Saddam’s Newest Playmate
A deadly alliance.
By Michael Freund
August 7, 2002
It is August in the Middle East, and despite the intense summer
heat, love is in the air. Saddam Hussein, the region's least-agreeable
resident, has found himself a new playmate in Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad, and their two countries haven't been this friendly
in a good long time.
Though regional tourism has been in a slump since September 11,
the number of dignitaries, delegations, and diplomats traveling
between Iraq and Syria in recent months has hit a feverish pace,
as these two traditional rivals are growing increasingly nervous
about Washington's war on terror.
Just last week, the state-controlled Iraqi Journalists Union
visited Damascus to meet with Syrian government officials and
discuss "the necessity of enhancing cooperation between the
two countries" in the field of media, the Syrian news agency
reported on July 25. Since the media in both countries serve as
little more than propaganda tools for the respective regimes,
it is clear the two are planning something far more sinister than
just an exchange of TV game shows.
In late June, Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Ghassan
al- Refai signed an agreement with Saddam's government to establish
seven companies under joint control in fields such as land and
sea transport and oil. After the ceremony, Al-Refai noted that
Syrian-Iraqi relations "are proceeding forward rapidly"
and said there is a "joint desire to revitalize bilateral
cooperation at all levels." And if that didn't get the point
across, al-Refai went on to add that, "Iraq is the strategic
depth for Syria and that Syria is Iraq's depth for the interests
of the two sisterly countries."
On July 11, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz conferred
with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk A-Sharaa in Damascus. It was
their second meeting in the Syrian capital since the beginning
of the year, and it came just four months after Bashar al-Assad
hosted Saddam's deputy, Izzat Ibrahim, for talks on the situation
in the region.
When two of the Middle East's most prodigious neighborhood bullies
put aside their differences and start courting each other, it
is time for Washington to wake up and take notice.
Indeed, Syria has repeatedly come out against the impending U.S.
assault on Iraq, sharply criticizing the Bush administration for
its intention to remove Saddam from power.
During a visit to Ankara on July 26, Syrian Vice President Abdul
Halim Khaddam said in an interview with a Turkish newspaper that
there is no justification for America to go after Saddam. "The
U.S.'s reasons to strike are baseless. Iraq does not possess weapons
of mass destruction and does not pose any threat to her neighbors."
The day before, Syrian Foreign Minister A-Sharaa, speaking to
journalists in Damascus, also made clear that the Assad regime
"rejected" any American plan to strike at Iraq.
The Syrians, it appears, have not limited their support for Saddam
to bluster, however. As Israel's most respected military analyst,
Zeev Schiff, recently reported, weapons and military equipment
are being shipped to Syrian ports from Eastern Europe and then
covertly forwarded to Iraq by road and rail. It seems safe to
assume that these very same weapons will no doubt be put to use
against America's young men and women in uniform, once they arrive
on the outskirts of Baghdad.
And, though a Washington Post story last week asserted
that Syria is evolving into an "anti-terror ally," that
is little more than Beltway wishful thinking. Damascus continues
to play host to a range of terror groups such as Hamas and Islamic
Jihad, and it has cooperated with Iran in transferring rockets,
weapons, and explosive materials to Hezbullah in southern Lebanon.
Even more ominously, there are reports that al Qaeda members
fleeing Afghanistan have found refuge in Syrian-controlled Lebanon.
In a letter sent to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan last month,
Israel's U.N. Ambassador Yehuda Lancry noted that al Qaeda's presence
"has increased ... as operatives have fled Afghanistan and
sought safe haven in Lebanese territory." Lancry identified
Abu Mohammed Al Masri as al Qaeda's ringleader in Lebanon. Since
the Syrians maintain an iron grip over Lebanese affairs, there
is little likelihood that Osama bin Laden's associates would find
refuge in the area without prior consent from the Assad regime.
In his June 24 speech on the Middle East, President George W.
Bush said that Syria would have to close down terrorist training
camps and expel terrorist groups from its territory. His words
have no doubt sent a shiver throughout the Syrian regime, which
fears being added to the "axis of evil," as it undoubtedly
should.
But rather than joining the West in its war on terror, Damascus
has instead embraced Saddam and strengthened its ties with him,
precisely when the war on Baghdad seems increasingly inevitable.
Bashar al-Assad, then, has made his choice. It is now time for
America to treat the Syrian dictator accordingly.
This article was originally published in the National
Review on August 7, 2002
