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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US delegation Holding Secret Talks with Syria
2005-10-06
A US source has revealed to "Asharq al-Awsat" that a group made up of members of the republican party and retired military officers are seeking Syria's help in salvaging US policy in Iraq. The source said an unofficial US delegation has just returned from Damascus where it held talks with a number of Syrian decision makers during which it was able to obtain a Syrian offer of effective cooperation to achieve stability in Iraq in exchange for ensuring the Arabism of Iraq and not threatening stability inside Syria itself. The source added, added that the Syrian offer includes a reference to the willingness of Damascus to name a Syrian ambassador in Baghdad immediately and open the embassy as a show of good intentions. According to the US source, the Syrian offer was made in response to a proposal from the moderate wing in the Republican Party to make Syria a strategic ally in the region if it implements the stated US demands and helps the ongoing political process in Iraq to continue.

The source went on to say that, the Syrian response "was generous and detailed" and is difficult for the US administration to reject because it is "the easiest option for saving its face in Iraq." It also includes a reference to Syria's ability to cooperate in the field to achieve stability in Iraq side by side with the American troops if it receives a request for this from Washington. It pointed out that the officials who are close to the Syrian presidency who took part in the talks last week underlined the need for dealing with Syrian with respect and for protecting Iraq's Arab identity.

According to the source's assertion, the US delegation returned from Damascus full of optimism and is at present preparing a report to the decision makers in Washington that includes a recommendation to try to gain Syria as a strategic ally in the region, if it fulfills its promises, and to help develop Syria economically and democratically so that the US plan in the region can become a dual one that includes Syria and Iraq at the same time without the need for shedding more blood or sacrificing the lives of American soldiers.
Posted by:Fred

#19  all this speculation for wishful thinking from aawsat.com? No agenda there....jeebus
Posted by: Frank G   2005-10-06 19:23  

#18  Liberalhawk, consider the difference between Christianity (as divided as it is) being the largest religion in the US and some sort of law or treaty "ensuring the Christianity of the US."

We have attempted to set up a situation where _all three_ of the major ethnic groups must approve of the constitution before it becomes law.

One of those groups is not Arab, and another while Arab is of a religious minority that is uniformly disenfranchised throughout the Arab world.
Posted by: Phil Fraering   2005-10-06 17:43  

#17  "Yesterday we reported that Sergei won a green motorcycle in the lottery. We must make a correction. It was not Sergei but Andropov; it was not green but blue; it was not a motorcycle but a bicycle; and he did not win it, he stole it. Aside from this our report was substantially correct." Radio Yerevan
Posted by: James   2005-10-06 17:29  

#16  " LH: this is the part that bugs me:

"...in exchange for ensuring the Arabism of Iraq..."

It's right there in the report"

We're gonna sell that horse anyway, as far its in our power to sell, to get the Sunnis on board - so its not in the constitution, it can be done in legislation once the Sunni arabs vote. But if the Pals can sell the same horse over and over again, why shouldnt we be able to?
Posted by: liberalhawk   2005-10-06 17:19  

#15  Unofficial delegation and retired military officers seeking Syria's help? Gen. Myers to the rescue? Sounds like they are circumventing any possibility of leaks or spies. Saving Assad's butt in exchange for help exterminating the infestation in real control may not be a bad idea.
Posted by: Danielle   2005-10-06 16:56  

#14  The keystone of this article is in the last paragraph:
A US State Department official denied that the department knew of any talks with the Syrian Government but pointed out that the US Embassy in Damascus is open and the American diplomats are doing their job and the Syrian authorities can inform them of any real change in its policies. He stressed that no US official has talked at all about regime change in Syria and all that Washington is hoping for is a "change in the Syrian behavior toward specific issues that the Syrians know well."

This is a polite way of saying fix the problem or we will fix it for you.
Posted by: RWV   2005-10-06 15:24  

#13  Might the "moderates" be the group of "81 judges" the Neck just sacked? Nah, we're aaplying so much pressure, he wouldn't have the cajones for that. The vermin are squirmin'--I love it!
Posted by: Asymmetrical Triangulation   2005-10-06 15:02  

#12  pealing? peeling? ugh ... can't spell at the moment.
Posted by: lotp   2005-10-06 14:10  

#11  Apart from the fact that this smells of spin, it would be interesting to contemplate pealing Syria away from Iran.

If there is substance to this report at all, it would explain the "Arabism" - suggest that the Arab majority background of Iraqis makes Iraq a more natural ally for Syria than the mullahs.
Posted by: lotp   2005-10-06 14:09  

#10  LH: this is the part that bugs me:

"...in exchange for ensuring the Arabism of Iraq..."

It's right there in the report.
Posted by: Phil Fraering   2005-10-06 13:57  

#9  i mean if we could cut a deal with Muamar, why is a deal with Syria be out of the question?
Posted by: liberalhawk   2005-10-06 13:32  

#8  given the state of play in Syria, outreach to elements within the Syrian military doesnt sound that far fetched to me. We wouldnt have to sell out the IRAQI Kurds OR the Shia - probably not even the Lebanese - wed just have to sell out the Syrian democrats, which isnt that big a deal, considering there probably arent many of them, and theyll probably lose anyway.

The Hariri investigation is gonna finger some really high up Syrian Baath, probably including close relatives of Baby Assad. At that point the s**t hits the fan in Syria = the enemies of the Baath (including the Muslim Brotherhood) will be in play -but so will different elements in the establishment, including the military. Having a little quiet help from the US might be quite useful in those festivities, and clamping down on the ratlines to Iraq might be a worthwhile tradeoff. I can see the outlines of a mutually desirable deal.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2005-10-06 13:30  

#7  The source said an unofficial US delegation has just returned from Damascus where it held talks with a number of Syrian decision makers during which it was able to obtain a Syrian offer of effective cooperation to achieve stability in Iraq in exchange for ensuring the Arabism of Iraq and not threatening stability inside Syria itself.

Anyone seen Sean Penn lately? He's "unofficial" enough, I guess in Syria's eyes.
Posted by: BA   2005-10-06 11:14  

#6  US delegation Holding Secret Talks with Syria

OK, now.
This is were we are in our proposal.
We agree to renovate the 'Saddam' model estate with 8 bedrooms, 6 baths, 1 kitchen, 1 kitchenette, a grand entrance way, a great room with vaulted ceiling, a formal dinning room to seat seventeen, an indoor pool and outdoor pool, a small putting green, a separate in-law cabana with amenities, a four car garage, four american made standard production automobiles of you choice, cable, tv, internet connection and a off-shore bank account with a stipends of 200k a year at the Dictators-r-Us estates outside of Pago Pago, Samoa. The lot will have an overview of the bay and the Estates offers 24 hour gated security, a tennis court, a 21 hole golf course, and grounds keeping. Now that is for yourself, your wife, your mistress, four of your immediate family and one set of in-laws, tradable as you desire. Anything more and you have to provide something more that is useful for us. Say, like the head of Al-Zarqawi. That would be a significant increase in your bargining capital.
Posted by: Elmealing Hupealet7382   2005-10-06 09:51  

#5  Any idea who these "moderates" are, if they really exist?

Anyone the State Department talks to is a "moderate".
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2005-10-06 08:38  

#4  This smells, can't say why exactly. My BS meter is nearly pegged on this.
Maybe its because we're currently engaged in a proxy war with Syria and I don't believe that US policy requires "salvaging".
Posted by: JerseyMike   2005-10-06 08:29  

#3  Dunno, but I'm impressed how by secret this is.
Posted by: .com   2005-10-06 01:03  

#2  This offer sounds like it requires us to sell out either the Kurds, the Shi'a, or both.

Any idea who these "moderates" are, if they really exist?
Posted by: Phil Fraering   2005-10-06 00:33  

#1  enuf talk, time for action
Posted by: Captain America   2005-10-06 00:21  

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