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Iran's Strong Ties with Syria Complicate U.S. Overtures

[New York Times] Michael Slackman - Syria's first domestically manufactured cars will have an Iranian name, be produced in a plant partly financed by a state-controlled Iranian car company, and be made of parts from Iran. Syria hopes to open two new multimillion-dollar wheat silos, add 1,200 new buses in Damascus, open another Iranian car factory in the north, and start operating a cement plant - all in partnership with Iran. Some Western analysts contend that Syria can be pried away from Iran's influence. But Washington has spent years trying to isolate Syria, while Iran has for decades moved to entwine itself with Syria on many levels - political, military, economic, and religious. As a result, some Western diplomats in Iran say that even if the U.S. tried, it might be impossible to extricate Syria from Iran's orbit. Political analysts in Syria say the government remains fearful of alienating the Sunni majority, especially amid widespread rumors that Iran is trying to convert Sunni Syrians to Shiism. Syria is a major destination for Iranian religious tourists; as many as 500,000 a year visit Shiite shrines in Syria, which Iranian organizations have spent millions of dollars restoring and enlarging. Iran's efforts to spread its influence around the Middle East have increased in the last two or three years, regional analysts say.
2006-12-28 01:00:00
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