A look at Syria's president and current challenges
Syria-USA, Politics, 2/16/2006

US Professor of the Middle History in the Department of History at Trinity Univertsity David Lesch, said on Wednesday in a round table meeting at the American Cultural center in Damascus with journalists that there are certain individuals in the Gearge W. Bush Administration that favor regime change in Syria, but only for the sake of changing Syria's behavior, such as in supporting Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and in Iraq.

He added "I do not think the USA wants to get rid off Bashar al-Assad " especially because of what war experience has taught in Iraq that replacing a regime is a messy process.

Professor Lesch, author of the Book "The New Lion of Damascus: Bashar al-Asad and Modern Syria" expressed his conviction that President Pashar al-Assad does not seek to be Syria's President for life rather "to introduce genuine reforms and changes."

He also expressed his conviction that no one will know who killed the "former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri," warning that Lebanon will be unstable. He also stressed that the performance of the Syrian diplomacy was not good in the past and Damascus could not defend its image as it should be.

Professor Lesch who has been to Syria 12 times to meet with President al-Assad, his family members, associates to compose his book which he wrote in order to get the American people to know about the young president who was unknown for the Americans when he assumed power in Syria.

He said that the image of President Bashar al-Assad is very negative in the USA, adding that his book is an attempt to have a close understanding that America, and the others need to have a better portrayal on Syria. It portrays President Assad in a better way for the American policy makers.

He said that Syrian- American relations will continue to be for the time being tense, and this is on the background that President Bashar al-Assad is convinced he had proposed several positive gestures towards the USA, especially in Iraq and Lebanon, and also with his announced readiness to resume peace talks with Israel, as well as cooperation in regard to al-Qaeda organization, and that Syria did not get things in return, while the US policy shift announced by the Bush doctrine in 2002 considered that the Syrian government did not change with the US view, especially on terrorism, and Hamas identification to be in the same league as al-Qaeda.

He continued that the "American administration is now preoccupied in Iraq and Iran, besides it is the side which asked Israel not to revive peace talks with Syria and consequently Syrian - American relations will not witness any change for the short run."

Replying to a question on what has been rumored of sending Arab forces to Iraq to replace the coalition forces, Lesch said "it is not possible to send Arab forces to Iraq because these forces will not be able to carry out such a complex operation for the restoring stability to Iraq."

He expected that the American and Israeli rejection to dealing with Hamas will not last long. He said that with the new developments, it is a good sign when the Bush administration set certain conditions to accept Hamas. With the Lebanese Hizbullah party, the US opposed it but it reluctantly accepted it in parliament and even among the Shiite in Iraq. He explained with these new developments, depending on Hamas what will do, the Bush Administration has to deal with it. The US used to oppose the PLO but later negotiated with it. and this is an opportunity for Hamas to split the differences between resistance and terrorism.

Lesch said that Syria is taking very seriously the results of the UN investigation of the Hariri assassination and with UN Mehlis report, but he expressed his conviction that "we will not know the killers of al-Hariri. There are many possibilities ."

He said Syria believes that there is a role that it can play, but it is not a military role "considering that relations between Damascus and Beirut, despite of what had happened, will be positive."

The American professor said that the pressures imposed on Syria during the recent phase using the Iraqi and Lebanese files as pretexts had obstructed the reform process led by President Bashar al-Assad. adding that the president is honest to start reforms through education and administration reforms and when possible economic reforms in parallel with political reforms .

As for the Syrian opposition and split of the former Syrian vice president; Professor Lesch said that President al-Assad's position was strengthened after Khaddam's split as Khaddam is mostly seen internally and externally as part of the problem. Khaddam did not do well trying to get the grace of the American and the French, he said.

He also said that the president is concerned with economic development and he wants to see economic development which should be often associated with political reforms, adding that you can not have reforms since you there is no transparency. He continued that President al-Assad encourages reforms that cannot happen overnight. To have democracy, Lesch added you have to have democrats, and to have reform you have to have reformers.

The American professor said that what has impressed him is al-Assad's interest in the "operation of philosophy" in Syria.He said that when President Bashar al-Assad came to power he had many events to face: September 11, the war in Iraq, the situation in Lebanon.. etc. And therefore there were great expectations from him; he had inherited many problems that can not be solved overnight.

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  US condemnation of embassies burning in Syria   (2/6/2006)
  Al-Thawra: Wakim says Al-Assad's popularity extends Syria   (2/3/2006)
  President al-Assad's major speech on regional issues   (1/23/2006)
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  Syrian and world reactions on al-Assad's speech   (11/12/2005)
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