Syria's agreement to normalize ties with neighboring Iraq after
a quarter century's rupture would gave Damascus more say in dealing
with Washington, analysts said on Tuesday.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualem, the first Syrian minister
who visited Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003, Tuesday signed
an agreement in Baghdad with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshiar
al-Zebari to restore full diplomatic relations.
Syria and Iraq severed diplomatic ties in the 1980s when
Damascus sided with Tehran in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.
Syrian political analyst Nazir al-Azzimeh told Xinhua, "The
normalization came at a right time, which would impel the United
States to face and open dialogue with Syria on Iraq."
"Problems affecting Iraq would definitely affect Syria and it is
true vice versa. Any policy that ignore the fact will not succeed,"
said Azzimeh.
The US administration has rejected any direct engagement of
Damascus in solving Middle East issues, including Iraq, where
violence has become a daily headache for the US forces there.
?
Washington has long been accusing Syria of supporting terrorism and
doing little in stopping anti-US militants from crossing its border
into Iraq.
Syria has insisted that it is almost impossible to control its
long and porous border with Iraq and demanded more measures from
the Iraqi side to patrol the border.
In Tuesday's accord, Syria and Iraq decided to cooperate in the
field of security and agreed that the US troops should stay in Iraq
for now and gradually withdraw once they were not needed.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualem, whose country strongly
opposed to the US-led war and occupation in Iraq, had earlier
called for the setting of a timetable for the withdrawal of 140,
000 US troops.
The White house, however, said on Tuesday that Syria should
follow words with actions, show commitment to "constructive
engagement" with the Iraqi government and stop the flow of foreign
fighters across its border with Iraq.
Analysts said that if Damascus really does what it has offered,
Washington will surely be under pressure to respond.
US President George W. Bush has already got into a heat to
change course in Iraq after his Republican party lost both houses
of the Congress in the mid-term election which was interpreted as
voters' anger over his Iraq policies.
Bush is also awaiting a report next month by a bipartisan Iraq
Study Group headed by former secretary of state James Baker on a
new Iraq approach, in which Baker is expected to recommend direct
dialogue with both Damascus and Tehran.
Meanwhile, Bush's closest ally, British Prime Minister Tony
Blair, also called for talks with the two countries.
Political analyst Hayeesam al-Maliha said, "The restoration of
diplomatic ties between Syria and Iraq ... is due to changes in the
international and regional situations, especially that Syria
noticed positive signals from inside the US government."
"As America could not break away from its plight in Iraq, it
began to seek outlet from Iraq's neighbors," added Maliha.
His view was echoed by Syrian lawmaker Mohammed Habbash, who
said that "changes in the Mideast situation would force the United
States to change its policies in the region, particularly in
Iraq."
(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2006)
