Battle for Iraq Over - Syria Next

efreedomnews ^ | 14 April 2003 | Jonathan Rhodes

[efnwriter]

efreedomnews         WAR ON TERRORISM - AN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE
War Report 14 April 2003	BATTLE FOR IRAQ OVER - SYRIA NEXT
Reluctant Warriors as we are, as Tikrit and al Qaim fell, the Pentagon today declared victory in the Battle for Iraq by saying there was much work yet to do: As we head into the fourth week of this conflict, I'd like to remind you of the eight objectives that Secretary Rumsfeld laid out at the onset of the war. First, end the regime of Saddam Hussein. Baghdad is largely free of its influence, and so is most of the entire country.   Second, capture or drive out terrorists sheltered in Iraq. With the end of the Saddam Hussein regime, terrorists have lost their chief sponsor and ally in Iraq.   Third, collect intelligence on terrorist networks. As Iraqis come forward and documents are found, we are gathering more evidence.   Fourth, collect intelligence on weapons of mass destruction, the systems and the facilities associated with them. We've begun the long process of exploring sites, sifting through thousands of documents, and encouraging Iraqis to come forward with information. This will take time.   Fifth, destroy the weapons of mass destruction. We will make sure they never threaten the region or the world again.   Sixth, secure Iraq's oil fields and natural resources for the Iraqi people. We have now secured both the northern and the southern oil fields.   Seventh, end the sanctions and immediately deliver humanitarian relief. With the liberation of Iraq, President Bush and Prime Minister Blair have asked that the United Nations sanctions be lifted so that more aid can flow into Iraq. Some places in the country clearly need help, but we see no overall humanitarian crisis and no mass flight of refugees. Most Iraqis are staying in their homes or returning to their homes and have enough food to survive for some time. Coalition forces are working with local authorities and police forces to patrol the streets, and the looting is tapering off. In addition, the World Food Program/United Nations combined are delivering over 1 million tons of food. This is enough to feed the entire population of Iraq for several months. A relief ship from the United Arab Emirates is on the way to help the Iraqi people. It is carrying 700 tons of boxed rations, bottled water, family first aid kids, four water tankers, an ambulance, two trucks, two cars and 12 volunteers. The Japanese have pledged $100 million to support humanitarian relief efforts in the country. And the United Nations international staff is returning to northern Iraq, displaced persons there are returning home, and the water service in Najaf is returning to normal. Medical and other types of aid are also coming from Kuwait, Italy, Qatar and Turkey.   And the eighth and final goal, to help the Iraqi people transition to a non-threatening, representative form of self- government that preserves the territorial integrity of Iraq. We are working with clerics, tribal leaders and ordinary Iraqis. Many will meet tomorrow, April 15th, in An Nasiriyah to discuss the future of Iraq and the Iraqi interim authority. This will be the first of several meetings as the Iraqi people chart their future free of the oppressive Hussein regime. Victoria Clarke DoD News Briefing Monday, April 14, 2003 - 1:30 p.m. EDT This defines US policy for the role of the UN - as a relief agency - the only work the UN does well. Syria. The administration has set its sights on the junior partner of the remaining state sponsors of terrorism. This strategy is historically appropriate following the indirect approach of Pierre-Joseph Bourcet  - to knock out the junior partner before dealing with the senior partner - Syria before Iran.  Napoleon used this approach quite clearly in the 1797 Italian Campaign  taking  the Piedmont area of northern Italy to develop the corridor to Austria. (Bourcet was the French chief of staff during the War of the Austrian Succession circa 1740's) Seemingly without blinking, the Bush administration has continued to prosecute the war against terrorism, turning US diplomatic and political pressure onto Syria.  A press that fails to understand the broader reality of this war, along with France and her Islamic Fundamentalist allies, will call America arrogant and warmongering because in the case of the uninformed, they do not grasp the reality that Iraq was simply a battle - albeit a major battle - in the war against terrorism. France and Chirac have their own reasons - a quest for power to balance what they see as untethered US influence in the world. The truth clearly stated is that US policy to end state sponsorship of terrorism is the cornerstone of the war against terrorism. Saddam would not change, would not develop a civil society for his people and paid the price.  The US is not Napoleonic France. Bush will not simply wheel and attack Syria from its eastern flank - Iraq, although militarily it would be simple with the armies of the United States battle hardened and poised. The Bush administration has every hope that the demonstration of military prowess just delivered in Iraq will suffice to allow for diplomatic victories in Syria, Iran and even North Korea. President George W. Bush and the people of the United States are reluctant warriors. The hope for peace requires little from Syria besides their cooperation in clearing their borders of terrorists and weapons of mass destruction. However, joining the civilized world is not an easy thing for Ba'athists. Syria's economic future is hopeless without Saddam. In the end President Bashar al-Asad has to choose between peace and prosperity for his people or allegiance to terrorists and Ba'athist criminals.

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[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Remember the political buildup to the Iraq war? How long did it take? How hard was it?

I don't see Bush going for the military kill in Syria without political cover in Congress, which to me is lacking. Certainly compared with the legion of Security Council resolutions and human-rights abuse reports regarding Iraq. It wasn't that Saddam had WMDs, it was that he had them and had agreed as a condition of the cease-fire to destroy them. Syria doesn't have that political problem.

I think, tho, that the tactic of sending suicidal Assassin cultists trained for attacking Israel into Iraq to attack US is political suicide; the US public will connect the dots and learn to support Israel rather than giving the extremist terror organs a pass. That will become the sticking point between Syria and US, IMHO.

[Maigret]

I think we have other things in store for Syria.

Such as cutting off the oil? And I understand that Turkey controls the flow of water to Damascus? Who needs guns?

[ArneFufkin]

I'm not certain that the territorial integrity of Iraq is going to be sustainable, nor should it be, forever. If the Arabic or Persian Shi'tes of Basra and Baghdad have nothing in common with the Kurds of Mosul, it makes no sense to promote in the long run some League of Nations construct that lacks social or cultural cohesion and is rife for civil war.

[Stentor]

President George W. Bush and the people of the United States are reluctant warriors.

But there is a little joy in smashing one of these psych-clown led countries a little flatter.