Mrs. Albright in Syria
Secretary of State Madeline Albright is headed for the Middle East, and one of her expressed goals is to restart Syria-Israel negotiations. However, Syria is a closed and brutal military dictatorship and its leadership pursues policies directly at odds with American interests in a variety of ways. Mrs. Albright’s agenda should be driven by American foreign policy requirements and by Syrian behavior.
Secretary of State Madeline Albright is headed for the Middle East, and one of her expressed goals is to restart Syria-Israel negotiations. However, Syria is a closed and brutal military dictatorship and its leadership pursues policies directly at odds with American interests in a variety of ways. Mrs. Albright’s agenda should be driven by American foreign policy requirements and by Syrian behavior.
Syria is on the State Department’s list of drug trafficking countries. Through its occupation of the Bekka Valley in Lebanon, the Syrian Army controls the flow of heroin, providing foreign exchange for Damascus and great wealth for the Syrian Army officers.
The Syrian occupation of Lebanon is a violation of the Taif Accord which Syria signed, and directly undermines U.S. policy toward Lebanon. The Syrians have a historic belief that there is no independent Lebanon – there is no Syrian Embassy in Beirut, nor a Lebanese Embassy in Damascus. In addition, Syria uses its position in Lebanon to help Iran spread Islamic radicalism through Hizballah, which is contrary to American policy toward Iran. Moreover, Syria likes having a chaotic border with Israel for purposes of harassment (functionally, the Golan Heights is only one of two Israel/Syria borders, separate and distinct).
Syria is on the State Department’s list of terrorism supporting countries. Not only is Damascus the home of a variety of Palestinian rejectionist groups, but also Hafez Assad is a prime supported of Turkey’s nemesis, the PKK. Assad has more than once agreed to close Kurdish terrorist bases in northern Syria, but has not. Turkey is America’s ally in NATO, and ongoing terrorism against a NATO ally should be a high priority.
Syria is on the State Department’s list of weapons proliferating countries, having made a concerted effort to acquire weapons of mass destruction – including a new chemical weapons facility and ballistic missiles – spiting America’s determination to try to rein in such devastating technologies.
Furthermore, even on the subject of Israel and Syria, U.S. policy considerations should drive the discussion. Israel is America’s ally in the region, and American military planners count on Israel as a security partner in a variety of ways. Israel’s participation in U.S. missile defense, high-energy laser and other R&D programs increase the security of both countries and conserve scarce defense resources. Joint military training and Israeli maintenance of the U.S. Sixth Fleet are already old stories. New Turkish-Israeli and Jordanian-Israeli cooperation will enhance stability in the region and provide important lines of defense in the fight against the spread of violent Islamic radicalism. However, Israel’s ability to continue to serve as a security partner depends on its continued strength. Part of that strength requires that the U.S. put its emphasis on the party that has yet to fulfill its international obligations – Syria.
Israel has sat legally on the Golan Heights since 1967. Syria has never implemented the provisions of UN Resolution 242 calling for “termination of all states of belligerency, and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries.” The goal in Damascus should not be to “restart the peace talks,” but to achieve a change in Syria behavior.
Mrs. Albright has a full plate in Damascus and we wish her well.