Syria and Iran signed a mutual defense treaty within the last two months.
What can Syria offer Iran? It would appear that Syria is primarily a strategic location for Iran to utilize at Syria's expense.
In addition, wouldn't Assad, the socialist, Baathist, secularist suspect any presence of Iran military and political operatives in his country to be a potential threat to his own regime?
Fitzcarraldo wrote:
What can Syria offer Iran?
I could tell you to ask them, since they signed the treaty, but if you understand that any answer I give you can be no more than speculation, I will forego self-protection.
Bush said Iran will not be permitted to obtain an operational nuclear military capability.
Iran believes Bush intends to enforce this stance and that the current Iranian regime will not survive the enforcement, if allowed to occur at Americas time and place of choice. Syria obviously concurs.
When, not if, Iran falls, Syria stands alone, last moderately important state sponsor of terrorism.
Nobody likes standing alone.
Syria brings the strategic location you mention to the table, Iran brings the added security of a larger GNP, a stronger military, and a shorter quest to a perceived state of Nirvana where nuclear weapons make all previous worries vanish in a cloud of delightful pink mist and they all live happily ever after, la, la la.
That's a very short answer, similar in accuracy to a short answer to the question of why Jordan stood by Saddam during OIF.