| Bashar Elsbihi | Alenfetah Party of Syria | United States |
Re: ‘Syria's foreign policy’
Many have speculated about the political outcome of the young Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s policies and strategic choices which placed the country he rules in the current status since his take-over from his father seven years ago. In a tough neighborhood such as the Middle East, no single political choice can be perfect as the challenges facing every King or President in such a hot spot of the world can either mean the demise of his rule or threaten the delicate balance of the regional powers and bring further instability or the possibility of an all out regional war that can destabilize the world economy and lead to worldwide calamity.
Yet, in a world that has become a global village no one country can pursue its sole national interests without working through the web of international diplomacy to seek those mutual benefits and enhance cooperation among the regional parties to bring about peace and prosperity to all.
Based on these premises, there is an urgent need for an overall political change to those policies which have endangered our beloved country and placed it in the uncompromising position against the international community which have led to the isolation of Syria from the West where the political, economic, social, and security interests of the country are now in great jeopardy.
On the regional level, if there is one thing the regime can do immediately to save it from further escalation with the West is to act on the Lebanese and the Iraqi fronts.
Syria should move towards reconciliation with its most significant neighbor, Lebanon. Traditionally Lebanon has been and will always be the arena to which most opposing political forces in the region seem to choose to square out their differences or influences in the region. This does not exclude any single country in the region. Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Syria all have vested interest in the Lebanese affairs, however, for Syria it’s a matter of survival for the regime to be able to keep the government of its closest neighbor in its circle of political influence and maintain leverage over its internal affairs.
Yet we see the futility of those policies adopted by the regime in Syria on daily basis.
Its support to radical Lebanese opposition groups such as Hezbullah and Fatah Al-Islam have placed it against the parliamentary majority and continues to direct suspicion towards it for the string of the assassinations of their members and the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Syria should respect the sovereignty of Lebanon and should cease its interference into its internal affairs. If the regime is confident of its innocence in the outcome of the international tribunal of the killing of the late prime minister then stretching a hand of reconciliation towards its most important neighbor and to its majority government would go a long way in establishing the first stepping stone on the road to regional stability. Yet the regime continues to jeopardize the security and stability of Lebanon and Syria by arming and supporting radical elements the likes of Hezbuallh and Fatah Al-Islam on the premises that such support would create the desired armed struggle amongst the various sectarian factions in Lebanon and would prevent the election of a new president and hopefully stop the international tribunal process.
Policies of such recklessness endanger not only Lebanon, but could bring disastrous consequences for the whole region. In fact, it would threaten the national security of Syria and the regime itself. By supporting such groups, the regime is undermining the international community desires through the UN adoption of Security Council Resolution 1559 and the democratic process that is taking hold in Lebanon.
Therefore, cutting off its support to Hezballah and other Militant groups in Lebanon and adopting the Damascus-Beirut/Beirut-Damascus Declaration which was signed by over 300 intellectuals on both sides, the regime would find itself in a favorable position which could ease the tensions with the West on the Lebanese front and would reap multiple benefits.
As for Iraq, it’s as simple as keeping a vigilant eye on its border and maintaining the lid on the activities of militant Islamists groups who found the road to Damascus to be the starting point to their new promised land. With all its security apparatus the regime can easily spot and apprehend potential individuals seeking jihad in Iraq. Arab young jihadists men with beards and traditional mustaches, passing through Damascus international airport and posing as visitors to the Qamishly district on the eastern border with Iraq can not be hard to detect by the exceptional security apparatus which the regime have empowered. If the press can find them and interview them and publish their profile on the pages of the WWW, is it conceivable that the regime is unable to do so? A simple step-up of security vigilance with documentation to follow its progress can go a long way in improving the relationship with the Iraqi government and the US and might open the door for monetary help needed for lifting the burden on the infrastructure which was caused by the influx of the Iraqi refugees into the country.
However, all this is wishful thinking as this will never be applied or adopted by an authoritarian regime which seems to be more concerned with its own survival than regional peace and stability. In fact, without further and continuous pressure on its members from the international community for true changes to its core and the nature of its political structure, the regime will continue to use proxy groups to undermine any efforts by the international community to bring about peace, stability and democracy to the region.
Leadership begins with a vision. When the entire world surrounding you seems to be ablaze you simply can not ignore the signs of the imminent danger to yourself and your country. Today, Syria is surrounded by chaos and danger and without a vision in the leadership the danger and chaos will soon be knocking at its doors.
Bashar Elsbihi
Alenfetah Party of Syria
(11 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
Loading...
