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Syria: It's Not Just about Freedom
(Washington Post) Charles Krauthammer - The fall of Bashar al-Assad's Syria could be ominous for Iran. The alliance with Syria is the centerpiece of Iran's expanding sphere of influence. Syria is the only Arab state openly allied with non-Arab Iran. This is significant because the Arabs see the Persians as having had centuries-old designs to dominate the Middle East. Indeed, Iranian arms and trainers, transshipped to Hizbullah through Syria, have given the Persians their first outpost on the Mediterranean in 2,300 years. Assad's departure would deprive Iran of an intra-Arab staging area and sever its corridor to the Mediterranean. Syria would return to the Sunni fold. Hizbullah, Tehran's agent in Lebanon, could be next, withering on the vine without Syrian support and Iranian materiel. Iran, shorn of key allies and already reeling from economic sanctions over its nuclear program, would be thrown back on its heels.