Syrian Pivotal Role Underlined
Syria has always a big saying and role to play in the region affairs; such a key role was recently boosted by President Bashar Assad’s strenuous efforts as to solidify Arab ranks, reiterate commitment to just and comprehensive peace realisation, encounter the Israeli ongoing sinister bids to link Arabs and Moslems to evil all over the world, stand firm on the necessity for lines to be drawn between freedom fighters’ right to resistance and heinous terrorism, and as to keep Syria firm to her national principles in line with what was masterminded by its builder, the late President Hafez Assad.
All attempts to put Syria on the shelf have proved to be a crushing defeat and failure as the recent history and course of events show. Policy is made her by masters and professionals. A stitch in time are all the Syrian taken measures and stances regarding domestic, regional and international issues. Time and time again the course of events have proved the wisdom and correctness of Syrian moves since the launching of the late President’s Correctional Movement. The national stances taken vis a vis the issues of commitment to peace realisation, concomitance of peace tracks, failure of separate initiatives, combating terrorism, and the importance of Arab solidarity do point to the above mentioned belief.
The basics for peace are still the same, related UN resolutions, the principle of land for peace; time has proved that without these basics, no peace could be achieved. Separate deals and deformed agreements can’t make peace; they might, as some tend to believe, help as the first step towards the solution; the region doesn’t need a slow pace but a high speed one, hence the basics are already very well known, defined and internationally recognised by the world at large, the very world which voted for the related UN Security Council resolutions, 242, 338 and 194. It is only through such a peace that the region concerned parties can enjoy stability and security; until then, the region will remain shrouded with mystery, sobbed with blood burning over a minefield. Thus, the serious resumption of peace talks on all tracks with a willing from all sides concerned, including the much needed for honest and even-handed sponsors, would definitely lead to a new era of co-operation and coexistence.
Another issue is the importance of combating terrorism; Syria has been the pioneer in combating terrorism and in calling for an international coalition as to uproot this ugly phenomenon once and for all. The elite of the Syrian community, intellectuals, thinkers, officers, physicians, were mercilessly slaughtered and gunned down by terrorists including the elderly, children and women. No Syrian could ever forget the tragic killings of innocent passengers once their buses were blown up by terrorists!
To this effect, President Bashar Assad has spared no efforts in boosting of the Syrian Pan-Arab and Islamic approach. In less than two month following the Sept.11th terrorist attacks against the US, he met the Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh,
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, top Saudi officials, Sudanese President, Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Abdullalah Al-Khatib, Foreign Minister Kharazi of Iran and scores of Lebanese dignitaries. Top on the agenda of the president talks with the said officials were the issues representing Syria’s firm and principled pan-Arab topics, including those pertaining to Arab solidarity, support of the Intifada against the oppressors, condemnation of terrorism with all its forms, sovereignty and integrity of Arab countries.
At the international front, President Assad held face to face talks and by-phone talks with many officials including those with Austrian Foreign minister, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Mr.Alexander Jarikov, the Secretary General of the International union of Trade Unions, today with a European delegation comprising the Belgian Foreign Minister, Louis Michel, EU Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten, EU High Representative for Policy and Common Security, and Miguel Naedal, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in Spain, Greek Foreign minister, George Papandreou, British Premier Tony Blair and UN Secretaryb General Kofi Annan. In all these talks, which definitely reflect Syria’s political weight and pivotal key role regionally as well as internationally,
President Assad underlined the importance of the European role, which has always called for, Syria’s stands against terrorism and calls for the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions and of Madrid Conference as to prevent the proliferation of such a phenomenon, the need for a just solution for Middle East problem..
In his summit meeting with Mr. Blair, president Assad reiterated once more Syria’s national and firm stances that “the UN has to play a role in combating terrorism and that work as to move the process of peace in the future is a very pivotal matter”, that '' Syria has never changed her stance regarding peace although of the difficult and tough circumstances witnessed by the process of peace and although of the many setbacks witnessed by the region,'' that "Peace for Syria is a strategic issue and not a tactical one” that "Any initiative has to be based on the UN Security Council resolutions and Madrid terms of reference”, that “ There should also be guarantees in addition to having an evenhanded unbiased sponsorship of the process of peace”, that Syria's condemnation of the Sept.11 attacks against the US “ Doesn't come from what happened ON Sept11th, but as a result for other factors including the Syrian deep-rooted and old principles throughout ages, social, religious" urging for combating terrorism through ''political'', ''cultural'' means, "security cooperation, information, security and political cooperation network" calling for lines to be drawn between resistance and the freedom fighters right to resist occupation and liberate the occupied territories.
BY
Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim