Posted on 07/17/2007 12:58:55 PM PDT by jhpigott
Israeli analyst: Iran worried by possibility of Syria exiting axis of evil
Yaakov Lappin Published: 07.17.07, 22:21 / Israel News
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will arrive in Syria on an official state visit on Thursday, the Iranian media announced this week.
Ahmadinejad is planning to "congratulate (Syrian) President Bashar al-Assad on the beginning of his second seven-year term in office as Syria's president," the official website of the Iranian president stated, adding: "Ahmadinejad is to review (an) expansion of (the) Tehran-Damascus political and economic cooperation... and will probably have meetings with several senior Syrian officials."
Axis of Evil
'Coordinate confrontation against Israel' / Yaakov Lappin
Syrian president quoted by Iranian news agency as calling for 'better coordination' between Damascus and Tehran against Israel Full Story
Ahead of Ahmadinejad's visit, the Iranian state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) published an extensive interview with Samir al-Taqi, head of the Syrian Foreign Ministry's Strategic Studies Center.
In the interview, Taqi described current tensions in the region as being "extremely sensitive," adding: "The great significance of Ahmadinejad's second visit to Damascus is in the timing of this visit, keeping in mind the US role in Lebanon's internal affairs, the Arab world conflict with Israel, the chaotic conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Iran's nuclear issue, that are hand in hand driving the region into a great explosion."
'Iran continuing to advance nuclear program'
In Israel, however, the visit was viewed by Dr. Boaz Ganor, executive director of the Institute for Counter-Terrorism, as forming part of an Iranian effort to keep Syria onboard the Tehran-Damascus alliance.
"It's not in Iran or Syria’s interest to heat up the region at this time," Ganor told Ynetnews. "Syria's president, Bashar Assad, has his legs rooted in the axis of evil, but he his is facing outwards, towards the US," Ganor said. He added that the Syrian leader was examining the possibility of moving away from his alliance with Iran and winning legitimacy from the international community.
"Ahmadinejad also recognizes this, and his visit is aimed at nailing Assad down and keeping him in of axis of evil. He doesn't want him t to leave the alliance with Iran," Ganor said adding that Ahmadinjad would probably warn Assad "not to fall into an Israeli or American trap."
Yaakov Amidror, formerly a senior officer in the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate, told Ynetnews that Syria and Iran were "trying to build an alliance based on rejecting stability in the Middle East".
"They have many joint interests, and many problems. Both are facing large amounts of pressure from the West," Amidror added.
Uzi Arad, Director of the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, said the Iranian threat should be Israel's main focus of attention. Speaking to Ynetnews, he drew attention to what he described as "worrying military signals from Syria," and added that the connection between Iran and Syria is "very disturbing."
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"Iran on its part is continuing to advance in its nuclear program, while Syria is arming itself and preparing for the possibility of an ignition in the region. The Israeli military is worried about the possibility of an accident sparking a war (with Syria), and is following with concern Iran's nuclear program and regional activities. Therefore my recommendation, as it has been for years, is to concentrate on the main issue (Iran), and to build up a strategy of increased deterrence and defense based on an increase of power," Arad said.
There's an unfortunate name.
Assad knows the one thing Israel and the West can offer most Syrians that could ruin him is majority rule. That is, his 10% of the population Shiite Allawite minority rules over about 80% Sunnis.
That is far more imbalanced that Saddam’s Sunnis ruling over Iraq’s Shiites and Kurds. The lesson of Iraq must have made a big impression on the Syrian Sunnis and Kurds.
Not only that, but Syria becoming Sunni would ruin Hezbollah, it would be a major defeat for Iran, and a major victory for Lebanon and Egypt.
I wonder if he’ll be sleeping in the Nancy Pelosi bedroom at the palace.
Asshat + Ahmadibeenjerkinoff in the same place?
That’s a twofer friends.
One precisely targeted JDAM, and the prospects for peace in the Middle East will improve dramatically, and perhaps we can drop all this prattle about ‘Two State Solutions’ and all of that crapola.
“Yamamoto” him..
Surely the defense dept has a few warehouses of ‘weapons’ that need to be disposed of properly. No time like the present to drop them.
Yes..
Sounds like a potential two-for-one opportunity.
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