An opportunity to make friends - with Syria
Syria for a while had become the poster child for what is wrong and unsettling about the Middle-East from the American perspective.
Having been implicated in the gruesome and explosive assassination of the ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri leading to the reluctant but coerced withdrawal of Syria from Lebanon, then their support for Hezbollah and the brick bats they received with Iran regarding Hezbollah’s attack of Israel, they have every right to be indifferent about American issues.
Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General visited Syria recently and extracted a cooperation where Syria would impose an arms embargo on its Hezbollah ally and even allow troops to patrol their border with Lebanon – my point – it is good to talk.
So, some cack-handed terrorists poorly executed a plan to bomb the US Embassy in Damascus – Yes, the US is accorded diplomatic recognition in Syria though with no one at ambassadorial level, despite what they have to endure from America – the Syrian security personnel spirited foiled the attack in which one of their number was killed.
Ironically, this “supporter of terrorism”, be it the insurgency in Iraq or the Hezbollah in Lebanon is a fighter of terrorism on its own land even if it pertains to the endangerment of life and property of it chief accuser, America.
America could not but acknowledge with grudging gratitude Syria’s efforts through Condoleezza Rice though that was soured with another comment from the White House that Syria should play a more constructive role in the war against terrorism – take a deep breath of despair.
Then switch to Teheran and it is Assyrian/Persian hugs and kisses between Ahmadinejad and Al-Maliki, the Iranian President and the Iraqi Prime Minister respectively.
The Great Satan (America) would be completed miffed with this visit to a possible abode of three – Iran in the Axis-of-Evil.
Despite all the American views about Iran stirring up the Shiite insurgency in Iraq, Iran has offered to cooperate in ensuring Iraq security and stability along with other extensive cooperation deals on oil exploration and export.
With all the American lives being lost in Iraq, the government does have to chart its own way and they are showing that regional cooperation matters regardless of who America counts as friend or foe.
As far as the Middle-East is concerned, Iran and Syria after the Hezbollah skirmish in Israel are the new brokers for regional hegemony in that region with Israel now being exposed as more vulnerable than they thought they were.
It is really time to start talking rather that flinging hateful words and vitriol from the White House and State Department like intercontinental precision ballistic missiles.
It is time to try and become friends and talk though your differences, this whole idea of the guarded self-importance of the President of America precluding him from meeting with other people just in case he offers them clout, recognition or legitimacy is self-conceited to the extreme.
It would do well to engage in high-level talks according each other a modicum of respect and courtesy; that said, it is not a team that should include John Bolton even under sedation.
Somehow, I doubt that this unique opportunity would be put to good use.
It is infantile to talk about Syria in the way you do, especially with
reference to Hezbollah. Kofi Anan (that sanctimonious piece-of-shit
Ghanaian embezzler) "extracting" what is in effect a hollow promise from
Syria vis-a-vis Hezbollah. Syria won't or can't (doesn't matter which)
control Hezbollah.
@Shango,
And I suppose that in your entire life, you disengage from any topic
involving strongly-held and strongly-expressed opinions? Everytime? If
you're this easily dissuaded, you must live by yourself in Antarctica.
You hardly know me and you are already summing up my life. I engage with
people who are able to express themselves strongly, persuasively and
coherently, in intelligent and temperate language a skill you do not seem
to possess.
In addition to all your other shortcomings, including an astonishing
naivete, must one add a lack of simple comprehension? I didn't sum up your
life, I was asking questions and drawing conclusions based on your
immediate past comment.
Very well, Mr Akintayo, I'll stop heckling.
The Great Satan comment about America when talking about Iran is very much
in context, because that is what Iran calls America - you failed to see the
mixed metaphors of the Great Satan and the Axis of Evil.
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