Who could have suspected that the White House’s rush to embrace Assad would start paying off dividends so soon? Smart power!
Syrian officials threatened on Saturday to take back the Golan Heights by force if a peace agreement involving the return of the strategic plateau is not reached with Israel, Army Radio reported. A group calling itself the Syrian Committee for the Freedom of the Golan said it would take steps to regain control of the territory, adding that Israel has not shown willingness to achieve peace or to return what they called “Syrian land.”
The comments were made at the inauguration ceremony, attended by Syrian President Bashar Assad, for a new communications center in Quneitra. “The communications center will report on the troubles of Syrian residents residing in the occupied Golan under barbaric and racist Israeli rule,” Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal was quoted as saying at the ceremony, in a reference to Druze in the Golan who wish to live under Syrian sovereignty.
There’s a certain Orwellian elegance to having a Syrian “Information Minister,” especially one who rants about “barbaric and racist Israeli rule.” Say what you will about these thugs, they do have a flair for totalitarianism.
The last time Syria was publicly talking about “taking the Golan by force” they were building nukes and planning to use them against Israel. Operation Orchard put a stop to that for a few months. What’s Assad got up his sleeve this time? With the IAEA spectacularly dropping the ball on Syria, he could have reconstituted his nuke program. He might even have bought something off the shelf from somewhere.
It can’t just be the Strange New Respect that he’s been getting from the White House. It doesn’t matter how many diplomatic assurances he’s getting from Mitchell and Carter, there’s no way he can believe he’d get Obama’s backing in a war.
Maybe he’s just a true believer in the decades-old Arab fantasy that a Western sellout will expose Israel for a final kill. It was a central feature of the pan-Arab nationalism of which Syria is the last relic, and propagandists aren’t immune from their own propaganda.
References and previously after the jump…
References:
* Obama Looking Past That Messy “Hariri Murder” Thing, Sending Ambassador Back To Syria [MR]
* Syria threatens to take back Golan by force – Haaretz – Israel News [Ha'aretz]
* Assad Was Planning To Use Nukes Against Israel (Plus: The Totally Awesome IAF Commando Operation That Slowed Him Down) [MR]
* Israel says ElBaradei biased on Syria [JPost]
* Assad: Instead Of Peace Talks With Israel, How About I Get A Direct Line To Obama Instead? [MR]
* Abbas: Olmert Offered Us The West Bank And The Right Of Return, But It Wasn’t Good Enough [MR]
Previously:
* Kerry: "Syria Leaning Towards The West." Syria: "No We’re Not."
* White House: Arab States Will Tone Down Their "Israel Has To Commit Suicide" Demands. Arab States: No We Won’t.
* Obama Envoy George Mitchell: Oh, And Israel Also Needs To Give Up The Golan
