The US and Syria: Six lessons from the past

There are six valuable lessons to be learned from Washington's historical experiences in trying to manipulate regimes.

By Marwan Bishara

Al-Jazeera

".....Unfortunately, America rarely remembers how much Washington has mucked around in other countries even though there are valuable lessons to be learned from past experiences.

Lesson one: Decades of meddling have hardened Syrian distrust of foreign powers.
The first American-Syrian encounter occurred soon after the CIA was established in 1947 - merely a year after Syria gained its independence.
US government documents - kept secret for decades but declassified in 1991 - testify to a policy that was meant to keep the Syrian nationalists down, Soviets out, and Americans in........


Lesson three: Dictators or "transitional authoritarian leaders", as Washington dubbed its clients in the 1950s, don't transition to democracy.
Nor will Assad ever give up his power voluntarily. .....


Lesson four: Sectarianism is not an opportunity for the US to isolate Iran; it's a regional disaster in the making.....


Lesson five: Better to remain detached but clear, than to raise false expectations......


Lesson six: Don't preach democracy while simultaneously distrusting the Syrian people.
A number of Syrian opposition leaders told me Washington had made any grant of meaningful support to them contingent upon their embrace of America's agenda for Syria and regarding its future relations with Iran and Israel.
This will prove counterproductive. Previous administrations have tried and failed to dictate to the Syrians how to manage their national affairs.
It's high time to allow Syrians the political freedom and peace they deserve, but have been denied since independence."