Syria's relationship with the west may be improving, but yesterday's raid shows Washington still has its doubts
Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Monday October 27 2008
".....Yet the irony of yesterday's raid is that in recent months Syria had tightened control of the border, even winning public recognition from the former US commander, General David Petraeus. Analysts say that one reason for this tightening of control was alarming evidence of "blowback" from al-Qaida-type groups mounting attacks in Syria and Lebanon.
Still, Syria has refused point-blank to renew intelligence cooperation with the Americans until they send an ambassador back to Damascus. US officials have made no secret of their frustration: so the unofficial message from Washington is that "if the Syrians won't deal with this problem we'll do it ourselves".
It is possible — though unlikely — that the decision to carry out yesterday's raid into sovereign territory was taken by a US military commander without seeking clearance from Washington. Assuming it was cleared at the political level, it may have been intended as a broader warning to Syria at a time when the US and Israel say openly that they are trying to persuade President Bashar al-Assad to detach himself from his alliance with Iran and coax him into meaningful peace talks with the Jewish state.
Indeed, the concept behind the raid appears to have borrowed from Israel [COMMENT: The "concept"? It is simply that the Rabbit is a punching bag and he will do nothing in return; all he cares about is for his regime to survive and for him to stay in power. To the contrary he will try even harder to become more "pro-West." Notice the current visit by his fat boy foreign minister to London. Could an address by the Rabbit to the Knesset, delivered in person, be far?], which last September bombed the alleged site of a nuclear reactor in northern Syria — even as it was contemplating pursuing peace talks with Damascus over the Golan Heights. This February's assassination of a key Hizbullah leader in the heart of Damascus was seen as another warning "message" to Assad......."
Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Monday October 27 2008
".....Yet the irony of yesterday's raid is that in recent months Syria had tightened control of the border, even winning public recognition from the former US commander, General David Petraeus. Analysts say that one reason for this tightening of control was alarming evidence of "blowback" from al-Qaida-type groups mounting attacks in Syria and Lebanon.
Still, Syria has refused point-blank to renew intelligence cooperation with the Americans until they send an ambassador back to Damascus. US officials have made no secret of their frustration: so the unofficial message from Washington is that "if the Syrians won't deal with this problem we'll do it ourselves".
It is possible — though unlikely — that the decision to carry out yesterday's raid into sovereign territory was taken by a US military commander without seeking clearance from Washington. Assuming it was cleared at the political level, it may have been intended as a broader warning to Syria at a time when the US and Israel say openly that they are trying to persuade President Bashar al-Assad to detach himself from his alliance with Iran and coax him into meaningful peace talks with the Jewish state.
Indeed, the concept behind the raid appears to have borrowed from Israel [COMMENT: The "concept"? It is simply that the Rabbit is a punching bag and he will do nothing in return; all he cares about is for his regime to survive and for him to stay in power. To the contrary he will try even harder to become more "pro-West." Notice the current visit by his fat boy foreign minister to London. Could an address by the Rabbit to the Knesset, delivered in person, be far?], which last September bombed the alleged site of a nuclear reactor in northern Syria — even as it was contemplating pursuing peace talks with Damascus over the Golan Heights. This February's assassination of a key Hizbullah leader in the heart of Damascus was seen as another warning "message" to Assad......."
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