Syria’s recent military redeployment in Lebanon may have been in response to US pressure on Damascus in the aftermath of Sept. 11 and the war on Iraq, but Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah believes that such pressure will not lead to the end of Syria’s role in Lebanon.
“The problem of Syrian-American relations is that Israel stands in the middle,” the leading Shiite cleric and religious scholar told The Daily Star Wednesday.
“US pressures on Syria stem from Israeli pressures on the US administration,” he said.
Keeping in mind the influence of Israel and the Jewish lobby on US presidential and congressional elections, Fadlallah, who is renowned for his thoughtful political views and analysis, argued that Washington “is not satisfied with Syria’s offers in the issue of ‘the war on terrorism’ and its semi-neutral stance on the situation in Iraq; it will continue to ask for more.”
Syria, which earlier this month redeployed its army in Lebanon for the fourth time in recent years, has offered the United States information about the activities of groups related to Al-Qaeda, the organization of Osama bin Laden, the man most wanted by the United States on terrorism charges. It has also turned a blind eye to Washington’s reshaping of the political scene in Iraq.
“Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon is not high on Washington’s interests,” Fadlallah said.
“It does not bear any political or security importance. The Lebanese question as Washington sees it is summed up in the issue of the (anti-Israeli) resistance movement … which has managed to prevent Israel from interfering in Lebanon and pressuring it,” he said.
Fadlallah, speaking at his home in Haret Hreik, a southern suburb of Beirut, said “the United States knows that the time for Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon has not yet come. Even the Lebanese government, which has approved Syria’s military presence here  for Lebanon’s security, may suffer in the event of a complete Syrian military withdrawal.”
“If Syria wanted to leave Lebanon completely, the United States would not let it,” he said, arguing that US pressure may be increasing to prevent Syria providing aid to the anti-American resistance in Iraq.
“The United States, as well as Israel, wants to keep the Lebanese front calm. That is the case right now for reasons related to conditions in Lebanon and Syria and the condition of the resistance movement itself,” he said.
“The issues of the Lebanese resistance and the Palestinian groups (that are opposed to the Middle East peace process) will remain pending until the Middle East question is resolved.”
Fadlallah criticized US Ambassador Vincent Battle for interfering in Lebanese affairs and his recent calls on the government to do more against money laundering in the country. During the Lebanese civil war, Washington branded Fadlallah the spiritual leader of Hizbullah, though he is actually at odds with the resistance movement for religious reasons.
He ruled out any prominent attack by the United States against Iran, in spite of Washington’s accusations that Tehran is developing a nuclear weapons program and harboring members of Al-Qaeda.
“These accusations are … pressure to prevent Iran interfering in Iraq and to force it to decrease its support for the Palestinian intifada and the Lebanese resistance,” he said.
“Iran has signed all international agreements related to controlling the proliferation of nuclear weapons. It has arrested Al-Qaeda members who entered its territory illegally and is preparing to deport them to their countries. Thus, the accusations against it cannot gain ground,” he added, recalling that bin Laden branded Iran an apostate state for reasons related to the Saudi dissident’s own interpretation of Islam.
On the future of Saudi-US relations, Fadlallah said: “Washington moves every now and then to cause political instability and maybe security problems in the kingdom, to push it to contain Islamic circles branded extremists by the US.”
He also did not rule out the possibility that the United States is seeking to “undermine Saudi Arabia’s position in the Gulf in order to push other Gulf states to the forefront,” hinting at the relocation of US troops from Saudi Arabia to Qatar in recent months.
“But the kingdom, for geographic and demographic reasons, will continue to be a key player in that region,” he added.
“The United States plays a game that neither its allies nor its enemies enjoy,” he said.
“Its administration seeks to serve the interests of US oil and weapons companies,” he added, recalling that many US administration officials are either current or former officials in such companies.
“The economic, military and political strength of the United States may give it the chance to spread its hegemony,” he said. “But the problems it is facing … either militarily or otherwise, and the hatred and courage it faces from various peoples will not let this hegemony be long-lasting.”