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Why Syria Won't Negotiate with the United States

[New Republic] Clinton Bailey - The ruling group in Syria, including President Bashar al-Assad and key figures in the military and the Baath Party, is from the Alawite minority in a country that is two-thirds Sunni Muslim. Preventing the Sunnis from toppling their government takes top priority for the Alawites, and the way they hold on to power is by demonstrating that, although they are not Sunnis, they are steadfast Arabs second to none. That's why, ever since the Alawite-led Baath party came to power in 1963, Syria has pursued the most extreme and defiant policies in the Arab world, both toward Israel and within Arab affairs. Whereas Egypt's Anwar Sadat could make peace with Israel, Syria's Alawite rulers never could, because it would allow their Sunni countrymen to sow widespread doubt about their Arab authenticity. Maintaining a partnership with Shia Iran will always be vital for keeping the Syrian Sunnis at bay. The Alawites are now Shia themselves, having been accorded that recognition by the Lebanese Shia authorities in 1973. With Shia currently in ascendance in neighboring Iraq and Lebanon, the Alawites view their dominance in Syria best served as a member of the Shia camp. Indeed, if the U.S. hopes to split the "axis of evil" by talking to Syrians, it might be more useful to talk with the Syrian Sunnis. The writer is a specialist in Shia affairs at the Truman Institute for Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
2006-12-22 01:00:00
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