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Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Syria seen rallying Arab help over Lebanon tension |
2005-03-02 |
![]() Syria also appears to be offering some tokens of good will, the analysts said. It has given some of its strongest verbal support to Palestinian peace efforts with Israel and last week said it wanted to cooperate with the United Nations to find a way to implement UN Security Council resolution 1559 calling for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon. It also agreed on Monday to hand back to Jordan a huge tract of land along their border, heralding a new era of ties with Amman after decades of Syrian incursions on its land. And it might also be helping Washington on the Iraq front to placate it over Lebanon, analysts and diplomats said. "It seems Syria wants an easier way out ... a compromise of some sort under an Arab umbrella," a diplomat said. "They appear more convinced that they should comply with resolution 1559 but maybe they want to dress it with an Arab cover." That cover, an Arab diplomat said, could be in the guise of the Taif Accord that ended Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war, under which Syrian troops, which poured into Lebanon during the war, were to re-deploy to the eastern Bekaa valley. Syria and Lebanon were supposed to later negotiate a complete withdrawal of Syria's 14,000 troops. Damascus wanted "to marry 1559 with the Taif Accord, which is an Arab arrangement, while the resolution is an American and French measure," the Arab diplomat said. Both Egypt and Saudi Arabia, informal allies of Syria, helped craft the 1989 Taif Accord. |
Posted by:Fred |
#2 I don't see the other Arab governments openly backing the obviously losing side, despite fervent pledges of brotherly solidarity. Who wants some popcorn? |
Posted by: trailing wife 2005-03-02 6:35:19 PM |
#1 They are trying to find a way to not comply. The Taif accord leaves them in Lebanon. Looking for Arab cover is a better term than Arab umbrella. |
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2005-03-02 12:24:29 AM |