“The United States has a critical role to play as the “ honest broker” to assure that the principles of the Madrid peace process remain the basis of negotiations. The road towards a comprehensive peace will promote the urgently needed interests of both Arabs and Israelis for personal and state security, as well as economic and social developments,’’ said Edward P. Djerejian, the Director of the James A. Baker the Third Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.

Mr. Djerejian added, in an article recently distributed by the American cultural Center in Damascus, “If the process does not move forward in a timely manner, then the forces of extremism are more likely to prevail.” Hopefully, the recent visits by almost 18 US Senate and Congress members to Syria, not to mention President Bush’s latest phone call with President Assad, came to this effect in a serious bid as to understand more deeply the Syrian and Arab firm and principled policy lines, stances and approaches. Many, however, would think of such US moves differently as to put more pressure on a country, still on the State Department so-called terrorism list! I beg to differ with those who think so.

These visits indeed bring both countries closer. What brings both countries closer is far more than what makes them estranged. Syria has ever called for an even-handed honest US sponsorship of the faltering process of peace; she responded positively with no prior conditions to President Bush, the father’s call as for Madrid conference to be convened. In fact, the US at some difficult junctures of the process did have a motivating and stimulus role considering what was achieved in the long thorny peace negotiations between concerned parties especially on the Syrian track. It is now the US responsibility to nudge the process building on what has been achieved on the basis of related UN resolutions and agreed upon principles. To what extent the US dignitaries visiting my country would get President Assad’s repeated willingness and calls for the resumption of talks with no conditions remains in waiting for concrete measures on the ground.

On Jan.7 President Bashar Assad received a US Senator, Jan.8 a US. Senate delegation, Jan.12 Mr. Edward Djerejian, and On Jan.14, the President received US Congress Delegation and received a phone call from President Bush. Such meetings and calls in a very short span of time prove without fail the Syrian political weight and pivotal role extending a hand of cooperation to the US and to the world at large as to contribute to combating terrorism, “benefit by the Syrian experience in this field”, “to analyze matters deep and decide what terrorism is, analyze its causes”, “to draw a distinction between the tip of information and the evidence and the decision should always be based on the evidence and not on the tip of information, “the need for lines to be drawn between combating terrorism and taking revenge as two different matters”, and that “all have to agree as to comprehend the reality as it is and to use one terminology with all as to tackle such a reality,''

Actually, many are encouraged and optimistic over the impressions and statements by the visiting dignitaries following their talks with President Assad. For instance, Mr. Rukovler, voiced pleasure over his meeting with the President evaluating such an opportunity saying that he felt pleasure and satisfaction after his talks with President Assad, “not only about Syria but the entire region too,''; the Congressmen delegation also voiced their agreement with the President regarding the need for a definition to terrorism and other terminology. They did commend President Assad’s farsighted vision and deep understanding, which “would play a pivotal role in the realization of peace not only in the region but all over the world”.

"Syria, who wanted peace in the past, does want it now too and has no conditions for the realization of just and comprehensive peace other than those realized and acknowledged by the international community,'' President Assad reiterated; Isn’t it suffice to tirelessly move now more than ever as to spare the more of the region rich resources?

BY

Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim

Abdo88@ureach.com