Bush Plan Rejects Dialogue With Syria

Syrians shopping on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2007, in one of Damascus' old markets. U.S. President George W. Bush promised a diplomatic offensive to win support for Iraq from Middle Eastern countries. (AP Photo Bassem Tellawi) (Bassem Tellawi - AP)

DAMASCUS, Syria -- President Bush's new strategy on Iraq rejects proposals to enlist Syria's aid in ending Iraq's raging violence _ a move Damascus calls a mistake that wrecks an opportunity to benefit both sides. In announcing plans to send 21,000 more troops to Iraq, Bush slammed Syria and its ally Iran, accusing both of supporting Iraqi militants and vowing that the U.S. military will break their lines of support.

Bush also called on U.S. Arab allies Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia _ which have rocky relations with Syria _ to support Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad. The call was seen in the Mideast as a bid to further isolate Damascus and Tehran.

"It's an escalation devoid of any signs of peace," Syrian lawmaker Suleiman Hadad said Thursday of Bush's speech the night before. State-run newspapers predicted the new U.S. plan would fail and bring more violence to Iraq.

A few hours before Bush's speech, Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa said the American troop surge was "not a positive step" and would only "pour oil on the fire."

An American dialogue with Syria over Iraq could have had benefits for both sides, Syrian and foreign advocates of the policy say.

A role in the U.S.-led search for peace in Iraq would have answered Syria's prayers. Damascus has been looking for a way to break out of its relative isolation and resume long-stalled peace talks with Israel.

For Bush, Syria's aid could have proved critical. Damascus is believed to have influence with the leadership of Sunni insurgents in Iraq.

The United States accuses Syria of actively backing militants _ and says Syria should be reining them in on its own without incentives.

Engaging Syria and Iran in efforts to stabilize Iraq was a key recommendation in last month's report by the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan commission co-chaired by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III.

Syria saw the report as a vindication of its longtime contention that its involvement was crucial to the success of any effort to defuse tensions in the Middle East _ whether in Iraq, Lebanon or between the Palestinians and Israel.

Syrian analyst Imad Shueibi, who often reflects the government's view, called Bush's accusations of Syrian and Iranian support for militants "a worthless broken record."

"If Bush wants to ignore Syria, he would thereby ignore the possibility of finding a solution to the situation in Iraq and to stability in the region," he said.

Bush's snub, however, may not be the end of prospects for a dialogue, according to analysts.

Syria, they say, will be looking to the Democratic majority in Congress to persuade the Bush administration to engage it. Damascus may also hope that a sympathetic Democrat will replace Bush in the White House after next year's presidential elections.

Secret talks with the Bush administration through third parties cannot be ruled out either, they say, depending on how the new U.S. strategy works in Iraq.

"I don't think this is the be all and end all for Syria," said Rosemary Hollis, a London-based expert on the Middle East. "The Syrians can sit tight for now and tell the Americans, 'You'll regret this.'"

Washington has long charged that Syria was a destabilizing force in the Middle East. Lately, the two countries have quarreled over Syria's deepening alliance with Iran, as well as its support for groups opposed to Lebanon's U.S.-backed government and for militant Palestinian groups.

Mustapha al-Ani, a Dubai-based expert on Arab affairs, says Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt may have pressed Bush not to talk to Syria, which they blame for the growing power of Iran in the Arab world.

"There is a widespread feeling in the region that no concessions should be made to Syria," said al-Ani. "Many Arab states see Syria's ties with Iran to be harmful to their interests."

Still, Syrians believe the day will come when their country is called upon to assume what they see as its legitimate role as a regional heavyweight.

"We will just wait and wait," said Shueibi. "They will eventually come back to Syria."

Officials publicly say the sole aim is to see a unified and stable Iraq. But Syria's offer of help in Iraq is not without its price.

Syria in particular wants Washington to persuade Israel to resume negotiations on the return of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau captured by Israel from Syria in 1967. The two nations held their last round of talks in 2000.

Syria has made clear that it believes Washington can press Israel to return to negotiations. "There will never be any peace talks with Israel without Washington's green light and unequivocal blessing," al-Sharaa said this week.