Acting As If Iran Is Not Present

Tariq Alhomayed, editor-in-chief, Asharq Al-Awsat
June 30, 2009

Five important statements were made in a single day, from and concerning Syria. … [The] statements contradict one another; on the one hand Syria is betting on Iran, while on the other hand the Syrians are saying that they want to resume [indirect] negotiations with Israel, cooperate with the Hariri tribunal, and that should the Saudi monarch visit Damascus he will receive a warm welcome. So what is happening? … [An Arab source] added that the Syrian praise of Iran is “by way of not speaking ill of the dead” as he believes that the Syrians have made a choice to move away from Tehran, opening the door to the Americans, which is something that can be verified by the recent diplomatic action taken by Syria.

Damascus sent Khalid Mishal to Cairo [to take part in inter-Palestinian dialogue] which is a positive step towards improving relations with the Egyptians following the improvement in Syrian-Saudi relations. The Syrians also warmly greeted President Mahmoud Abbas [during his recent visit to Damascus] and Mishal also postponed delivering a scheduled speech to the Syrian capital.

As for Lebanon, an urgent question is now being asked; Does Syrian cooperation with the Hariri Tribunal mean that there is potential reconciliation on the horizon between the Syrians and Saad al-Hariri?

My source tells me, “There are two stages in Lebanon, a stage prior to Der Spiegal, and a stage following it.” We are, of course, talking about the article published by the German Der Spiegel magazine that accused Hezbollah of being behind the assassination of Rafik al-Hariri. This [article] has dissipated a lot of the pressure on Damascus. Therefore the question that is yet to be answered is: Are we witnessing the beginning of a state where action can be taken as if Iran is not present? Access the full article>>



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Original Commentaries

08/20/10
Center for American Progress Welcomes Resumption of Direct Talks  —
08/10/10
A View from the Ground  —Darbaz Kosrat Rasul, chair, Rebaz Foundation. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.
08/03/10
U.S.-Turkish Relations  —Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr., recently returned deputy ambassador in Afghanistan; former ambassador to Egypt (2005-2008); and deputy chief of mission and charge d'affaires in U.S. embassy in Turkey (1995-1999). Congressional Testimony.

Setting the Record Straight

Eye Still on the Ball

“Adverse developments in Iraq will be (and will look to be) increasingly a function of the Obama Team taking their eye off of the ball and rushing to declare mission accomplished. Yes, in such a scenario the Iraqis should bear most of the blame, but the part that is due to U.S. action or inaction will be Obama's responsibility. And it will matter. Iraq is at the center of a region that every president since Jimmy Carter has identified as vital to our national security. Iraq is next door to, and the playground for mischief from, the most thorny national security challenge the United States faces: a nuclear-weapons-seeking Iranian regime. These inconvenient facts mean that if the Iraqi situation demands more focused and costly U.S. attention, it will likely get it. At that point, what sort of domestic coalition will be available for President Obama's Iraq policy?”
—Peter Feaver, director, Triangle Institute for Security Studies; former director for defense policy and arms control, National Security Council, “Obama’s Iraq Speech: Another Missed Opportunity,” Foreign Policy, August 3, 2010versus
  • “Iraq is a strategically important place in the Middle East, just by its geographic location, by its population, by the influence it's had in the Middle East for a long time. So neighboring countries from around the Middle East have an interest inside of Iraq.

    “But I will tell you that I think Iraqis themselves are nationalistic in nature, and that's why it's important. A strong Iraq will defend itself against interference from outside countries, and I think as we build a strong Iraq and as we continue to build a strong security mechanism and as we continue to help them economically and diplomatically, that will make it less likely of others from the outside being able to interfere.

    “Now, for the vacuum as we see today, again, I remind everyone is that we still have a significant presence here, and we are not going to—we will not allow undue maligned influence on the Iraqi government as they attempt to form their government. What we're trying to do is provide them the space and time for them to do that, and we will continue to do that post 1 September. We'll still have a significant civilian presence, and again, we'll still have 50,000 troops on the ground here to ensure that this government can be formed by the Iraqis. And that all the other nations respect their sovereignty as they go about forming their government.”
    —General Ray Odierno, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, interview, “This Week” with Christiane Amanpour, August 8, 2010

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