Retreat in US efforts to topple the ruling regime in Syria
Syria-USA, Politics, 3/22/2006

Diplomats and members in the ruling Baath party in Syria considered that the USA will continue pressure on Syria to push it to change its policy, but without having this matter reach the point of attempting to topple the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

Western diplomats said that it seems that the Baath ruling party was able to restore its balance after the split of the former vice president Abdul Halim Khaddam and the death of the minister of interior Ghazi Kanaan on whom officials said he had committed suicide in 2005.

President al-Assad also reinforced his influence on the security departments and postponed the march of political reforms amid expectations of a long term confrontations with the USA.

The diplomats considered that the role of the Baath Party in Syria is not an ailing one at the meantime, besides, Israel does not want to see instability in Syria nor a growth for the might of Islamists in its northern neighbor.

These views are in great contradiction with what was rumored just one year ago on the possibility of changing the regime in Damascus following the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, on whom an initial report made by the UN indicated the involvement of Syrian officials in his assassination. A matter which was denied by Syria. Damascus under pressure from the international community was obliged to withdraw its forces from Lebanon after s 29 year long stay.

The lesson learnt from the experience in Iraq has obstructed the move of the Syrian opposition which is composed from varied and disintegrated groups which very often used to call for enhancing human rights and civil rights. However, the escalation of the American pressure has forced these opposition groups to side with their country against these pressures. But still, Syrian opposition leaders living in exile including the Muslim Brothers groups decided last week to establish a united front with the aim to topple President al-Assad.

Iraq's experience, as stated by analysts greatly impacted Washington's plans to making a change in Syria to the extent that pushed one diplomat to say "the USA has no intention to carry out a military act against Syria. There is no opportunity for any people's movement on a coupe despite the fact that Syria has not been yet able to escape the bottleneck that resulted from the Hariri assassination.

Previous Stories:
  NY Times: Syrian opposition groups unite against regime   (3/18/2006)
  LA Times: US general praises Syria for border tightening   (3/18/2006)
  Imad Moustapha: Syria doesn't aid terrorists   (3/18/2006)
  Syria: Human rights activist released after brief detention   (3/17/2006)
  Syrian activist held for attending open meetings abroad   (3/15/2006)
  Syrian minister slams US decision to end deals with Commercial Bank of Syria   (3/13/2006)
  Bush says no deal with Syria on Hariri investigation   (3/11/2006)
  White House on Syria-Lebanon issue   (3/8/2006)
  Junblat: initiative failed to remove Lahoud   (3/7/2006)

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