Criticism in Syria has recently escalated over U.S. policy, especially following the extension of the U.S. economic sanctions against the country that have been in effect since 2004, U.S. allegations regarding Syria's arming Hizbullah with Scud missiles, and Congress's decision to postpone the appointment of a U.S. ambassador to Damascus.
It would appear that Syria had been expecting gestures from the U.S. as part of the normalization of relations between the two countries, a process that has gained momentum since President Barack Obama took office, and that the Syrians were therefore taken aback by these moves. One manifestation of the resulting tensions was the Syrian government press's complete failure to report on a May 22, 2010 visit to Syria by Sen. John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. The unofficial Syrian daily Al-Watan was the only paper to mention Kerry's trip, citing "Western diplomatic sources" as saying that the visit was routine and part of the process of normalizing U.S.-Syria relations.[1]
Syria's sharper tone vis-à-vis the U.S. should be examined in the context of what Syria considers to be the consolidation of a new regional and world order. In an interview with the Italian daily La Republicca, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad noted the historic change denoted by the challenge to U.S. hegemony by countries such as China, Brazil, and Russia. He added that an alliance was being formed among Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Russia based on mutual interests, and that this alliance would ultimately redraw the map of the Middle East.[2]
It seems that in light of this atmosphere, Syrian believes it can pressure the American administration and challenge its role and its influence in the Middle East.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister: The Obama Administration Has Lost Its Credibility
Responding to President Obama's decision to extend the U.S. economic sanctions against Syria that have been in place since 2004, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Miqdad said that this move had cost the U.S. government its credibility, as the U.S. had failed to fulfill its promises to Syria.[3] He also scorned any possible impact the sanctions would have on Syria, saying that "whatever the U.S. has [to offer] can be acquired in any country, Arab or foreign, whose markets are open to all." He added that "only a few extremist governments" in Europe were joining this new wave of sanctions – a hint that U.S. influence in the world, including among its allies, was waning.[4]
Even stronger remarks were made by 'Isam Dari, former editor of the Syrian government daily Teshreen. In an op-ed in the paper, Dari launched a personal attack on Obama, calling his decision to extend the sanctions proof that he was either "ignorant" or "a liar": "Without exaggeration, what U.S. President Barack Obama said about Syria[5] is unarguably the joke of the season. As such, it should be noted in the Guinness Book of Records, not only as the [biggest] joke, but also as history's greatest defamation and fabrication of lies. How can any rational person in the world believe that a small country like Syria, whose lands are occupied and subject to attack at any moment, poses a threat to 'American national security'?!"
"Does Obama [himself] even believe this lie?! If he does believe it, we pity him, since this shows the world how ignorant he is vis-à-vis international politics, the balance of power, the [various] countries' sizes, capabilities, and armed strengths, and the weapons that they have. [On the other hand,] if he knowingly lied, we pity him for two reasons: first, because he plainly proved that he is poor liar; and second, because he presented an unfavorable image [of himself] to the Syrians, the Arabs, and the [rest of] the world. With his own hands, he tore off the lovely scarves with which he hid his [true] face during the election campaign that brought him to the White House...
"The president of the strongest country in the world must not believe a lie fabricated by the CIA or the Zionist lobby in the U.S. or Israel. Such a lie constitutes a clear danger to the security and safety of the Middle East and the world... Mr. Obama should have examined the situation in the Middle East instead of drowning in Zionist fables and Israeli lies...
"[Obama] once promised change, [but] now he is proving to us Syrians and to [the rest of] the world that change is a seductive word that won him the presidency, but has not been translated into action on the ground – especially in anything concerning the Middle East and the close U.S.-Israel relations..."[6]
Another reason for Syria's anger at the U.S. is what Syrians perceive as the U.S.'s unequivocal support for Israel – again contrary to President Obama's promises for change. 'Omar Jaftali, a columnist for the Syrian government daily Teshreen, wrote:
"There are many questions surrounding the role of the current American government and its policy in the region in general... The announcement of an American military pact with Israel, by means of [the air defense system] 'Iron Dome' and other methods, was a message to the Arabs, lest they think American policy might change one iota to support the U.N. [resolution] regarding the Palestinian issue and the peace process in the region.
"It seems that the Obama administration has acted and continues to act contrary to the expectations it created at the beginning of its term and by Obama's Cairo speech – in which he misled us [by saying that] he was striving for a just [resolution] to the Palestinian issue and for overall peace in our region... All the enticing promises are gone with the wind, and we are right back where we started..."[7]
Another Teshreen columnist, 'Izz Al-Din Al-Darwish, claimed that not only had the West and the U.S. failed to resolve the problems in the region, "they are also to blame for the Israeli arrogance and the resulting absence of peace, the tension, regional instability, and Israeli wars... Like Israel, the U.S. and the West are to blame for the fact that peace has not been achieved, for the blood that has been shed in the region by the Israeli war machines, and for the hunger, disease, and deprivation afflicting two million Palestinians who are besieged to death in Gaza..."[8]
Russia Must Replace the U.S.
As stated, in its anti-U.S. stance Syria is drawing encouragement from what it sees as the formation of a regional alliance that includes Turkey and Iran. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's May 10, 2010 visit to Syria reinforced this view, giving Syria a means to pressure the U.S. to change its policy. An article in the Syrian daily Al-Watan stated that the U.S. must realize that there are other countries which could intervene in the Middle East, to the detriment of U.S. interests, and that the U.S. must therefore begin to act.[9]
President Assad went so far as to call the situation a "cold war" that had never ended. He told the Italian daily La Republicca: "The Russians never believed the cold war was over. Neither did we. It has only changed its form and developed over time..."[10]
Numerous articles in the Syrian press depicted Russia as reclaiming its historical role, shattering the U.S.'s worldwide hegemony, restoring the balance, and helping the Arabs regain their rights, as it always had. Waddah 'Abd Rabbo, editor of the Syrian daily Al-Watan, wrote: "Today there is a worldwide demand to restore balance and judicious policy to the world, and we hope that Russia has already realized that it must play its historical role and provide the world with the security, stability, and justice it needs... This is what we hope for from Russia, on all levels: political, economic, and humanitarian.
"It is no longer acceptable for one country [i.e. the U.S.] to arbitrarily control the fate and future of the peoples of this region, especially following the decision [by] countries like Syria and Turkey... to shape their [own] destiny and reality, without anyone forcing [a certain] reality on them. This heralds a political and economic awakening in the Middle East and the Caucasus – an awakening which undoubtedly requires aid from Russia...[11]
Endnotes:
[1] Al-Watan (Syria), May 23, 2010.
[2] SANA (Syria), May 25, 2010. See MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis No. 583, "Syria Regains Pivotal Regional, Int'l Role – The Triumph of the 'Course of Resistance,'" January 29, 2010, Syria Regains Pivotal Regional, Int'l Role – The Triumph of the 'Course of Resistance'.
[3] Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mu'allem made similar remarks in an interview on Radio Monte Carlo, in which he claimed that since his country had fulfilled all of its obligations to the U.S., it remained for the latter to act in turn and fulfill its promises to Syria. Al-Safir (Lebanon), May 6, 2010.
[4] Al-Watan (Syria), May 5, 2010.
[5] Explaining the rationale behind the extension of the sanctions, President Obama said that despite Syria's claims that it had made strides in preventing the infiltration of terrorists from Syria into Iraq, it was, in fact, still actively supporting terrorist organizations. He also said that Syria was attempting to acquire WMDs and to develop a missile program, which were steps that threatened U.S. national security. www.nytimes.com, May 3, 2010.
[6] Teshreen (Syria), May 11, 2010.
[7] Teshreen (Syria), May 24, 2010.
[8] Teshreen (Syria), May 25, 2010.
[9] Al-Watan (Syria), May 10, 2010.
[10]www.joshualandis.com, May 25, 2010.
[11] Al-Watan (Syria), May 11, 2010.
