Paper: Western intelligence report on Syria and Iraq
Syria-Iraq-USA, Politics, 3/8/2000

A western intelligence report has expressed concern over reports of the resumption of diplomatic relations between Syria and Iraq on the level of "offices for representing interests" as being the first diplomatic sign of a restoration of warmth in the relations between the two states.

The report, which was published by the Lebanese al-Kifah al-Arabi paper on Tuesday, attributed this move towards diplomatic rapprochement between Damascus and Baghdad to reasons connected to the Turkish- Russian competition for influence over the countries of the Islamic central Asian states and the increasing alliance between Turkey and Israel.

The report added that there is an assessment by the Syrian and Iraqi sides that they have to unify their ranks to withstand Turkey by a stronger alliance, whether backed by Russia or not.

The report added a new strategic factor to the intention of closeness between Syria and Iraq in the current conditions, which is to withstand the Iranian influence in the region, due to the fears of the two Arab states of the possible Iranian opposite reaction against a comprehensive agreement in the framework of achieving a Middle East peace process.

In its report, the western intelligence expects that Russia will invest the Syrian-Iraqi closeness to pressure Turkey. Eventually such a pressure started to appear as Russia has started to renovate the Syrian- Iraqi oil pipeline, a matter which affects Turkish profits when the Iraqi oil will be transferred for exports to the Syrian port of Banias on the Mediterranean.

Previous Stories:
  Iraqi ambassador commends relations with Syria   (2/29/2000)
  A department for supervising the Iraqi interests opened at the Algerian embassy in Damascus   (2/28/2000)
  Syria, Iraq agreed to resume diplomatic relations   (12/29/1999)

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