The Power of the Obama Illusion: US Sanctions on Syria “Routine”; No Political Meanings

Al-Manar

"09/05/2009 Despite US diplomatic activity in Syria and overture to Iran indicating a shift in Washington’s foreign policy, the Obama administration has renewed economic sanctions against Damascus. "The president felt it was necessary," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood, referring to the renewal of the sanctions, which is required each year by Congress.....

It is early to determine how the renewal of sanctions is related to the results of Feltman and Shapiro’s recent visit to Damascus. The Obama administration needs time to assess the outcome of its diplomatic activity in Syria and therefore, a decision to renew sanctions could not have been founded on the most recent US-Syria talks. After all, Washington still needs to determine its road map in the region, particularly vis-à-vis normalizing ties with Damascus, based on the outcome of elections in Lebanon and Iran.

SYRIA SHRUGS OFF US SANCTION RENEWAL AS 'ROUTINE'

Syria on Saturday dismissed a US decision to renew economic sanctions on Damascus for another year as a "routine" measure, even as the two countries are engaged in a dialogue to improve ties.

A Syrian official played down the importance of the sanctions renewal, telling AFP on condition of anonymity that the measure was routine. "The dialogue between Damascus and Washington is not over," the Syrian official added........"

COMMENT by TONY SAYEGH

The power of the Obama myth is amazing! Once the myth of "change" has taken hold, there is nothing to stop the "hoping" and "waiting".

Even when real, concrete actions, clearly indicate that there is no change from the Bush policies, these concrete measures are brushed aside by the Arab regimes as "routine", while they attach more importance to words and images of change.

As usual, the Israelis care only about actions and facts on the ground, while the stupid Arab regimes focus instead on words and images. Take Obama's recent actions: not a word about the Gaza massacres, boycotting Durban II and changing the focus away from Israeli Apartheid and virulent racism, renewal of sanctions on Iran and Syria, maintaining the siege and starvation of Gaza, forcing the UN not to pursue the investigation of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, forcing Ban Ki-moon to water down his report and not to take any actions against Israel, etc, etc.

That is why Obama is even more dangerous than Bush; he is the new sedative and drug of choice of the Arabs.

Israel grabs more land, builds more colonies, kills more Palestinians, etc while the Arabs cheer for a word here and a gesture there from Obama. Is it any wonder that the Arabs are in the hopeless position they find themselves in? Until the Arab people (Palestinians included) decide to take matters in their own hands and to push aside all those USraeli-controlled regimes, matters will get worse and worse while Obama, Rahm Israel Emanuel and AIPAC keep on smiling.