[New Republic] Dennis Ross - No one should expect that reaching out to Tehran and Damascus will prove central to fixing Iraq. The same goes for the commission's recommendation that the administration seek to jump-start the Arab-Israeli peace process: It may be a wise move for other reasons, and it certainly can't hurt our efforts in Iraq, but it isn't going to make an enormous difference there. Singling out Iran and Syria gives them more of a reason to be spoilers and to up the ante for what they seek in return. The more we treat them as fixers in Iraq - when, in fact, they are not - the more they will seek trade-offs on other issues. Engaging the Iranians or Syrians should be done on terms that don't favor them so clearly. We should be prepared to raise the costs to them practically, not only rhetorically, when it comes to their bad behavior. To date, with both Iran and Syria, we have been speaking loudly and carrying a small stick. This needs to change. The writer is counselor and Ziegler distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2006-12-08 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive