Syrian Pivotal Role Underlined
Syria has always a big saying and role to play in the region affairs; such a key
role was recently boosted by President Bashar Assad’s strenuous efforts as to
solidify Arab ranks, reiterate commitment to just and comprehensive peace
realisation, encounter the Israeli ongoing sinister bids to link Arabs and
Moslems to evil all over the world, stand firm on the necessity for lines to be
drawn between freedom fighters’ right to resistance and heinous terrorism, and
as to keep Syria firm to her national principles in line with what was
masterminded by its builder, the late President Hafez Assad.
All attempts to put Syria on the shelf have proved to be a crushing defeat and
failure as the recent history and course of events show. Policy is made her by
masters and professionals. A stitch in time are all the Syrian taken measures
and stances regarding domestic, regional and international issues. Time and time
again the course of events have proved the wisdom and correctness of Syrian
moves since the launching of the late President’s Correctional Movement. The
national stances taken vis a vis the issues of commitment to peace realisation,
concomitance of peace tracks, failure of separate initiatives, combating
terrorism, and the importance of Arab solidarity do point to the above mentioned
belief.
The basics for peace are still the same, related UN resolutions, the principle
of land for peace; time has proved that without these basics, no peace could be
achieved. Separate deals and deformed agreements can’t make peace; they might,
as some tend to believe, help as the first step towards the solution; the region
doesn’t need a slow pace but a high speed one, hence the basics are already very
well known, defined and internationally recognised by the world at large, the
very world which voted for the related UN Security Council resolutions, 242, 338
and 194. It is only through such a peace that the region concerned parties can
enjoy stability and security; until then, the region will remain shrouded with
mystery, sobbed with blood burning over a minefield. Thus, the serious
resumption of peace talks on all tracks with a willing from all sides concerned,
including the much needed for honest and even-handed sponsors, would definitely
lead to a new era of co-operation and coexistence.
Another issue is the importance of combating terrorism; Syria has been the
pioneer in combating terrorism and in calling for an international coalition as
to uproot this ugly phenomenon once and for all. The elite of the Syrian
community, intellectuals, thinkers, officers, physicians, were mercilessly
slaughtered and gunned down by terrorists including the elderly, children and
women. No Syrian could ever forget the tragic killings of innocent passengers
once their buses were blown up by terrorists!
To this effect, President Bashar Assad has spared no efforts in boosting of the
Syrian Pan-Arab and Islamic approach. In less than two month following the
Sept.11th terrorist attacks against the US, he met the Yemeni President, Ali
Abdullah Saleh,
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, top Saudi officials, Sudanese President, Omar
Hassan Al-Bashir, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Abdullalah Al-Khatib, Foreign
Minister Kharazi of Iran and scores of Lebanese dignitaries. Top on the agenda
of the president talks with the said officials were the issues representing
Syria’s firm and principled pan-Arab topics, including those pertaining to Arab
solidarity, support of the Intifada against the oppressors, condemnation of
terrorism with all its forms, sovereignty and integrity of Arab countries.
At the international front, President Assad held face to face talks and by-phone
talks with many officials including those with Austrian Foreign minister, Benita
Ferrero-Waldner, Mr.Alexander Jarikov, the Secretary General of the
International union of Trade Unions, today with a European delegation comprising
the Belgian Foreign Minister, Louis Michel, EU Commissioner for External
Relations Chris Patten, EU High Representative for Policy and Common Security,
and Miguel Naedal, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in Spain, Greek
Foreign minister, George Papandreou, British Premier Tony Blair and UN
Secretaryb General Kofi Annan. In all these talks, which definitely reflect
Syria’s political weight and pivotal key role regionally as well as
internationally,
President Assad underlined the importance of the European role, which has always
called for, Syria’s stands against terrorism and calls for the implementation of
UN Security Council resolutions and of Madrid Conference as to prevent the
proliferation of such a phenomenon, the need for a just solution for Middle East
problem..
In his summit meeting with Mr. Blair, president Assad reiterated once more
Syria’s national and firm stances that “the UN has to play a role in combating
terrorism and that work as to move the process of peace in the future is a very
pivotal matter”, that '' Syria has never changed her stance regarding peace
although of the difficult and tough circumstances witnessed by the process of
peace and although of the many setbacks witnessed by the region,'' that "Peace
for Syria is a strategic issue and not a tactical one” that "Any initiative has
to be based on the UN Security Council resolutions and Madrid terms of
reference”, that “ There should also be guarantees in addition to having an
evenhanded unbiased sponsorship of the process of peace”, that Syria's
condemnation of the Sept.11 attacks against the US “ Doesn't come from what
happened ON Sept11th, but as a result for other factors including the Syrian
deep-rooted and old principles throughout ages, social, religious" urging for
combating terrorism through ''political'', ''cultural'' means, "security
cooperation, information, security and political cooperation network" calling
for lines to be drawn between resistance and the freedom fighters right to
resist occupation and liberate the occupied territories.
BY
Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim
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