Posted on 07/20/2006 4:18:49 PM PDT by managusta
All of the region's concerned parties want to keep Damascus out of efforts to put pressure on Israel and Hezbullah. For a number of different reasons, the governments involved don't want the open battlefield to extend beyond the Lebanese border.
Even when President Bush said a few days ago that Syria must pay a price, he never said the price would be a military one. In Jordan, Egypt and the Gulf, in spite of differences with the Syrian government and in spite of suspicions that the Syrians had a role in pushing Hezbollah to get involved with Israel, these governments don't want this war to reach Damascus.
WHY INVADE DAMASCUS?
Lebanon is a country without a strong and reliable central government, and at the same time, it is impossible to control the actions of the various parties on the ground [such as Hezbullah]. As for Syria, on the other hand, there is a well-settled political system which would be undermined by a military attack, and which could lead to a situation that could spin out of Damascus' control. It is this likelihood of chaos that so frightens countries throughout the region. No one wants to see another Iraq or another regime come tumbling down.
One Arab official said: "We believe that the Syrian government committed serous mistakes, and continues to do so," in an apparent reference to the fact that Syria disrupted a deal between Hamas and Israel to free the first Israeli soldier that was kidnapped. Such a deal, if it had taken place, would likely have prevented Hezbollah from kidnapping two Israeli soldiers a few days later, sparking the war now taking place in Lebanon. He also added: "In spite of all this, there is an agreement that the fire should not reach Syria, since the Lebanese people would pay dearly for any destabilization that hits Syria."
Recently, Egypt sought to prevent a U.S. military campaign against Syria, following Washington's accusations that Damascus was behind all of the terrorist attacks against American soldiers in Iraq and the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The countries of the region have interceded on many occasions to protect Syria from all possible attacks.
The question is: Can an angry Israel be kept away from Syria this time, especially since no one knows if Washington will look the other way?
Now there are signs that Israel might repeat its the invasion scenario that it undertook in Lebanon in 1982, but this time in Syria, taking advantage of its overwhelming military superiority. This possibility doesn’t escape Damascus, which is aware of the gravity of the situation.
According an Arab official familiar with the details of this situation, Iran is trying to drag its feet by using Syria to escalate the situation and avoid its own direct involvement. Iran is using Damascus like a chess piece to manipulate a regional conflict. Tehran is in a state of conflict with the West over its growing political influence in the region and its nuclear program, and is now prepared to move the crisis to the level of direct confrontation.
If such an open confrontation does take place, Iran knows that it has little to lose, being a large country with a strong military, and with an established political system and lots of oil in high demand.
Syria's situation is different, situated as it is between the hammer of American and anvil of Israeli, with a broken-down economy and unable to cope with Israeli power on its own.
Like the person afraid of seeing a demon, the Arab official said that there has always been a fear that such a war was likely to happen, and now it looks like the present war might spin out of control.
"The Islamic governments should know that if the Islamic resistance [Hezbullah] is defeated, tomorrow it will be the turn of Syria, the day after tomorrow it will be the turn of Saudi Arabia, and then will come the turn of Egypt and Jordan."
Ahmad Kahatami,Iranian cleric and star finger pupeteer.
Watch video at http://www.memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1197
He just saw the bullet... Now????
Idiot....
I think he does the voice of Elmo for Saudi Arabia.
Well you all should have spoken up sooner, and yelling Zionist-pigs all these years sure didn't help your cause!
I think they call it "The Shocker" and it goes like this...
No One? I think several million Americans want to see another Iraq, and about 3 more Mideast regimes come tumbling down.
To the contrary, the Lebanese people would benefit greatly if Syria was destabilized. They would be able to determine their own destiny without Assad terrorizing them.
Peace Through Victory.... works everytime it's tried
Jews have been hounded by the most evil history has known and yet, today teeny, tiny Israel, surrounded by those who would love to destroy it, is rich with culture and knowledge and freely shares with the world, but still keeps reign on its military and nuclear weapons.
Oil rich Islamic nations offer nothing to the world but terrorist bombings and threats of more violence and, of course, to show the world what a failed society looks like. So much for all of their culture and history, not to mention their vast energy resources. Of what value are they to the planet? (Maybe that's why there aren't any muslims in the star trek future universe.)
If there is to be a middle eastern war to end all wars, then perhaps it's time to welcome it and be done with this constant bickering and bloodletting.
Spin out of control? I doubt it. Kicking Syria in the head would show that israel understands what is needed to control the situation and is going at it. The Islamic War cannot end favorably unless The West inflicts a massive and decisive defeat on the Saracens, and in this century that is Iran. At some point Iran's military and entire political establishment must be destroyed, not democratized, not brought to the negotiating table. Perhaps the decisive battle will take place based on Syria or will require storming Iran itself. The Jihad has never ceased in 1300 years. It is occasionally utterly whipped and withdraws into its deserts and bazaars for a couple of centuries. Then it comes surging back but it is for another generation to fight them then.
I agree. We have a lot of underemployed nuclear weapons. It's time to rid the earth of these vermin once and for all.
Great "sermon".
Indeed.
Since WWII the ME has been a boil on the butt of the world that has been tolerated because of the oil, which the ME has made billions upon billions on, only to be squandered by narcissistic potentates, dictators and thugs.
Nine Eleven was the Rubicon.
The boil needs to be lanced lest it fester and infect the whole of the world.
Patience has run out.
Be afraid, be very afraid of the Great Satan and the Little Satan.
Newt just said on O' Reilly that the US should send a fleet of B-52's in a fly-over of Damascus just so Assad gets the message.
NO sanctuaries.
Not Laos, not Cambodia, not NVN, not Iran, not Syria. No sanctuaries. We didn't fight WW II in North Africa, or just that and Italy, or just that and Italy and France. No sanctuaries.
I expect that would work too.
Look the other way??? I want us to smack em from the east while Israel stomps em on the west. Let them try a 2 front war between terrifying Israel and an avenging America. Talk about a rock and a hard place.
We owe this little prick syrians for sponsoring all those cowardly bombers they've sent into Iraq to kill our people, let alone their support for Hez all these years and our 241 marines killed.
Well the funny thing is that there is Muslims in Star Trek Universe......their Klingons and we kick their ass! Let Damascus fall! I say we help the Jews and fight till the last terrorist is dead.... and then find a way to fuel our FORDS with their rotten bodies.
Good point. We do have an airbase or two slightly to their east.
Looks like you and a few other here are dreaming about WW3.
You think it is not here? World War in its classic sense can be staved off or terminated if the West i.e. the US inflicts a deasting and total defeat on Iran. The earlier it is done the less widespread the conflagration will be. If we tamp it down with diplomacy, say bring the Arab governments to split from Iran because of fear of the Persians, that will put off the reckoning only a little while longer and make it worse when it comes. These things have recurred for 1300 years. It will not change just because this is the 21st century.
Absolutely SHAMELESS.
But I can understand Syrian concern. Should Israel desire to proceed north in pursuit of Hezbollah Damascus would have the IDF to the west and the U.S. Army to the east. That part of Syria would become indefensible, and it contains the national capital. And the two armies in question aren't entirely neutral in sentiment in the matter, both having been on the receiving end of covert operations that were at least supported and in many cases originated by the Syrians. They should be worried.
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