Syria’s Tishrin newspaper said U.S. policies of isolation, blockades and sanctions adopted by the former U.S. administration “have put the United States in an intractable impasse.” It said Washington can reverse this path if it stepped up its role in promoting peace, security and stability in the Middle East.
The United States should get rid of “foolish policies and replace them with openness, dialogue and discussions through transparent practices, the foremost of which is an open and final reversal of the policy of sanctions against states and peoples,” the newspaper said in a front-page editorial.
Yes, the American decision to impose sanctions against Syria was arbitrary. Puh-leaze!
Despite the injured tone of the Syrian pronouncement, the Counterterrorism blog observes:
Continued Syrian involvement in the jihadi pipeline—a longstanding Syrian Government policy that was confirmed by the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia in October 2008 when it levied a $414 million dollar civil judgment against Syria for “providing material support and resources to Zarqawi and Al Qaeda in Iraq“—is not going to help the rapprochement with Washington.
Barry Rubin comments on the implications of Syria’s continued mischief:
So Syria is in fact in a state of war with the United States allied with Usama bin Ladin. This is confirmed by President Barack Obama’s own Defense Department. That’s Syria, the country intervening to put a client government in power in Lebanon, allied with Iran, smuggling weapons to Hizballah, being investigated for political murders in Lebanon by an international tribunal, prime sponsor of Hamas.
This is also the country which the United States and Europe wants Israel to give the strategic Golan Heights in exchange for…well it’s not clear what it’s in exchange for. Perhaps Syria’s promise only to sponsor terrorism against Israel only two weeks a month and just from Lebanese territory.
I think President Obama has an enemy on his hands. What’s he going to do about it? And why are we subjected to a continuous barrage of articles in the media and in international affairs’ journals about how Syria is moderate or can easily be made so?
Yes Syria’s hurt that the United States imposed sanctions. It’s fortunate that the American response hasn’t been stronger. Let’s get out some really small violins for the chinless opthamologist and his gang of thugs.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
