governmentality

Israel & Syria Announce They Want Nuclear Energy

How about this for timing? Yesterday, both Israel and Syria announced they wish to develop nuclear energy at the International Conference on Nuclear Energy in Paris.

The announcement raised the prospect that both Syria, which has been investigated by the U.N. nuclear watchdog over its alleged attempt to build a secret nuclear reactor and Israel, which is rumored to have secretive nuclear activities, would could come under the microscope of international inspectors.

Of course, the international community will be compelled to allow Israel to have it. And the international community will also be compelled to keep Syria from having it--especially given its ties Iran. Nonetheless, it was smart for Syria to simultaneously articulate their wishes at an international question because they can now force the question: why them and not us?

But, more importantly, why is Israel choosing this moment for approval when we've "known" they have a nuclear weapon all this time?

And, Israel isn't exactly good with transparency--are they really going to allow inspectors to do the required work? What will the international community be prepared to do if not?

Another Summit: Ahmadinejad and Asad in Syria

So much for the improvement of U.S.-Syrian relations. Today, Ahmadinejad and Syrian President Bashar al-Asad met in Damascus. They each reacted strongly against the U.S. attempt to isolate each of the countries from one another.

This just goes to show that it will take more than sending an ambassador back to Syria to get Asad's compliance.

A defiant Asad said:

"I am surprised by their call to keep a distance between the countries ... when they raise the issue of stability and peace in the Middle East, and all the other beautiful principles," Assad said.

"We need to further reinforce relations if the true objective is stability. We do not want others to give us lessons on our region, our history," the Syrian leader told a joint media conference with Ahmadinejad.

And Ahmadinejad had his turn, too:

"Relations between Syria and Iran are brotherly, deep, solid and permanent ... Nothing can damage these relations," he said.

Read the full report at al-Arabiya.

Israeli FM Lieberman Fuels Syria's Fire, Threatens Asad

On Tuesday, I wrote a post about how Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak was concerned that if Israel didn't pursue peace with Syria, there was a serious risk of regional war. I don't think Barak could have possibly known how right he was going to be.

The very next day, Syrian President Bashar al-Asad had this to say, according to the official Syrian news agency:

"All the facts point that Israel is driving the region toward war, not peace."

There is no way trigger-happy Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman would allow that to go without a response.

"When there is another war, you will not just lose it, but you and your family will lose power," he said, a day after Syria cautioned that Israel would face a bloody regional conflict if it failed to follow the path of peace.

"This must be our message because all that interests him is not human life, human values. The only value for him is power and that's what must be targeted," Lieberman said at a business conference broadcast on public radio.

Read the full report at al-Arabiya.

U.S. Makes Request for New Ambassador to Syria

The Obama administration continues to move forward on a better regional position in the Middle East by presenting a formal request for Syria to accredit a new U.S. ambassador in the country. It would be the first time in five years that the U.S. has had an ambassador, following the Bush administration's decision to withdraw the ambassador in 2005 following the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Syria's Foreign Minister, Walid al-Moualem, was cool but clearly interested.

"The United States has nominated an ambassador. This is an American sovereign issue and it is Syria's right to study the nomination," Moualem told reporters in Damascus.

Moualem confirmed media reports that Washington intends to name Robert Ford for the post.

A U.S. embassy official said a request for an ambassador to be approved had been passed to the Syrian government. The official did not name the proposed envoy.

Read the full Reuters report here.

Israel MoD Ehud Barak: No Peace with Syria Could Become War

It sounds like a threat, but Israel's Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, is arguing that if Israel doesn't make a stronger effort toward peace with Syria, there could be a new regional war. Barak has been a strong advocate for negotiating peace with Syria, but this is the first time he's laid out a regional war as the result of not doing so.

"In the absence of an arrangement with Syria, we are liable to enter a belligerent clash with it that could reach the point of an all-out, regional war," Ehud Barak was quoted by local daily Ha'aretz as telling senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officers.

[...]

"Just like the familiar reality in the Middle East, we will immediately sit down (with the Syrians) after such a war and negotiate on the exact same issues which we have been discussing with them for the last 15 years," said the defense minister.

Read the full report at al-Arabiya.

Syria to Iraq: Take Care of Your Refugees

Syria's Foreign Minister Fisal Mekdad doesn't understand why, if only 50,000 of 1.5 million Iraqi refugees in Syria have returned to Iraq that Iraq doesn't step up on taking financial care of the ones who remain.

From al-Arabiya:

"We find it strange that the Iraqi government is not doing its duty and is exercising every method to shy away from taking responsibility toward its nationals," Mekdad said.

Iraq has invited refugees back, but offered only a few million of the $750 million pledged by governments worldwide last year to help the refugees. More than $350 million came from the United States.

[...]

"Ever since the Iraqi refugees began arriving in Syria in 2003, the Iraqi government, despite having the means, only gave $15 million to help its citizens in Syria," Mekdad added.

Read the full report here.

Is Obama Playing Sanctions on Syria Smartly?

For anybody who was wondering whether or not the improved U.S. relations with Syria would result in lifted sanctions, the answer is in: No.

In a White House statement issued yesterday, President Obama extended the sanctions against Syria for one more year.

From Ha'aretz:

President Obama admitted that there have been "some positive developments in the past year, including the establishment of diplomatic relations and an exchange of ambassadors between Lebanon and Syria."

However, the statement continued, ultimately "the actions of certain persons continue to contribute to political and economic instability in Lebanon and the region and constitute a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States."

Obama wants us--mostly Syrians--that these continued sanctions aren't aimed at average Syrians, but rather at those who "continue to contribute to political and economic instability in Lebanon..."

But if Obama is looking to Syria to play a stronger role in the region--especially in terms of helping with it's neighbor, Iraq, and in terms of peace with Israel--it would seem lifting sanctions would go a long way to helping with that.

To be clear, President Asad with either be persuaded by sticks and carrots or not. But will he have internal support for helping the U.S. regional agenda if sanctions remain in place? And if he doesn't, how long will he be able to stave off that internal pressure?

Is the U.S. Lifting Sanctions on Syria?

While U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell was in the region this week, he met with Syrian President Bashar al-Asad, where he told al-Asad that Washington will seek sanctions waivers in order to export aircraft and other equipment to Syria.

The Obama administration was careful to point out that this does not signify a lifting of sanctions put in place by the Bush administration in 2004.

From al-Arabiya:

"Senator Mitchell told President Assad that the U.S. would process all eligible applications for export licenses as quickly as possible," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said as Mitchell continued his regional tour.

Kelly, speaking after the daily briefing, cited in particular "requests to export products related to information technology and telecommunication equipment and parts and components related to the safety of civil aviation."

But Kelly said "there hasn't been any decision to lift the sanctions" imposed under president George W. Bush's administration. "Any changes to U.S. sanctions require close coordination with Congress," he told reporters.

Read the full report here.

Syria Invites Obama for Visit

Not only is the U.S. sending an ambassador back to Syria after a four year absence, but now Syrian President Bashar al-Asad has informally invited President Obama to visit Syria.

From al-Arabiya:

"We would like to welcome him to Syria, definitely," Assad told Britain's Sky News in an interview broadcast on Friday. "I am very clear about this."

Asked whether a meeting could take place any time soon, Assad replied: "That depends on him." Smiling, he added: "I will ask you to convey the invitation to him."

Get the full report here.

Going Back to Syria

The U.S. is reportedly sending an ambassador back to Syria after a four year absence, according to a number of reports. 

From Laura Rozen at her FP blog, The Cable:

Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman reportedly informed Syrian ambassador to Washington Imad Mustapha of the decision this afternoon. No word yet on who the ambassador will be. Earlier this month, a U.S. military mission visited Syria to discuss in particular cooperation on stopping the flow of insurgents into Iraq.

This makes sense on so many levels. Aside from desperately needing their help along the border with Iraq, the events in Iran over these weeks also highlight a need to have better relations with Syria.

The Syria-Iran-Hezbollah triangular relationship that the U.S. would at least want to stifle, if not dismantle, can be better achieved by building a better relationship with Syria.