"Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon, to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region ..." -- President George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, Feb. 2, 2005 "Syria's out of step with the progress being made in the greater Middle East ... democracy is on the move, and this is a country that isn't moving with the democratic movement. ... It's not in their interest to be isolated."All true, but no one thought to ask, "Who's running Syria?" Negroponte's answer to that question is crucial to many of our hopes for a tranquil outcome in Iraq -- and the Middle East.For the last two years, Syrian President Bashar al Assad has been treated as the man to lead Syria into a better future. Our State Department has described him as "a Western-educated optometrist" and an "anglophile," instead of "son of the previous dictator." Israeli government officials hoped that Assad would "end the long stalemate over terrorist refuges" in Southern Lebanon. All of this now appears to be a false hope.It's now time for the United States to help facilitate the kind of "march toward freedom" that President Bush articulates, without sending in the Marines. That requires Negroponte to lead a careful, quiet collection of good intelligence with a determination of who is in charge in Syria -- if anyone.Last Tuesday, the United States recalled our ambassador to Syria, officially citing a need for "urgent consultations following the brutal murder of (Hariri)." That tacit accusal, along with a stern diplomatic note delivered by the ambassador to the Syrian regime, signaled a change in Washington's posture toward Damascus: shape up, fast. Syria appears to have taken the opposite tack.Iran's nuclear ambitions are about as secretive as Syria's control of Lebanon. Iran brazenly refuses to comply with International Atomic Energy Administration directives and refuses to cease enriching uranium.Syria and Iran, two Islamofascist thugocracies, are pitted together on the wrong side of history. They are both flanked by democratic governments and violently suppress such movements within their own spheres. Israel insists that Iran is very close to realizing its nuclear ambition. Syria, by partnering with Iran, has shown a willingness to stand against the West.Syria and Iran both feel the approaching "untamed fire of freedom" President Bush spoke of in his Inaugural Address and are doing everything they can to stomp it out before they get burned. Negroponte's job is to see to it that they do
[ED NOTES:ALSO SEE The Oliver North File
[ED NOTES:ALSO SEE The Oliver North File
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