Posted on 09/27/2004 6:43:33 PM PDT by Mike Fieschko
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2004 -- If Syria doesn't reverse its counterproductive policy in Iraq, then the United States and Syria will have a "major deterioration" in relations, said a senior U.S. government official today.
This is directly opposite what Syrian officials have been saying following a U.S.-Syrian meeting in Damascus two weeks ago. Syria has touted the fact that its government will participate in talks with Iraq and U.S. Central Command on problems related to the country's porous border with Iraq. This set of talks is scheduled to begin this week.
Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed the situation with Syria during a CNN interview Sept. 26. "The conversations I had with the Syrians this week did not clear up all of the outstanding issues that we have with the Syrians, but I found it to be more positive than the earlier conversations I'd had," Powell said.
The U.S. delegation to Damascus meeting gave the government of President Bashar Asad a very blunt warning about Syria's actions undercutting what the United States is trying to accomplish in Iraq. "It's not just a question of border control," said the senior government official on background. "Institutions within Syria are actively colluding with our enemies in Iraq."
The official said this is a Syrian political decision. The charge is that Syria is actively trying to destabilize the interim government in Iraq. "What we said in Damascus is that this has to stop," the official said. "Our message to Syria was a warning that this is very serious. Because this means Syria shares responsibility for the killing of Americans and Iraqis, and it has to stop."
This week's talks among Iraq, Syria and CENTCOM are a chance for the Syrians to prove they got the message and they are going to stop their behavior, said the official. The Syrians are portraying having these talks "as a great success and proof that the problems are solved. The Americans view these border talks as one way to test whether Syria got the message," he said.
The official said that pressure on Syria is growing over this situation. "If Americans are dying in Iraq because of Syrian policies, then this is something we are not going to tolerate," he said.
"An Iraq that is successful from our point of view may not be what they want," he continued. "Our job is to convince them that the risk of undermining us is much greater than the opposite."
"Major Deterioration"..... in diplomatic language
The Ba'athists in Syria are praying for a Kerry victory FUR SHUR.
Inasmuch as the Moslems don't run Syria, I fail to see how disposing of all of them will improve anything there.
WWKD ?
(what would Kerry do?)
Yes, we are halfway there already. A young friend of mine has been fighting near the Syrian border recently; says he and his boys have killed quite a few bad guys.
"If Americans are dying in Iraq because of Syrian policies, then this is something we are not going to tolerate.."
"..Our job is to convince them that the risk of undermining us is much greater than the opposite."
Bump
Syria ~ if you don't shape up ~ you're gonna be next!
It would be good to have Syria neutralized on the left flank as attention turns toward the east.
Roger that!
Bump!
That's so Baad. This could be hughmas.
" Assuming Bush is elected, who is going to get hit first...Syria or Iran. "
Iran. The difference between taking out Syria now or a year from now might be that they have more of whatever they already have. The difference with Iran is that they will possibly have nukes in a year that can reach London, and everything will change. Syria can wait but not Iran. And Bush will be reelected.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1229555/posts
Bush administration completes get-tough plan for Syria
World Tribune ^ | Tuesday, September 28, 2004 | Staff
Posted on 09/28/2004 1:05:42 PM PDT by Made in USA
The Bush administration has drafted contingency plans for bringing military and economic pressure against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Officials said the administration has determined that diplomacy has failed to resolve U.S. concerns that Syria has been working to destabilize the interim government in Iraq.
They said the Assad regime has been harboring senior operatives of Abu Mussib Al Zarqawi, regarded as the most lethal insurgent in Iraq, aides to Saddam Hussein as well as Iraqi nuclear scientists as part of a Syrian policy coordinated with Iran
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