Is Syria the key to peace

[spindrifter]

AlJazeera.net
By Alex Warren in Damascus
Thursday 27 July 2006, 3:26 Makka Time, 0:26 GMT

<snip>

For Andrew Tabler, a Damascus-based fellow at the Institute of Current World Affairs and a consulting editor of Syria Today magazine, this approach has some merit.

"Syria has seen a lot of investment from Gulf States recently," he told Aljazeera.net, "and it would like to keep that investment. This means that the Saudis in particular may have some sway over Damascus, whilst Jordan and Egypt, although they would certainly be received, are less influential."

Tabler says that Syria’s economic reform process has been supported by the west, especially the EU, whereas its political line has been tied more closely to Iran in recent months, meaning that it effectively has a foot in both camps.

Many now believe that to find a more permanent solution to the Lebanon crisis, and fulfill US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s desire to avoid a return to the previous "status quo", then Syria’s bridging role is vital for any negotiations.

<more>

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/F95A7C89-6269-43CE-BC4D-8E9810FBA122.htm

[Redstone]

1. Yeah, like they give a shit about peace. They're happy to stand back and

have Hezbollah do their dirty work for them...they remember what happened last couple of times they went face-to-face with Israel.

They're dirty, sneaky cowards.

(Not that we should invade them. I was quite impassioned on that point back when bushyboy was rattling the sabers in their direction. But that doesn't make them nice people.)

Redstone

[demosincebirth]

2. The key to peace in the ME, is a peace agreement between

Israel and the Palestinians...have that, it'll take out the excuse that these terrorists and those countries backing them have for fomenting their terrorism against innocent people.