America's obsession with Iran

Seymour Hersh has an interesting article about America's obsession with Iran. The article covers the possible moves towards peace between Syria and Israel but constantly comes back to Iran. Peace between Syria and Israel is, for both the United States and Israel, a way to either break Syria off from Iran (and reduce the influence of a combined Syrian-Iranian support network for Hizbullah and Hamas) or a way to open a dialogue between Iran and the West. The best quote in the article, for comedy value, must be from the Syrian Vice-President in explaining why minority-governed secular Syria could become allied with religious revolutionary Iran:

Farouk al-Shara, the Vice-President of Syria, was, as Foreign Minister, his nation’s chief negotiator at Shepherdstown. When he was asked whether Syria’s relationship with Iran would change if the Golan Heights issue was resolved, he said, “Do you think a man only goes to bed with a woman he deeply loves?” Shara laughed, and added, “That’s my answer to your question about Iran.”

Learning a little more about Syria

My wise Syrian friend made me laugh as we picked over some (surprisingly cold) lentil kibbeh. He couldn't get his head around wanting to find the best Bashar al-Assad, Ba'athist and Pan-Arabist kitsch (posters, keyrings, flags, silhouette car stickers). The sticker shop next door to the Young Pioneers shop just off Hamidiya Souq has stickers and posters, but there's nothing spectacularly kitsch.

I had always assumed the crackdown on the Damascus Spring was a sign of al-Assad's early days, or weakness, in relation to more established members of the Syrian government. My friend set me straight on this. Bashar al-Assad had 6 years after Basel died to prepare himself for running Syria. He didn't come into control of the Syrian government in a weak position. He was in control and in power before he was President.

But why Bashar's recent obsession with all things Arabic? Why give speeches about the importance of Arabic, pass legislation to ensure children are given Arabic names, etc?

"Nasser," said my friend, "He's modeling himself on Nasser."