrian government accountable for such shipments."

He declined to say whether the Syrian government was behind the shipments, but stressed, "They control their border. We're hopeful that kind of thing does not happen again.

"There is no question but that to the extent military supplies, equipment or people move borders between Iraq and Syria that it vastly complicates our situation," he said.

As for the call for suicide attacks, by Sheikh Ahmad Kaftaro, they must necessarily have had the approval of Assad's regime. They echoed a warning by Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Lebanon's Syrian-backed Lebanese Hizbollah movement, that such attacks might be expected.

Although Syria is not included in US President George W. Bush's "axis of evil", which groups Iran, Iraq and North Korea, it is still on the State Department's list of countries supporting terrorism.

And like Iran, it fears it may be the next US target in Washington's "war on terrorism".

"America wants to remodel the region to its own liking," Assad alleged, repeating the common Syrian line that thew US is acting in the interests of its ally, Israel, and implicitly stressing that his government will have no part in it.

Analysts said Syria was determined to see the return of the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in 1967, and to continue its influence over Lebanon, not to mention the lasting grip on power by the ruling Baath party.

But one analyst, who did not wish to be named, said it was unclear yet whether Syria would try to do a deal with the US or if it would back guerrilla groups that might emerge to fight the US presence in Iraq.

Assad accused the United States of responsibility for the present "unstable" relations between the two countries, citing Secretary of State Colin Powell's statement to a House of Representatives committee on March 14 that Syria was "occupying" Lebanon.

Assad's remarks, however, prompted the Lebanese press to recall an old Arab saying from 50 years ago: "No war without Egypt, no peace without Syria."

[RAT Patrol]

Assad, never known for his diplomatic language, publicly predicted that the US would become bogged down in Iraq as it had in Vietnam,

Oh, that's the first time I've heard that one../sarcasm

[Sub-Driver]

fine, you are with us or against us.........i think you just voted. Oh BTW, your next on the list.

[sheik yerbouty]

"..Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, it shall be a ruinous heap."

[laz17]

How soon until we face the fact this is WWIII? It should be clear to all that we are actually at war against France, Germany, Russia, and China. After the collapse of the Berlin Wall and then the Soviet Union, the Axis of Weasels have been arming Iraq in order to wage war against us by proxy, while pretending to be friends and trade partners. Saddam has been their front man, nothing else. Once we get through with him, we should turn our full attention to them.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Next?

[Wormwood]

I will admit that this could very well be the opening stages of a world war. The Iraqi's are getting hold of some pretty late-model Russian hardware. Someone must answer for that.

[Cicero]

I've been assuming that Syria is next on the list, unless North Korea insists on jumping the line.

[DoctorMichael]

Tell Assad Iraq is a war zone and any who enter there do so at their own risk.

Then get Special Forces into the rapidly growing safety zone in the North of Iraq where they can run interdiction on any caravans trying to get to Baghdad from Syria by calling in air strikes as was done in Afghanistan.

[Angelus Errare]

I think it's a toss-up between Iran and North Korea as to who's next after Iraq. Though al-Assad told the Arab League that he believes that he's next already, so he may figure it's better to move against the US on foreign rather than Syrian soil.

[EternalVigilance]

Assad, never known for his diplomatic language, publicly predicted that the US would become bogged down in Iraq as it had in Vietnam, or would be forced to abandon the country as it had, in the 1980s, abandoned Lebanon, which is now under Syrian dominance.

Amazing how many despotic dictators get their talking points directly from the American Left Media.

[EternalVigilance]

I think it's a toss-up between Iran and North Korea as to who's next after Iraq.

The best thing about the Iraq operation is that it has allowed us to flank both Iran and Syria in one fell swoop. Saddam is a nice bonus.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Uh, four, actually. Three was the cold war. It looks like it wll boil down to us and the UK and Australia for a while and Israel against everyone else.

Good. The sooner we get going the better. If Americans wake up and realize it's a fight for survival our enemies will be crushed like bugs under a bulldozer. The only danger to us is if we do nothing.

[snooker]

It is time we face the facts that all these terrorist are one and the same. Just changing the terror group's name doesn't change the mullah.

snooker

[RightWhale]

we are actually at war against France, Germany, Russia, and China.

Right. A lot of undecideds at this point, plus no one is about to try to invade any of these countries. It's kind of a war, but not in its full glory, not yet. Germany could roll on Russia once more before this is over.

[genefromjersey]

Personally, I hope Assad-hole and Sadaam-ite go down the drain of their Ba'ath tub.

[billorites]

"America wants to remodel the region to its own liking," Assad alleged.....implicitly stressing that his government will have no part in it.

Most probably true.

[Blue Scourge]

Germany could roll on Russia once more before this is over.

Yeah, I really don't think Germany is as big of an annoyance as the rest. For some reason, I still don't really consider Germany and enemy or feel real anger at them. Probably because Schroeder will be gone in a couple of years. I think hell will freeze over before Germany formally aligns itself with the Russians. But I could be wrong..you never know.

[Mark17]

Germany could roll on Russia once more before this is over.

I have no idea about that. What I do know, from living in Germany for 4 years, is that they are the biggest bunch of pacifists in the world.

[isom35]

might as well be next, we are in the neighborhood...North Korea can sit their butts down and wait.

[RightWhale]

Yeah, I lived there, too. Gruess Gott and the Abrams is no match for the T-whatever. Pacifists, right.

[Mark17]

Are you of the opinion that during WWII, Churchill really wanted to see the Germans and Russians really chew each other up?

[sarasmom]

Agreed, and no one has been playing that "liberate the Syrians" song, have they?
Yo-Syria, come get some!

[Redcloak]

NEXT!

[Redleg Duke]

That butthead better hope we fail to depose Saddam...

'Cause his ass ain't far behind!

[RightWhale]

Churchill really wanted to see the Germans and Russians really chew each other up?

Churchill thought highly of the Germans and their army. By the same token, he wanted to beat them. Don't know if he thought of Russians much, if at all. But Uncle Joe sure had to beat on Churchill and FDR forever to get the Western Front opened. Seemed like a long delay at the time. Maybe it was.

[AHerald]

Thanks for this post.

The lady who cuts my hair left Syria about 7 years ago. A great story, she arrived in the US with next to nothing. Now she's married and on the verge of buying her first home.

She says most Americans don't realize that her country is also a brutal dictatorship. She told me last week that she prays every night that America will free her homeland, which she obviously still loves deeply. Her relatives back in Syria feel the same--all hope that one day their country will be a democracy. I hope so, too.

[nothingnew]

Oh, that's the first time I've heard that one../sarcasm

Are you Bennie from "The Mummy"?..."Like I never heard that before.."...

BWAHAHAHA!!!

FMCDH

[HamiltonJay]

Hey, Syria, we got 2 words for ya!

YOU'RE NEXT

[Cultural Jihad]

As for the call for suicide attacks, by Sheikh Ahmad Kaftaro,...

Why do you suppose this fellow doesn't stand first in line?

In the Great Mosque of Umayyade,
Greeting the Mufti of Syria, Sheikh Kaftaro

[walden]

Actually, the Cold War was WWIII (that included the three major hot wars, Korea, Vietnam, & the Soviets in Afghanistan, plus numerous smaller conflicts.) This is WWIV. I've known that since September 11, but it's only now becoming clear who is on what side.

[IoCaster]

"Syrian President Bashar al-Assad"

Dead man squawking.

[edwin hubble]

"Actually, the Cold War was WWIII (that included the three major hot wars, Korea, Vietnam, & the Soviets in Afghanistan, plus numerous smaller conflicts.) This is WWIV. I've known that since September 11, but it's only now becoming clear who is on what side."

I've read a very cogent article with this analysis.
Can't remember. Was it Paul Johnson?

Incidentally, each new World War begins with a re-alignmnent of enemies and allies. Certainly that is under way now.