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COPYRIGHT 2005 Kurdish Library
To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront regimes
that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder. Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon, to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region. You have passed, and we are applying, the Syrian Accountability Act--and we expect the Syrian government to end all support for terror and open the door to freedom. President George W. Bush, State of the Union, 2.5.05
What the President says is one thing. What the President means is another. Patrick Seale knows what he means and he writes so in Al-Ahram Weekly: "A Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon and Beirut sponsored elections in May will not lessen the pain of Damascus. For Syria's main enemies, forcing Syrian troops out of Lebanon was only a means to an end. The real objective was the destabilization of Syria itself as a step towards the overthrow of the regime ... For Washington's neo-conservatives--anxious to re-model the Middle East to suit American and Israeli interests--Syria lies at the center of a hostile network, which includes the insurgents in Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Hizbullah in Lebanon, in addition to Syria itself. For the network to collapse the Syrian regime must be overthrown ...
"The neo-cons argue that a pro-American government in Damascus would result in the isolation, encirclement and neutralization of Iran ... Needless to say, Israel would welcome continued US pressure on the regime in Damascus, or indeed any scenario of chaos which might follow its overthrow. Weakening Syria would create opportunities for Israel in Lebanon, while at the same time strengthening its hand in any future dealings with Syria itself. In the meantime, it would delay or remove altogether any international pressure on Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights." (5.8.05)
The Jerusalem Post opened one door to the Sharon government's Lebanon-Syria policy: "Syria's withdrawal of its troops from Lebanon--while welcome--does not mean its influence in Beirut is over, or that Jerusalem will case to see Damascus as responsible for Hizbullah provocations, senior diplomatic officials said. One official said there was no contradiction between Israel's welcoming the pullout on the one hand, and maintaining that Damascus was still responsible for hostile actions emanating from Lebanese territory on the other. He said Damascus was going from a situation of 'direct control' over Lebanese affairs through its military presence, to 'indirect control' through its widespread intelligence apparatus and proxy organizations like Hizbullah. 'Remember, Syria is not withdrawing their intelligence officers,' the official said." (4.25.05) One wonders if the U.S. and Israel are prepared to withdraw their intelligence agents from Lebanon, Syria and Iran, for that...
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