| Tensions
in Syrian-US Relations Relations between Syria and the US have always been
difficult, and despite signs of co-operation since September 11th, April has seen a
growing polarisation. Damascus was quick to condemn the terrorist attacks on the US and to
provide Washington with security and intelligence assistance. However, when attention
turned to Palestinian "terrorist" organisations based in Syria, which Damascus
calls legitimate groups fighting Israeli occupation, and Israeli incursions into the
occupied territories continued through the first half of April, Syrian-US relations were
strained. Syria has lambasted the US for supporting Israel and for allegedly trying to
undermine Syrian economic and political progress, such as in its bid to join the World
Trade Organisation (WTO). Washington has urged Damascus to rein in Hizbullah and not to
escalate the Middle East conflict. Some of Syria's most important successes have come at
the United Nations, where it has managed to push through some favourable resolutions
through its seat on the Security Council.
Damascus unconditionally condemned the terrorist attacks on the US in September and has
since then co-operated with Washington in its efforts to bring the perpetrators to
justice. Reports had indicated that one of the main ringleaders Mohammed Atta had resided
for a while in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo and the Syrian authorities allowed an
FBI team to come and investigate and reportedly allowed the CIA to work in the country.
Furthermore the authorities have handed over bank statements and other records to US
investigators as well as arresting some suspects. Islamic extremism has long been of
concern to Damascus and in early 2000 it sent troops to help the Lebanese army suppress a
fundamentalist group in northern Lebanon.
Although Syria and the US agree on the need to curb Islamic extremists, the two major
differences of opinion have become more prominent in recent weeks; Syria's belief that the
US supports Israeli tactics in the occupied territories and with regard to the Golan
Heights, and the US' insistence that groups such as Hizbullah and the Popular Front for
the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP) are terrorist organisations and should be suppressed.
Syria, together with Iran, is supportive of Hizbullah's continued activities in southern
Lebanon, but the Syrian redeployment of troops in Lebanon announced on April 3rd indicates
that Damascus is not willing to continue taking the flack from Israeli retaliation for
Hizbullah attacks on the Shebaa Farms or on Israel proper, as it did in 2001 when Israeli
warplanes bombed Syrian radar positions. Syria remains on Washington's list of states that
support terror, and the US House Majority leader Richard Armey said in mid-April that a
bill was being drafted that would give the US president the power to sanction Syria if it
did not comply with US demands. These are that Syria withdraw from Lebanon, stop
supporting terrorism, stop developing weapons of mass destruction and stop violating UN
oil sanctions on Iraq.
Syria believes that groups such as Hizbullah and the PFLP are legitimate resistance
organisations that have a right to fight Israeli aggression. Washington has demanded that
Damascus close the offices of groups such as the PFLP, but some western diplomats have
pointed out that these offices do not really provide material of financial assistance to
the Palestinian uprising, and are more symbolic. The argument is that closing them would
not only have no effect on the activities of the groups, but would also alienate Syria.
The war of words between the two countries has meanwhile escalated in April. In President
George Bush's speech on April 4th, that effectively brought him back into the Middle East
fray he warned Syria to "stay out" of the regional conflict to avoid worsening
the situation. The Syrian media attacked the speech as being blatantly biased towards
Israel, with one editorial claiming Bush was in a "muddle, and once again equates the
torturer with his victim". On April 10th the US Vice-President Dick Cheney called the
Syrian President Bashar al Assad to again warn him about the escalation of tension on the
Lebanese border with Israel.
Over the course of recent months Damascus has been cultivating its ties with its
neighbours Iran and Iraq, both on President Bush's axis of evil list. The Iranian foreign
minister Kamal Kharazi was in Damascus in April 12th, and together with his Syrian
counterpart, Farouq al Shara, condemned the Israeli incursions into the occupied
territories, directly blaming Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The US secretary of
State Colin Powell made an unscheduled visit to Damascus meeting with Assad on April 15th.
The Syria press did not make him feel welcome before his arrival, saying that the US
showed "unlimited support for the Israeli genocidal operations", and Assad told
him bluntly that "Israeli practices" were the reasons for the suicide bombings.
An official Syrian radio editorial on April 18th said Powell's trip had been useless and
that "the US administration tried to show that there is a difference between its
policies and Israeli ones but failed". The Syrian economy minister Ghassan al Rifai
even went so far as to say in an interview published on April 26th that he believed that
Israel and the US were trying to undermine Syria's bid to enter the World Trade
Organisation, although he did not give specifics.
Syria has had rather more success at the United Nations during the course of April than
may have been expected. It is the only Arab country on the Security Council and has
managed, with European support, to push through to Security Council resolutions some Arab
proposals against US and Israeli protests. Since mid-March the council has passed five
resolutions on the Middle East crisis, largely through the lack of a US veto, which it
believes would alienate yet further Arab countries. Washington has previously believed
that the Security Council should avoid becoming too involved in the conflict. |
