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Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D.
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Reader Commentary
Getting Serious About Syria By Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D. and Robert R. Guzzardi, Esquire
ON WEDNESDAY, the United Nations Security Council is poised to discuss the fourth report it commissioned regarding Syrian complicity in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005. America must now muscle the initiation of sanctions against this rogue nation. Consider the litany of additional Syrian misconduct during recent years. It has refused to honor UN Security Council resolutions: Ø Resolution 1559 called on foreign (read: “Syrian”) troops to withdraw from Lebanon and for all militias (read: “Syrian-supported and Iranian-funded Hezbollah”) to be disarmed. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Friday that “there is no going back. There will be no giving in and no surrendering to oppressors, opportunists or criminals.” Ø Resolution 1680 called on Damascus to delineate its common border with Lebanon and to establish full diplomatic ties with Beirut. This has sparked a hunger-strike by over a dozen of Syria's highest-profile imprisoned activists, including ten arrested in the past three weeks for appealing to Syria to improve relations with Lebanon. It has opposed the US War against Reactionary Islamists: Ø Syria is the major conduit of Al Qaeda infiltration into Iraq’s Anbar Province. Ø Syria harbors Islamist terrorists at home and sponsors them abroad. It routinely violates human rights: Ø Syria engages in human trafficking, according to a US-Report issued last week. Ø Syria recently arrested seven Ahwazis, six of whom had been recognized by the UN High Commissioner on Refugees as refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention and one former refugee who had recently been naturalized by the Netherlands. Ø Syria recently initiated a crackdown on domestic critics: it imprisoned writer Mohammed Ghanem on charges including insulting Syrian president Bashar Assad, and inciting sectarian divisions; it arrested Merhi Omran for trying to use his cellular ‘phone to photograph his brother, who is being tried with members of a Muslim extremist Salafi group; and it barred writer Louay Hussein from traveling to Lebanon to take part in a talk show on the U.S.-financed Arab-language al-Hurra television. It is engaging in international mischief: Ø Syrians (100 workers and five intelligence officers) were arrested last week by Qatar because of complicity in a destabilization plot against the monarchy. Ø Syrians are allowing Russia to set up naval bases in its ports of Tartus and Latakia. Ø Syria has expressed solidarity with Iran and Cuba, and it hosts terrorist exiles and organizations including Islamic Jihad and Hamas. As President Bashir Assad enters his seventh year of dictatorial rule, he scoffs at America’s 2004 “Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act.” Limited steps taken included prohibiting most U.S. exports to Syria, restricting diplomatic contacts, and blocking Syrian aircraft from the United States. More severe steps that remain unimplemented could affect existing U.S. oil investments, and Congress gave the president the power to waive—rather than to enforce—parts of the law for national security reasons. Such reticence is shocking, for confronting a geographically-surrounded Syria constitutes a front against Iran, low-lying fruit that is vulnerable to regime change. In the wake of the targeted killing of al-Zarqawi, America must redouble its attack on those who harbor terrorists, consistent with the Bush Doctrine. And we mustn’t dawdle, for recent worldwide arrests of terrorist cells (from Canada to Switzerland) scream the desperation of Jihadists waging World War. So, Time is Tight, as usual. The Allies yearn to withdraw troops from Iraq ASAP, both because they now can point to an endogenous government that can unite the citizenry, and because they want to mollify home-front critics (to buttress sagging political bases). To whatever degree they can influence events in the Middle East, Bush/Blair must remain proactive/positive, forceful/focused. In that regard, Syria requires immediate attention. Instead, as foreign policy experts call for unspecified types of “change,” inaction persists. Why should two laypeople—a physician and a lawyer—highlight a foreign policy concern, even as “credentialed” thinkers endlessly debate this-‘n’-that along too-familiar lines? Because we’re “students” of…and feel invested in…the urgent need to “democratize.” We recognize some restraint is needed to allow the liberated to gain a sufficient comfort-level with their newfound freedoms, but we feel maximizing opportunity via multi-front incrementalism (a strategy popularized by Neo-Cons) builds on ideological achievement. The Challenge Eisenhower observed that one must sometimes enlarge a conflict to win it. That’s why Syria should not be given a “pass” as it hides behind Iran’s bellicosity. Damascus continues to serve as our enemies’ ideological/operational capital. “Our” denotes America, Israel, Western Civilization…the “goodies” preserving culture against the Reactionary Islamist “baddies” who profess (as did Hitler and Khrushchev) a desire to bury us. This is a “white-hat vs. “black-hat” conflict of “good vs. evil.” So, why not confront a renegade government that pursues a murderous strategy against Lebanese opponents—activist politicians and journalists—as per four UN Security Council reports? The US must marshal all its chits—including those that seemingly are emerging with France and the Gulf States—to help the UN demonstrate it has meaning, namely, to implement international sanctions again Syria, aggressively, now. The Documentation The Mehlis-Report, issued on October 19, 2005, was formally entitled “Report of the International Independent Investigation Commission, Established Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1595.” Supplemental Reports have not altered its stark conclusions. It was prompted by “the terrorist attack which took place on February 14, 2005 in Beirut that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and others…to help identify its perpetrators, sponsors, organizers and accomplices.” Months earlier —after Hariri had self-financed much of Beirut’s reconstruction (following the civil war of the 1980’s)—Syria’s President Bashir Assad had personally threatened him against doing what he later announced, namely, announcing his candidacy to reassume leadership. The Mehlis Report concluded: “It is the Commission’s conclusion that, after having interviewed witnesses and suspects in the Syrian Arab Republic and establishing that many leads point directly towards Syrian security officials as being involved with the assassination, it is incumbent upon Syria to clarify a considerable part of the unresolved questions. While the Syrian authorities, after initial hesitation, have cooperated to a limited degree with the Commission, several interviewees tried to mislead the investigation by giving false or inaccurate statements. The letter addressed to the Commission by the Foreign Minister of the Syrian Arab Republic proved to contain false information. The full picture of the assassination can only be reached through an extensive and credible investigation that would be conducted in an open and transparent manner to the full satisfaction of international scrutiny.” The intrigue that preceded and that permeates this carefully-worded posture includes a staged-suicide of the Syrian who directed the failed Lebanese Occupation, and that which has subsequently occurred includes an expanded investigation to include assassinations of additional Lebanese critics of Syria. Assad blames them for election of a legislature one year ago (on four successive Sundays in April) that expunged 5000 troops from the Bekaa Valley, but not Syria’s high-placed spies from Lebanese soil. A finalized version of the Mehlis Report was inadvertently electronically transmitted before its most pungent phraseology had been expunged a few hours later, allegedly by Secretary General Kofi Annan…who said he wanted to downplay its political import. The following had been included in its Executive Summary: “It is the Commission’s view that the assassination of 14 February 2005 was carried out by a group with an extensive organization and considerable resources and capabilities. The crime had been prepared over the course of several months. For this purpose, the timing and location of Mr. Rafik Hariri’s movements had been monitored and the itineraries of his convoy recorded in detail…[T]here is converging evidence pointing at both Lebanese and Syrian involvement in this terrorist act. “It is a well known fact that Syrian Military Intelligence had a pervasive presence in Lebanon at the least until the withdrawal of the Syrian forces pursuant to resolution 1559. The former senior security officials of Lebanon were their appointees. Given the infiltration of Lebanese institutions and society by the Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services working in tandem, it would be difficult to envisage a scenario whereby such a complex assassination plot could have been carried out without their knowledge.” Security Council Inaction Despite these data, the Security Council still hasn’t implemented any formal sanctions. There is a certain irony that Syria is to serve as its president during the month of August. But the greater concern is that the most recently-adopted Syria-related resolution (#1680) is silent regarding Syria’s overt campaign of political assassinations. That it was adopted by a 13-0 vote (with Russia and China abstaining) reinforces the hope that the world abhors Syria’s brazen intent to alter internal Lebanese affairs, to a limited degree. Adopted on May 17th, it focuses on the Syria-Lebanese relationship, in an effort “to fully restore the Lebanese government's control over all its territory.” But it had no “enforcement” component. Thus, in reply, Hezballah and its supporters argued that it is a resistance organization—rather than a militia—and it therefore does not have to disarm. Meanwhile, Syria and Iran dismiss it, averring it represents interference in member states’ bilateral affairs. Three prominent American diplomats praised it. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice noted Lebanese are aware of their obligation to disarm militias, but she also preached patience during this “transitional period.” UN Ambassador John Bolton was more blunt: “It clearly says to Syria that it needs to do more to stop the flow of weapons across the Syrian-Lebanese border.” And Ambassador Henry Crumpton cited its importance while in Beirut to explain aspects of U.S. counterterrorism policy. The Politics As governments-in-exile have been formed (in London and in Washington), Assad has cracked-down on domestic dissidents…while professing to have “gotten (Islamic) religion”; such behavior traditionally mollifies some opponents. Meanwhile, the UN debate has shifted overtly to Iran, with world leadership seemingly reluctant to “connect the dots.” There is a certain fatalism that is ambient when one directly questions Americans, primarily predicted on the theory that Russia/China would predictably block anything that could serve tangible, useful purposes. The concept that “The devil you don’t know may be worse than the devil you do know” devolves into a posture of “containment.” The kissin’-cousin of containment—appeasement—has been discredited. Neville Chamberlain’s rationalizations permitting Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia are disdained, but people must be reminded that the most effective method available to weaken Iran is to isolate its client-state, Syria. Some argue we risk the rise of the Moslem Brotherhood and/or Al Qaeda influence if we actively “destabilize” Assad. But defeat of its Sunni-majority, Alawite-minority Ba’athists (secular remnants of the Nazis) would ameliorate intimidation of those who want to support our goals. Indeed, the National Salvation Front, which met again last week in London, claims it has 75 prominent (exiled) supporters from across the political spectrum, including a representative of the banned Muslim Brotherhood. It is led by 74 year-old Abdel Halim Khaddam, who served as Vice-President for more than two decades and was once Damascus’s pointman in Lebanon, when Syrian security forces effectively controlled the country. He sees Assad using repression to retain power, while citizens “go hungry and see wealth stolen by corrupt elite.” Indeed, since Mr Khaddam began speaking out against the Syrian regime, he has been branded a traitor. Legal proceedings have begun against him and 24 other members of his family, including his wife, his three sons and daughter, who were all summoned to appear in court last month. America must start “making this case” stridently, promptly. Essentially, there is minimal downside risk…and the potential benefits could help us reach the tipping-point as we envision winding-down the need to nurture the thrice-elected Iraqi government. Establishing official Syrian/Lebanese borders is desirable, but challenging the Damascus government’s legitimacy is vital. The Security Council is set to renew its probe into Syria’s complicity in the Hariri assassination for another year. It must concomitantly implement sanctions based on facts it has already established. Time Ticks.
Dr. Sklaroff is an oncologist/hematologist. Mr. Guzzardi is a businessman/philanthropist.
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To contact me--Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D.--just send an e-mail (rsklaroff@comcast.net).
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