Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister, Farouk Sharaa’ wittingly stated recently in a reply to a question, " The forthcoming Arab Summit would never adopt an initiative which Syria has reservations about; hence Syria has the basic role in its formulation," Syria has indeed played a large role in the region affairs for many centuries. This role has been very well played during last decades in commitment to the Arab Nation higher interests and international presence and influence. What characterizes such a pivotal role is steadfast firmness and commitment to pan-Arab Syrian principles enshrined and dictated by the masses in every corner of the Arab HOMEland. Thus, the full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories, the return of the Palestinian Refugees, establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital have always been Syria’s foreign policy red lines. To achieve the said noble goals, Syria has committed herself to the legitimate right of self-defense and struggle as well as to just and comprehensive peace as the strategic option, called for the implementation of related UN resolutions, 242,338, 425,194, a more active European role, an even-handed US sponsorship of the process of peace, Israeli settlements construction halt, and for an all-out cleaning of the region from Mass Destruction and Nuclear weapons. Observers who follow developments in the region are not surprised once they come to this conclusion following a thorough review for every stance taken and word uttered by the late President, Hafez Assad, and President Bashar, who came in the right moment to pursue the march. This analysis is to shed some lights upon some of these basics underlined by President Bashar Assad at Cairo and Amman Arabs Summits.

In Cairo on September 21st, 2000, President Bashar in his address to the opening of the emergent Arab summit pointed out the following: the Israeli anti-peace policy and practices: "The Israeli aggressions against the Arab Nation are in full swing and in the increase recently to target the Holy Aqsa Mosque and to threaten the very existence of Palestinians,’’, Arabs’ commitment to peace: "We have ever been honest and sincere in our search for the just and comprehensive peace. The Israelis, however, walk against the tide of peace where their statements contradict diametrically their anti-peace deeds,’’ reiterating "The Arab Nation opted for peace on the basis of the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and the principle of land for peace stipulating the full Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied in June 1967 in the Golan, Palestine, including Jerusalem." Adding "Peace is also based on the return of the Lebanese land, still under Israeli occupation, securing the Palestinian people rights to return and establish an independent State with Jerusalem as the capital, the freeing of all Arab prisoners and detainees from Israeli jails and detention camps’’

The President urged Arabs to take pride in the heroic Lebanese experience in the field of resisting occupation that inflicted a humiliating defeat against Israeli occupation troops in South Lebanon citing that Arabs weren’t war-advocates but they had to '' take well-studied resolutions as to use available capabilities to the best of Arabs abilities deterring Israel from repeating its violations and aggressions. "Israel does not want to abide by any principles approved by the international community to achieve peace. Israel doesn’t have the willingness to achieve real peace. Consequently, President Assad said: ‘’ We have to halt all forms of cooperation with Israel, to reactivate Arab boycott. What we presented of ideas and mentioned of suggestions would push the Israeli leaders to think of walking along the road of the just and comprehensive peace. This would make them realize the difference between peace and weakness option regarding the Arab nation,’’

The president called for stronger Arab solidarity saying " Arab Solidarity is an option of power and deterrence through a National Project,’’ urging Arab leaders to reach to defined formula for solidarity and stick to them based on a strategic position as to face the current situation in light of the Israeli assaults in the occupied Arab land. ‘’ There should be boosting of the Arab national security and dealing with any aggression staged by Israel against any Arab country as an assault on other Arab countries,’’ calling for the establishment of a " national fund financed by the Arab countries to back the steadfastness of our brethren in the occupied Arab land until peace that we aspired to would be realized."

In Amman Summit, March 27^th, 2001, President Assad reiterated the following guidelines and principles: Just and Comprehensive peace is the answer for the region crises "There would never be a peace without the retaining of the land in full and without the security of each Arab citizen,'' "We have never been aggressors against Israel; We, however, have never been attacked by Israel,'' "the Israelis very well know that they '' don't own this land, which is possessed by Arabs''. Although '' The Israelis have no desire for genuine peace'' HE reiterated Syria's cling for the '' Just and comprehensive peace based on Madrid Terms of Reference, withdrawal from the Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian territories to June 4 1967 lines, the return of East Jerusalem, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital,''

President Assad was clear in stating the reality of matters: "There would never be a peace without the retaining of the land in full and without the security of each Arab citizen,'' asserting that the Israelis '' through their military solutions move from a failure to another’’,'' The Israelis, furthermore, didn't forget their defeat in Lebanon at the hands of the Lebanese Resistance in less than a year,'' predicting by then that "The Palestinian Intifada is ongoing and with enthusiasm amid an increasing national spirit,'' calling for an Arab support for the Intifada through '' Direct financial aids'', '' an international campaign to speak of the Intifada as the legitimate resistance,'', and through ' inter-Arab coordination,'' HE reiterated Syria's rejection of any unjust, deformed and partial peace citing the failure of ten years of pressures on Syria as to accept a deformed peace in '' the failing ten years of the peace process,'' renewing Syria's support for the full return of East Jerusalem, all Palestinian Refugees, every Arab right, and for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital. By then, the President also called for '' Urgent lifting of sanctions imposed on Iraq'' and for '' An Arab decisive and united stance from any bombardment against Iraq''

 These are indeed the very principles for which the late President sacrificed his life for and long defended. This is Syria’s straightforward political approach; isn’t it better than a zigzag moody one, which have so far cost others dearly! It is wise to deal with a principled partner who keeps his word and never breaks it under no circumstances. As the late President said: " This is our stance and would ever remain so; we have never changed it nor will ever do so,’’ Syria, the frontline country of steadfastness remains the guardian of all Arabs interests and rights. No peace, as observers tend always to believe, could be realized in the region without Syria. It is here were initiatives are formulated and tailored to size of the Nation higher interests and rights enshrined and recognized internationally.

Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim

Abdo88@ureach.com

 Articles  HOME    Golan News