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Source: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/11/07/10257578.html
Understanding the Syria-Iran Alliance
[Gulf News-UAE] Marwan Kabalan - The resumption of peace talks between Syria and Israel has triggered questions about a shift in the regional balance of power and the likelihood of producing a new Middle Eastern order. Why should Syria give up its relations with Tehran and at what price? From a Syrian perspective the marriage with Iran was a matter of necessity more than a choice. Iran compensated for the loss of Egypt in the Arab-Israeli balance of power after the Camp David Accord. It also compensated for the lack of Arab economic handouts. A shared animosity towards the Saddam Hussein regime provided one more reason to consolidate this alliance. The support of the religiously-oriented Iranian regime in the confrontation between the Syrian regime and the Muslim Brotherhood in the early 1980s was also vital. Iran also proved useful in Lebanon, especially after the establishment of Hizbullah and the revival of the Shiite community in Lebanon. The writer is a lecturer in media and international relations at the Center for Strategic Studies and Research, Damascus University.