Al-Hayat: Syria and the threat against Iraq, the region

Diplomatic sources told the London- based al-Hayat daily issued on Wednesday that Syria seeks to talk with the Iraqis in order to prevent the chance from those who want to launch an attack against Iraq, and for Iraq not to behave in a way that would contribute to giving a cover a likely military operation, besides that the Iraqi regime should not to provoke any Arab state sympathizing with Baghdad and rejecting a military act.

The paper added that Damascus sees that the wing which supports Israel, or say the Israeli wing in the administration of the US President George Bush, seeks to convince the American administration to "liquidate calculations in the Middle East" including the possibility of attacking Hizbullah and striking the Syrian infrastructure, on behalf of Israel "wether making this a target prior to striking Iraq or a goal that the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon will fulfil investing the war on Iraq." This however explained the statement made on Tuesday by the Syrian army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Hassan Turkmani to draw an Arab strategy to withstand challenges by maintaining an effective Arab solidarity.

The paper said that the Syrian leadership is working to benefit from the fact she is the only side that has good relations with Iraq and the Gulf states, altogether in order to bring about view points between Baghdad and Saudi Arabia in order to establish an Arab solidarity so as to withstand tremendous expected onslaughts in the coming phase. These two elements, however, were behind the visit made by Present Bashar al-Assad to Saudi Arabia and his talks there with its officials.

A high ranking Syrian officials told al-Hayat that al-Assad's visit to Saudi Arabia aimed at conforming Arab solidarity and Syria's support for the Saudi position in the face of the American pressures, seeking to enhance inter- Arab solidarity as a basic element to confront challenges facing the Arabs especially rejecting threats against Iraq.