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The Case Against Talks with Syria

[Jerusalem Report/Washington Institute for Near East Policy] Ehud Yaari - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is apparently proposing peace talks with Israel for a simple reason: He is afraid of the international court that is supposed to be set up in the next few months to try the suspects in the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri and other political assassinations in Beirut. The Syrians well know that the UN investigating committee headed by Serge Brammertz is taking its time because it already has enough evidence in hand for indictments against senior figures in Syria, including some who are members of the Assad family itself, or at least very close to it. Basically, Assad is asking Israel to cover for him and his crimes, and for Syria and Hizbullah to be allowed to behead the Lebanese government with Israel's silent acquiescence. All this without a hint of a guarantee that Assad is genuinely prepared to cut his alliance with Iran and Hizbullah and turn instead to the moderate Arab Sunni camp that sees Israel as a partner against the extremists. Would it not be better to continue insisting that Syria first shows some proof that it is serious, for example by reining in Hamas and Hizbullah, instead of handing Assad an open check?
2007-01-11 01:00:00
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