Syrian regime is betting on a friendlier Obama
It is tempting to think that an Obama administration would be more open towards Arab’s grievances. Yet autocratic and authoritarian governments in the region, the likes of Syria, are betting on it.
At a special panel discussion at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington D.C this past week, the “engage Syria” crowds were out in force in the capital warning of the danger of the continuation of the past eight years of Bush’s foreign policy towards Syria. The guest speakers, former U.S Ambassador to Syria Edward P. Djerejian and Author Aaron David Miller, highlighted the ills of the policy of isolation vs. engagement with enemies of the United States.
Most notables among the attendee’s was the infamous Syrian regime’s Ambassador Imad Mustafa and small group of his embassy staff, most likely members of the (Mukhabarat) secret service.
Ambassador Djerejian was promoting his new book titled “Danger and Opportunity: An American Ambassador’s Journey Though the Middle East” which was also used as the title of the discussion for that day. In his opening remark the esteemed Ambassador stressed the importance of “Strengthening the moderates and marginalizing the extremists” in the Middle East as the corner stone for U.S foreign policy in the next administration. He spoke of the need for the U.S foreign policy to move from “Conflict management” to “Conflict resolution” and stand behind “Comprehensive political and economic reforms” in the region.
This could only be achieved by making sure the U.S only engages in fruitful talks with the parties involved and making sure these talks are not used only for “The sake of talks”.
Ambassador Djerejian seemed confident that engagement with these autocrats can bring about desired results for the U.S, highlighting a string of past achievements brought about as a result of engagement during and after his tenure in service in Syria under former President Reagan and President Bush Sr. , such as ending the civil war in Lebanon in 1989, getting U.S hostages out, convincing the former Syrian President Hafez Assad in joining the U.S lead coalition in Desert Storm, freeing Syrian Jews by allowing them to travel outside the country, and topping it all with the Madrid Peace Conference.
While Ambassador Djerejian did acknowledge the change in circumstances from 1990’s to the present, he seemed self-confident that no other alternative can be pursued without endangering U.S interests in the region. He was relieved that the policy of regime change is now off the table and without a hint of embarrassment advocated engagement without preconditions.
The most interesting moment of the event was the question and answer session when the Syrian regime’s Ambassador jumped to the microphone to ask his question. In his usual smugness, he could not waste a chance in attacking the current administration policy towards Syria and blaming all ills of the region on the U.S. He even brazenly commented at the “horrible” quality of Ambassador’s Djerejian hand-writings notes at the time he was in Damascus, and how difficult it was for the Syrian Ambassador to read them. A comment that solicited a sly answer from the U.S Ambassador in the form of a question “Are you sure it is not the Mukhabart who is reading them?” which was swiftly ignored by Ambassador Mustafa.
When the Syrian Ambassador finally relieved himself and asked the guest speakers to predict the next administration policy towards Syria, it was evident of the hopes the Syrian regime places on the next administration in opening formal talks with the U.S.
The Syrian regime seems to be running out of options, begging and hoping that Washington can change its confrontational attitude without having to compromise on its popular Arab and Islamic resistance stand or sacrifice its strategic alliance with terror outlets the likes of Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad. The prize is ending the International Hariri Tribunal and the return of the Golan Heights; the most sought after gift President Bashar Assad so desperately crave to finalize his consolidation on power internally and marginalize Saudi Arabia and Egypt regionally, the two Arab states that have shunned him since the murder of the Hariri.
What is most disgraceful about this event is the fact that a respected institution such as Carnegie, which is founded on the principles of democracy and free speech, would allow hired guns of a dictatorship regime to come into its building and remark contemptuously of the policy of a democratically elected U.S President. “Abominable” is the word Ambassador Mustapha used to describe this country’s policy towards Syria. Of course the esteemed ambassador is working for an autocratic regime that value’s liberty and the pursuit of happiness for its people and has done nothing to deserve such U.S policy of isolation and sanctions! What is abominable is the fact that the Syrian Ambassador is allowed to lobby Washington elite’s for a regime that has consistently proven to be the oppressor of its people and the nexus of terrorism and chaos in the region.
The U.S has pulled its ambassador out of Damascus following the assassination of the Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Since the Iraq war, the Syrian regime has worked tirelessly to undermine the efforts of the U.S to stabilize Iraq, prop up Lebanon fragile democracy, and bring peace between Palestinians and Israeli. Syria’s rejectionist Arab ideology has made it audaciously bolder in confronting the U.S and its allies in the region, yet seasoned diplomats the likes of Ambassador’s Djerejian and others are calling for “engagement”. Is someone listening?
“Not talking doesn’t make us look tough—it makes us look arrogant” was President Obama’s foretelling declaration during his campaign, it made autocrats and dictators breathe a sigh of relief in the Middle-East, at least regime change is off the table, for now.
At a special panel discussion at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington D.C this past week, the “engage Syria” crowds were out in force in the capital warning of the danger of the continuation of the past eight years of Bush’s foreign policy towards Syria. The guest speakers, former U.S Ambassador to Syria Edward P. Djerejian and Author Aaron David Miller, highlighted the ills of the policy of isolation vs. engagement with enemies of the United States.
Most notables among the attendee’s was the infamous Syrian regime’s Ambassador Imad Mustafa and small group of his embassy staff, most likely members of the (Mukhabarat) secret service.
Ambassador Djerejian was promoting his new book titled “Danger and Opportunity: An American Ambassador’s Journey Though the Middle East” which was also used as the title of the discussion for that day. In his opening remark the esteemed Ambassador stressed the importance of “Strengthening the moderates and marginalizing the extremists” in the Middle East as the corner stone for U.S foreign policy in the next administration. He spoke of the need for the U.S foreign policy to move from “Conflict management” to “Conflict resolution” and stand behind “Comprehensive political and economic reforms” in the region.
This could only be achieved by making sure the U.S only engages in fruitful talks with the parties involved and making sure these talks are not used only for “The sake of talks”.
Ambassador Djerejian seemed confident that engagement with these autocrats can bring about desired results for the U.S, highlighting a string of past achievements brought about as a result of engagement during and after his tenure in service in Syria under former President Reagan and President Bush Sr. , such as ending the civil war in Lebanon in 1989, getting U.S hostages out, convincing the former Syrian President Hafez Assad in joining the U.S lead coalition in Desert Storm, freeing Syrian Jews by allowing them to travel outside the country, and topping it all with the Madrid Peace Conference.
While Ambassador Djerejian did acknowledge the change in circumstances from 1990’s to the present, he seemed self-confident that no other alternative can be pursued without endangering U.S interests in the region. He was relieved that the policy of regime change is now off the table and without a hint of embarrassment advocated engagement without preconditions.
The most interesting moment of the event was the question and answer session when the Syrian regime’s Ambassador jumped to the microphone to ask his question. In his usual smugness, he could not waste a chance in attacking the current administration policy towards Syria and blaming all ills of the region on the U.S. He even brazenly commented at the “horrible” quality of Ambassador’s Djerejian hand-writings notes at the time he was in Damascus, and how difficult it was for the Syrian Ambassador to read them. A comment that solicited a sly answer from the U.S Ambassador in the form of a question “Are you sure it is not the Mukhabart who is reading them?” which was swiftly ignored by Ambassador Mustafa.
When the Syrian Ambassador finally relieved himself and asked the guest speakers to predict the next administration policy towards Syria, it was evident of the hopes the Syrian regime places on the next administration in opening formal talks with the U.S.
The Syrian regime seems to be running out of options, begging and hoping that Washington can change its confrontational attitude without having to compromise on its popular Arab and Islamic resistance stand or sacrifice its strategic alliance with terror outlets the likes of Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad. The prize is ending the International Hariri Tribunal and the return of the Golan Heights; the most sought after gift President Bashar Assad so desperately crave to finalize his consolidation on power internally and marginalize Saudi Arabia and Egypt regionally, the two Arab states that have shunned him since the murder of the Hariri.
What is most disgraceful about this event is the fact that a respected institution such as Carnegie, which is founded on the principles of democracy and free speech, would allow hired guns of a dictatorship regime to come into its building and remark contemptuously of the policy of a democratically elected U.S President. “Abominable” is the word Ambassador Mustapha used to describe this country’s policy towards Syria. Of course the esteemed ambassador is working for an autocratic regime that value’s liberty and the pursuit of happiness for its people and has done nothing to deserve such U.S policy of isolation and sanctions! What is abominable is the fact that the Syrian Ambassador is allowed to lobby Washington elite’s for a regime that has consistently proven to be the oppressor of its people and the nexus of terrorism and chaos in the region.
The U.S has pulled its ambassador out of Damascus following the assassination of the Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Since the Iraq war, the Syrian regime has worked tirelessly to undermine the efforts of the U.S to stabilize Iraq, prop up Lebanon fragile democracy, and bring peace between Palestinians and Israeli. Syria’s rejectionist Arab ideology has made it audaciously bolder in confronting the U.S and its allies in the region, yet seasoned diplomats the likes of Ambassador’s Djerejian and others are calling for “engagement”. Is someone listening?
“Not talking doesn’t make us look tough—it makes us look arrogant” was President Obama’s foretelling declaration during his campaign, it made autocrats and dictators breathe a sigh of relief in the Middle-East, at least regime change is off the table, for now.
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