|
|
|
| Current Issue |
|
|
| Resources |
|
|
|
Introduction: Syria: Behind the Bid for Regional Dominance
| Article
# : |
12201 |
|
|
Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
|
| Issue
Date : |
2 / 1987 |
523 Words |
| Author
: |
Editor
|
Any discussion on the current state of affairs in the Middle East must include Syria and the role that nation plays in shaping the future of the region. Since 1970 when Hafez al-Assad rose to power following a military coup, Syria has been transformed from a politically chaotic minor player into a dominating political and military force in the region, a force capable of stamping the Syrian imprint upon the future development of the Arab world.
Assad has ruled Syria with an iron hand, often using brutal methods to quell dissidence within the country. Not content to rule over just his nation, Assad nurtures dreams of a Greater Syria that encompasses Jordan, Lebanon, and to all intents and purposes, what is now Israel. He has employed numerous tactics - terrorism, military invasion in the case of Lebanon, political assassination, kidnappings, and veiled threats - to achieve his goals. Indeed, it is said in Lebanon these days that one can't smoke a cigarette without Assad's permission.
Assad's ambition to realize a Greater Syria is aided by his ability to neutralize threats to his regime by such outside interests as the United States and Europe, something at which he has proven to be unusually adept. Syria is undoubtedly behind many of the kidnappings of American and European personnel in Lebanon and Assad has orchestrated their release at times of high international displeasure with his regime. As strategist Dainel Pipes has written, all Assad has had to do to blunt the ill will is release a hostage or two and let public opinion and media overkill in the West take its course. It is a method that has served his regime well and has kept Syria thus far from the harsh hand of American military retaliation, as opposed to Libya.
While Syria's links to international terrorism have not yet been concretely defined, there is mounting evidence that Assad has underwritten and supported groups that may not be directly under his control, but nevertheless pursue similar goals. A number of terrorist groups maintain headquarters and facilities in Damascus and Syrian-controlled parts of Lebanon. Soviet-supplied military materials find their way to the terrorist recipients through Syria.
There is mounting evidence, though, that trouble lies ahead for Assad and Syria. The economy, which had grown at phenomenal rates early in Assad's presidency, has shown may signs of stagnation, leading to the assumption that Syria may have to rely more heavily on Soviet subsidies in future years to make ends meet. Ethnic rumblings are increasing, making it
...
Read Full Article
Look for this article in Ask.com
|
|
