Max Boot wants to Bomb Syria - A Stupid Idea

The battle over how much pressure should be applied to Syria continues to rage in Washington. Those hawks, such as Max boot, quoted below, advocate the US go it alone, not by leading a full invasion of Syria, but by "bombing strikes, commando raids and increased support for anti-Assad dissidents." What a fool this Boot is. Such provocations would only lead to the rise of nationalism in Syria and the hardening of attitudes against the US. They would also further radicalize great swaths of Syrian youth who already see the US occupation of Iraq as criminal. They would backfire and cause the death of more American troops and Iraqis.

Boot and his ilk have no idea what has been going on in Syria. The Asad regime has been sewing terror among the families of Islamists. Anyone who even contemplates sneaking into Iraq to fight places his family and friends in deep trouble. For months now the security apparatus has been persecuting Syrian Islamists through arrests, interrogations and disappearances. Razan Zaitouneh, a courageous human rights lawyer in Damascus has been keeping track of the human toll of this campaign by the Syrian government. I will post Joe Pace's interview with her soon.

Cracking down on terror's cronies.

The U.S. must put pressure on abetting nations such as Pakistan and Syria

By Max Boot September 29, 2005

One of the keys to defeating any guerrilla movement is to cut off its outside support.... Today, even as the U.S. is making considerable progress in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are failing to isolate the battlefield. The extremists attacking U.S. forces and our allies continue to receive sanctuary and support from neighboring states, notably Pakistan and Syria. It is, of course, difficult to close any border, but we could do more by going to the source of the trouble....

The Bush administration needs to lean on Musharraf to do more - not only in fighting Islamist extremists but also in bringing back democracy - by cutting his allowance, if necessary. That it isn't pushing harder is perhaps understandable because of the widespread fear that toppling Musharraf would result in a more anti-American regime.
Less explicable is our failure to apply greater pressure on Syria, whose regime is already as anti-American as it gets and which continues to act as a conduit for terrorists infiltrating Iraq.

Foreign jihadis may be only a small part of the overall Iraqi insurgency, but they are its most vicious element - the monsters who drive cars filled with explosives into crowds of Shiites. As President Bush said on Sept. 13, "These people are coming from Syria into Iraq and killing a lot of innocent people." The president added that "the Syrian leader must understand we take his lack of action seriously."
Bashar Assad understands nothing of the sort. After all, he has been hearing similar warnings for more than two years. Way back on July 21, 2003, Bush said that "this behavior is completely unacceptable, and states that support terror will be held accountable."

How has Syria been held accountable? Has Damascus been bombed? Have U.S. and Iraqi troops crossed the border to destroy terrorist safe houses? The only repercussions so far have been U.S. economic sanctions that are toothless because there is almost no trade between Syria and the U.S. in the first place. The European Union, ever helpful, has actually been moving to expand economic links with Syria by granting it "associate" membership.

Perhaps the administration hopes that the United Nations will take care of Syria for it. A U.N.-appointed detective has been doggedly investigating the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and all trails lead to Damascus. Four senior Lebanese security officials with close ties to Syria have been jailed, and more suspects may be fingered.

But, although the backlash over Hariri's assassination forced Syrian troops out of Lebanon, it is doubtful that it will force Assad out of Syria. If we want to stop Assad's "unacceptable" behavior, we'll have to do it ourselves.

That does not mean a full-scale invasion, because U.S. troops are already stretched too thin. But bombing strikes, commando raids and increased support for anti-Assad dissidents may help to concentrate the mind of the world's sole surviving Baathist strongman.

Either Bush needs to order some of those steps, or he and his aides need to stop threatening Assad in public. They are turning Teddy Roosevelt's dictum on its head and thereby undermining American credibility by speaking loudly and not wielding a big stick.

Max Boot is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Iraqi FM on Ties with Syria
01/10/2005
By Saleh Awwad

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat while in New York to attend UN General Assembly session and the World Summit, Zebari said that among the strong factors that "keep the ghost of sectarian war at bay is the abundance of inter-marriages between Sunnis and Shiites, which account for 26 percent of all marriages." Zebari stressed that the "biggest danger facing the new Iraq is the black terrorism and mass murder perpetrated by gangs of remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime and extremists terrorists coming from abroad." He hoped that "all Arab and Islamic countries, especially those neighboring Iraq, would respect the Iraq people's free will to determine their own fate and make their own political decisions."

The Iraqi foreign minister insisted that Syria is party to the violence in Iraq, and said that the problem lies not in the lack of resources or equipment needed to monitor borders, as Syrian officials keep saying, "but in the lack of a Syrian political will to end the terrorism in Iraq." He stressed that "it is not in Iraq's interest to incite the United States or any other foreign power against Syria," and hinted that Damascus seeks to change the political system in Iraq.

Zebari added, "According to intelligence data and investigations, most of the terrorists coming from abroad do so via the Syrian border. We are not accusing Syria of intentionally allowing this, but we do complain from its failure to take deterrent measures to stop these terrorists. Furthermore, a number of Iraqi Ba'thist leaders who are wanted by Iraqi security and legal authorities are in Syria." Zebari said, "We asked sisterly Arab countries to persuade Syria to help us. Honestly speaking, the prolonged deterioration of security in Iraq will reflect on Syria and the region's countries. What we want is for them to cooperate with us; there are many steps that can be taken."

Pentagon concedes Iraq uncertainties

By Brian Knowlton International Herald Tribune
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

WASHINGTON An array of top U.S. military leaders sought to reassure Congress about progress in Iraq, but they made it clear that American troops could begin withdrawing next year only if the country remained on its democratizing track and Syria and Iran stayed out of their neighbor's affairs.

The leaders, before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, encountered skeptical questioning from both Republicans and Democrats about the course of the war, and acknowledged great uncertainties ahead.

For example, General George Casey, who commands the U.S.-led force in Iraq, conceded that it was "entirely possible" that a strong majority of Sunni Muslims might oppose the country's draft constitution in an Oct. 15 referendum, but fail to block it.

That development, which could enhance a sense of disenfranchisement among the Sunni minority, could lead to a worsening political situation, he said....

And Rumsfeld said that any withdrawal plans depended on noninterference by Iran and Syria.

The Daily Star, Beirut's only English language daily, on Saturday quoted a high ranking U.N. diplomat as ruling out the possibility of forming a special international court to try Rafik Hariri's assassins.

The diplomat said current talks in the hallways of the U.N. "are moving away from the option of establishing an international tribunal" to try the perpetrators, adding that "other options are being discussed."

The diplomat said: "If there was going to be an international presence in the trial, I don't think it would be through an international court. I think the talks are heading towards a Lebanese trial with a strong intention to support it by the U.N."

The diplomat added the international community "right now feels the need to strengthen and support the Lebanese Judiciary," and an international court would "weaken the credibility of the Lebanese judiciary system."

"Two possibilities are being discussed right now; one involves a direct U.N. presence in the trial, and the other just requires supervision and support by the U.N.," the diplomat said.

Bush, aides consider what to do about Syria

White House looking at military action or sanctions to stop flow of insurgents into Iraq.

Knight Ridder Newspapers
WASHINGTON -- President Bush and his top aides are weighing new steps against Syria, according to U.S. officials involved in Middle East policy.

Bush's national security team met Saturday to review the policy toward Syria, the officials said. Options range from tougher economic sanctions to limited military action. One official involved in the deliberations said military action is unlikely for now.

However, one option under consideration was bombing several villages 30 to 40 miles inside Syria that some officials believe have been harboring Iraqi insurgents. The officials said the U.S. government has complained to the Syrian government about the matter but has not received a satisfactory response.

One other official, however, said military and other intelligence officers say the intelligence on the insurgents' presence in the villages is "not unambiguous." They said it is not clear whether the insurgents are present as a matter of Syrian government policy or local or tribal hospitality, or simply because insurgents have intimidated villagers.

The proposal to take military action, the officials said, reflects the military's increasing frustration with its inability to defeat the insurgency and stop the flow of foreign terrorists into Iraq.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans are highly classified and no decisions had yet been made on whether to adopt them. It wasn't clear whether they were speaking publicly of possible action in an effort to put more pressure on the Syrian government to crack down on insurgent activity along the border.

The White House declined to comment Saturday when asked about the meeting.

In the face of recent claims that Ahmed Jibril and the PFLP are preparing to burn down Lebanon, this article from Sham Press suggests that he is preparing to move to Gaza now that Israel has withdrawn. It seems to be a move encouraged by Syria, which wants to get him out of its hair in this time of increased international pressure.

PFLP Leadership Moving From Syria to Gaza

Ahmed Jibril is likely to enter Gaza via Rafiah, granting what at least one member says will be "renewed momentum" to the PFLP organization.

Jibril, 77, is the founder and leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine/General Command (PFLP-GC), which has staged numerous attacks against Israeli and other targets, both military and civilian.

The London-based Al-Hayat newspaper quotes Dr. Adal Al-Hakim, a member of the PFLP's diplomatic office, as saying that Jibril is expected to arrive in Gaza - though he did not specify a time frame. Al-Hakim says that leading PFLP figures will arrive first in Gaza to investigate and shore up the organization's infrastructure and prepare for the leader's entry. Jibril's move will alleviate world pressure on Syria to get rid of Palestinian bases.

In Al-Hakim's evaluation, Jibril's arrival in Gaza will grant "renewed momentum" to the organization's activity in the Palestinian Authority-controlled areas.
Jibril, like PLO Oslo-opponent Farouk Kaddoumi, has refused to enter the PA-controlled areas until now, so as not to have to receive Israeli permission. With the opening of the Rafiah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, Jibril will not have to face this issue.

Second day of offensive in Western Iraq

U.S. Marines and soldiers faced sporadic small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades as they entered Karabila on Sunday, part of the military's latest operation in Anbar province.

About 1,000 forces, backed by Marine aircraft, are trying to root out insurgents and enemy fighters in an area near the Syrian border, the military said.

No Marine casualties have been reported in the first two days of the offensive. One U.S. soldier was wounded, military officials said.

During the push into eastern Karabila, five miles from Syria, U.S. planes dropped three 500-pound bombs on a compound that they suspected to be an insurgent stronghold.

In another incident, seven civilians were wounded, six of whom were hospitalized, by a tank round.

Also, U.S. forces fired a .50-caliber machine gun at a suspicious vehicle, which blew up as if it was loaded with explosives.

On Saturday, U.S. forces went house to house in Sa'da, where many people fled before the mission. One resident told CNN many feared destruction similar to Falluja, site of ferocious battle in November.

"For the past several months, terrorists within Sa'da have escalated their intimidation and murder campaign against the local populace and city government officials," the military said.

The military said it killed eight insurgents in Sa'da, which is about 12 miles from the porous Syrian border.

According to the military, four of the insurgents were killed when they attacked a Marine position with small arms and at least one car rigged with a bomb. One insurgent surrendered, the military said.

Marines also found the town "littered" with homemade bombs, CNN's Jennifer Eccleston reported.

Karabila has been the site of two previous missions -- Operation Matador in May and Operation Spear in June.

In the past, U.S.-led offensives in Anbar have lasted about a week, but insurgents have returned to towns after the troops left. The city of Hit, however, still has a U.S. and Iraqi presence, after coalition forces took control about two months ago.

On Monday, the U.S. military said it was redeploying troops to the 30,000-square-mile region bound by the Euphrates River and the borders of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria, where the Marines had been stretched thin.

Military officials believe more than 1,000 insurgents operate in the province, said Col. Stephen Davis, commander of the Marine Regimental Combat Team 2.

Operation Iron Fist was launched two weeks ahead of an October 15 national referendum on a new Iraqi constitution.

CNN's Arwa Damon, Jennifer Eccleston and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.