Close Syria-US ties won't affect Golan | Jerusalem Post

As I noted elsewhere Assad is terrified of an investigation into Hariri's assassination and Baker represents the lifeline he needs to save him. Proving that I am, in fact, always right, the Jerusalem Post has an article making those very points:

Close Syria-US ties won't affect Golan


"Of course it comes at a price, and I'm not sure the Americans are willing to pay the price," one Israeli official said. He said that the price was not the Golan, but rather to get the international tribunal investigating the assassination of former Lebanese prime Minister Rafiq Hariri called off, and to allow Syrian influence and involvement - although maybe not troops - in Lebanon.

"The Syrians are terrified by the prospect of the tribunal," the official said, "and they want it called off. That is their top priority, and as a by-product they want to keep a hold on Lebanon."

The Golan was "in no way" the top agenda item for Assad, he said, who was concerned that the tribunal could actually threaten his regime.

"Assad's regime is a small Alawite clique, with some Sunni allies," the official explained. "If some of the cornerstones of this very small and tight clique are taken out to be tried, judged and convicted, then the whole building may collapse and this is what Assad is worried about."

The official said Assad knew who would be implicated and tried, and that - if not Assad himself - it was people "very, very close to him, the top officials of the regime."


For those of you worried about our international reputation, be very worried about this. I have little doubt Baker would be willing to throw Lebanon under the bus for Syrian "help". That would forever damn us in the eyes of the Lebanese and rightly so.

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