Israel Matzav

Obama's spectacular failure in Syria

I would argue that President Obama's attempts to 'engage' Syria have been an even bigger failure than his attempts to 'engage' Iran. While Obama has given Iran more time to develop nuclear weapons through his bumbling attempts at 'engagement' and search for 'concessions,' he has actually made substantive gestures to Syria and has been rebuffed even more pointedly.

Unfortunately, like much of what Obama has tried in the region, the new approach to Syria is failing spectacularly. Since Obama started his campaign to improve relations with Syria, trying to peel it out of its close embrace with Tehran and persuade it to stop supporting radical groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, Damascus has all but laughed at U.S. efforts. It is now hugging Iran even more tightly and showering ever more resources on its allied militias throughout the region.

That doesn't mean that American overtures have had no impact. Seeing Washington's policy change, U.S.-friendly forces in Arab countries have reconciled with a thuggish regime they reviled. Syria is looking stronger than it has in years, and Washington has received nothing in return for its efforts. In Lebanon, leaders of the once pro-American, anti-Syria forces have been traveling to Damascus to pay tribute to the man they had blamed for killing family members and hijacking their country. Syria has continued supporting Hamas, the bitter enemy of the more moderate Palestinian party Fatah.

The latest news from Syria shows a reversal so serious for Washington and its allies that some are describing it as a ``game changer'' that could precipitate another Middle East war.

It turns out Syria has just transferred some of the most advanced armament yet to its radical friends in Lebanon, the Iran-created Shiite militia Hezbollah. The Scud rockets can reach practically all of Israel, and Hezbollah -- whose stated goal is the destruction of Israel -- has proven time and again that its weapons are not for show.

When Israel worries about Iran's nuclear program, the scenario it considers more likely is not a direct attack from Iran, but nuclear materials in the hands -- or the warheads -- of Iran's allies, Hezbullah and Hamas.

For years, the State Department has been pushing the US to take the Arab side. Now, we see the results. Hopefully, they will be sufficient to ensure that no future administration will try to repeat Obama's actions. If, God willing, we live that long.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:24 PM