US Chose Bad Time to Impose Syria Sanctions-Arabs

Reuters ^ | Wed May 12, 2004 11:46 AM ET | Lin Noueihed

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

US Chose Bad Time to Impose Syria Sanctions-Arabs
Wed May 12, 2004 11:46 AM ET

By Lin Noueihed

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States, battling a prisoner abuse scandal and insurgency in Iraq, could not have chosen a worse time to slap new sanctions on Syria, Arabs said Wednesday.

Many warned that the sanctions, welcomed only by Syria's arch-foe Israel, would only fuel anger against America.

"If they are having such trouble in Iraq, they should at least calm down Iraq's neighbors," said Mohamed al-Sayed Said of Egypt's al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

"Whoever is ruling Syria would be foolish not to try harder to embarrass the Americans in Iraq. Anyone seeing his regime so severely undermined and humiliated would have no option but to try and spoil it for the Americans in Iraq."

Labeling Syria "an unusual and extraordinary threat," President Bush Tuesday signed an order imposing sanctions long in the pipeline on Damascus for backing anti-Israeli groups and allowing anti-American insurgents to cross the Syrian border into Iraq.

Damascus has repeatedly said the sanctions would only harm the handful of American firms in Syria and would not persuade it to end backing for groups it defends as legitimate resistance.

Many Arabs said the widely-expected move was the latest in a series of Middle East policy mistakes driven by Washington's blind bias toward Israel, the only country in the region to welcome the sanctions.

"This is an important decision that proves, once again, the resolve of the United States to wage all-out war -- not just against terrorist groups, but also against the countries that harbor them," the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.

NO EFFECT

The sanctions ban exports except for food and medicine, freeze assets of Syrians and Syrian entities suspected of links to terror or weapons of mass destruction and ban Syrian flights to and from the United States.

Bush will consider further sanctions unless Damascus ends its support for anti-Israeli militant groups such as the Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon's Hizbollah, pulls its troops out of Lebanon, ends development of forbidden weapons and cooperates fully with U.S.-led efforts to stabilize Iraq.

"(The sanctions) are only going to increase tension in the region, and we have enough of that," Kuwaiti Islamist parliamentarian Nasser al-Sane told Reuters.

"Because Syria is an Arab country there's going to be an Arab reaction sympathetic to Syria, because its a member of the Arab family this is only going to increase the conflict."

Damascus, which bitterly opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, has described the sanctions as "unjust and unwarranted."

It says it has done its best to control the border but would still pursue a policy of "dialogue" with Washington.

"When they say the Syrians should be more careful about the border, they forget to mention that they (the Americans) are on the other side. Why aren't they doing a better job?" an Arab League official said.

"I don't think this is the right approach. The right approach is through dialogue, especially since they have recently indicated they have seen the Syrians cooperate."

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, whose country is under heavy political and military influence from Syria, said the sanctions were "wrong in both content and timing" and were further proof that Washington pandered to Israeli interests.

"This decision poses the question of whether the series of mistakes the American administration is committing in the region will lead to more tensions, escalation and feelings of injustice on the Arab side," he said in a statement.

Some dismissed the sanctions as little more than symbolic, given Washington's economic and political ties with Damascus.

"The American pressure on Syria is a long-term plan and this is part of it," said Saudi political analyst Abdullah al-Otaibi.

"U.S. image in the Middle East is already bad," said another Gulf analyst. "It just solidifies the Arab conviction that Israel is running the show in the Middle East."

[Cap Huff]

"We are working our way slowly to this happenning again!"

I think that is the final point of Wretchard's latest blog:

"The only exit from war's inhumanity is through the doorway of victory. For while it may be mitigated, controlled and reduced to a certain extent fundamentally 'war is cruelty, and you cannot refine it', though victory can end it."

[highlander_UW]

It's time to stop wringing our hands over the "Arab street" and do the right thing. Let the Arab street worry about the American street.

[Snuffington]

Many warned that the sanctions, welcomed only by Syria's arch-foe Israel, would only fuel anger against America.

Sorry. Were stupid enough to fall for that threat 972 times in a row. But for some reason, we don't care this time.

My current opinion of Arabs is rather low, post the hospltality display toward Mr. Berg. If you can't raise your children not to be animals, at least leash them and keep them in your yards.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Delightful analysis!

[McGavin999]

Oh dear, we must not make the Arab world angry with us, they might do something horrible like beheading one of our citizens.......oh.....wait....they've already done that.

Frankly, the Arab world has overplayed their hand and we don't care anymore.

[SierraWasp]

Speaking of bad timing... Here's a Bulletin sneaking through all the "Beheaded" news, today:

Here's a bit of good news as a bulletin a few minutes ago... 2:00 U.S. posts budget surplus of $17.6 billion in April! (CBeeEss MarcutWach.commies)

[ASA Vet]

Would they rather we turned Damascus into a glow-in-the-dark glass parking lot
to thank the Syrians for their assistance to our enemies

That should have happened 9/12/01. The window is now closed.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

U.S. posts budget surplus of $17.6 billion in April! /b>

I have one comment~~~~~Build more tanks!

[CatoRenasci]

Well, had it been up to me, on 9/12/01, Damascus, Tehran, Baghdad, Mecca and Medina would have gone up.

[MNJohnnie]

After seeing the Nick Berg Murder video, the Arabs better be worried that American not get angry at them. For 50 years we been hearing the same whining and moans from the Arabs. "OH you better not do this or we will get mad at you". News for you Arabs. Better watch out that we don't start hating you back. Go ask the people of Dresden, Hiroshima, Hamburg, Toyko, Berlin etc. etc what happens when American's start hating. See, unlike you Arabs, America DOES have the power to turn all of Islam into a desert and call it peace.

[najida]

Dear Arabia,

Bite me.

[PogySailor]

Have you read the preface to "Ripples of Battle"? More of the same. I like the part where Victor's liberal friends get the wrath of William for complaining about the way we bombed Japan.

[MNJohnnie]

Yes, waste the M******uckers. After seeing the Nick Berg murder video, my toleration of the Appeasers and the Pro-terrorist propagandists is at an end. Let them howl about Collateral Damage all they want. We will just show them Nick Berg's murder and tell them to shut the #$%^ up!

[truthandlife]

They are correct it is bad timing. We should have done this a long time ago. We would not have as many problems in Iraq if we would have treated Syria as the terrorists they truly are.

[MNJohnnie]

Let's see how the "Arab Street" like cluster bombs and Moabs landing on them while they dance over dead Americans.

[hosepipe]

Move almost all the troops to Syria.. and have a serious conversation with that pencil necked dentist about extractions.

[RasterMaster]

"Because Syria is an Arab country there's going to be an Arab reaction sympathetic to Syria, because its a member of the Arab family this is only going to increase the conflict."

Since the "arab family" are all one, they should die along with their subordinates which they sent to Iraq. Level all mosques and throw all muslims out of the U.S. - the only way to win.

[RightWhale]

the Arab world has overplayed their hand and we don't care anymore.

Yes, Arab opinions are not being accepted today.

[ksen]

....Arabs said...

Why should I give a rat's a$$ what an Arab says anymore? I'm sick to death of them.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Yes, Arab opinions are not being accepted today.

You got that right , but they are trying. Syria officially speaking now:

Syria Criticizes Sanctions, Seeks Talks