 The Assad interview with CNN slated for 17:30 GMT is curiously awaited in Washington, Paris, Cairo, Riyadh and Jerusalem. The Syrian president is being squeezed hard by Waashington to back away from aiding the Iraqi insurgency, meddling in Lebanon and his sponsorship of Palestinian terrorists. The interview may presage a possible policy U-turn. | If Assad caves during a CNN interview, will they urge him not to give in to Bush? |
DEBKAfile’s Middle East sources reveal: in the background of these events, Assad’s uncle Rifat Assad was a highly-honored guest of Saudi King Abdallah in Riyadh this week. Banished to Paris by his brother, former president Hafez Assad, for scheming against him, Rifat offered to return to Damascus to save his nephew, overhaul his government and security and patch up his relations with Washington. He proposed creating a pan-Arab observer force to police Syria’s border with Iraq and stem the flow of anti-US guerrillas and terrorists across. Syrian vice president Farouq a Shara arrived in Riyadh at the same time, but the Saudis were not able to arrange for the two to meet. |