Posted on 07/05/2008 6:04:06 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Syria is ready to break off its close links with Iran if America gives it financial and military backing, a former Israeli diplomat involved in unofficial peace talks has revealed to The Sunday Telegraph.
According to the official, who has been engaged in low-key "second track" discussions with Syrian representatives for many months, Syria's President Bashar Assad is increasingly open to a deal which would greatly weaken Iranian influence in the region.
Alon Liel, a former director of Israel's foreign ministry, said the prospect of a peace agreement with Syria was growing, though it might require a new American president before a deal could be agreed. Syria's support for radical groups including Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hizbollah, both also backed by Iran, has played a large part in fomenting trouble in the Middle East.
For any peace agreement to be struck between Israel and Syria, it would first be necessary to agree on the future of the Golan Heights - the lofty piece of territory claimed by Syria but occupied by Israel, which supplies much of that country's drinking water.
"They are asking not only for the Golan Heights but a change in Washington that will break the Syrian isolation internationally," said Mr Liel. "But I also think they will not do it unless they are assured they have an alternative to Iran."
Israel and Syria resumed indirect negotiations in March, mediated by Turkey, and two days of meetings this week have ended with promises to reconvene at the end of the month. The Turkish foreign minister, Ali Babacan, said the meetings mark an "initial stage" in resumed diplomacy.
Now, all eyes will turn to next weekend's conference of Mediterranean nations in France, where for the first time the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, and
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Isn't that the ploy Li'l Kim has used for about a decade? Well, it got him off the Axis of Evil list and he still has plutonium.
They want an American alliance and the Golan?
The right answer is, “no”. How about this: Syria gives up Bekaa Valley in exchange for an American alliance.
All they have to do is sell Saddam’s WMD’s, and they’ll have all the money they need for their military .
Maybe.
Military assistance?
OK, someone in the State Department is on crack for even considering that.
...Interesting...
If Syria turned over Saddam’s WMDs, that would be a start.
interesting.
a nyt sunday mag article of a couple years ago
set the style with mr and mrs assad looking very hollywood like.
I expect this to be met with rank skepticism here on FR, but I have a different take: This is a direct result of “Bush’s War” taking a hard turn toward victory, decimation of Iranian fighters and Iranian backed insurgents in Iraq, siphoning of billions from Iran’s economy to fund those fighters and insurgents, etc. Syria is a weak player in the region, and with Iran losing power daily, they need another patron. Success in Iraq makes the US the clear choice as the strongest and best patron and deadliest enemy, so Syria wants to cozy up to the US. Now, will they try to bargain hard for everything they can get, for example Golan? Of course. But it is a good and fully predictable development, a necessary consequence of success in Iraq. (Just as the opposite would have been the case if the democr@ps had succeeded in their quest to have America fail in Iraq.)
Baathists backfire....ping
With Hezbollah firmly entrenched in Lebanon now, and re-equipped, the Syrians now want to pull the peace cord. This is an old Muslim ploy.They see the Israelis sharpening their swords, and they shudder.
Israel needs to put Syria to bed.And Israel does not need to have a Syrian military US equipped. This is a shrewd move, designed to appeal to the Obama crowd, for if Obama is elected, Syria can have the latest export versions of US military equipment and air frames.
All we need to do is make sure the Israelis are fully supported militarily. If Obama is elected that will not happen, and the Israelis will go elsewhere to get what they need to maintain their military sovereignty.
This ploy is about Syria getting ready to harvest the planned Obama presidency.
And joint Israel/U.S.A. success in taking out Iranian backed Syrian nuclear facility and surrounding air defences thus exposing utter Assad helplessness.
yitbos
Agreed.
And you get better terms today than you will tomorrow, so don't be dragging your heels, Assad, baby.
Oh, and the Golan? In your dreams, baby.
I suspect we've whacked a lot more than 10% of them.
Interesting.
Are they going to do a Libia act two or is this some type of Islamofascist ploy?
Posturing for an Obama victory?
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