Beyond any conceivable doubts, the Letter was
dictated by Israelis or their advocates in Washington, signed and submitted by
the 400 congressmen to Trump; the height of hypocrisy. What is dismaying is
that hardly any voices of protests were raised in the American society at large
or the political or intellectual segments about the fact that four hundred
congressmen, who are elected by Americans to serve American interests, at a
time when the US is bogged down in the Arab region, sign and submit a letter to
the US President concerned almost exclusively with Israel Security.
These congressmen had an opportunity to make a
coherent recommendation on US policy in the Arab region in the interest of
American National Interest, but instead chose to make recommendations to
safeguard the wellbeing and security of a foreign state: Israel.
“Washington lacks a clear strategy in Syria “; those were the
recent words of Robert Ford, the last American ambassador to Syria who served
prior to and during the first few years of the Syrian uprising from 2010 to
2014. A man of Ford’s intricate knowledge of the Syrian/American political
dynamic is surly knowledgeable enough to assess America’s policy towards Syria.
He goes on to say, “It is hard to explain the fundamental American mission in
Syria… Is it to fight Daesh? Or is it to help promote a Kurdish autonomous
district in Northeastern Syria… Or is it to resist Iranian encouragement?” It
is partially all three; however, oddly enough, Mr. Ford avoids the obvious top
priority and strategic rationale for America’s involvement in Syria: The
Protection of Israel.
To alleviate this dereliction by the executive branch for not
presenting a clear strategy in Syria, as the former ambassador asserts, the
Congress took it upon itself to identify American strategic interests in Syria
and make recommendations to Trump. However, it is legitimate to ask: what do
American congressmen know about Syria to qualify them to determine American
strategic interests in the country? It is very unlikely for American
congressmen to know much about Syria; they are dictated the Israeli narrative
and that is all they need to know.
Irrespective of who or what motivated the congressmen to seek
information to develop a framework for American strategic interests in Syria
and eventually send a letter signed by nearly four hundred congressmen- roughly
seventy five percent of the total number of congressmen from both chambers and
both parties- to the president about their findings and their recommendations,
the congressmen called upon United States Institute of Peace (USIP) to
establish a Syria Study Group (SSG) to provide them information about Syria to
comprehend the situation and formulate recommendations to Trump.
The SSG was established in February 2019 and gave its interim
report to Congress May 1, 2019; the report consists of detailed seven
single-spaced typewritten pages.
Subsequent to the SSG submitting of its interim report to
Congress on May 1, the four hundred congressmen Letter was sent to the
president on May 20. It would be natural to assume that the Letter is a
condensed reflection of what the interim report contained and recommended; that
was not the case. The elaborate and detailed interim report dealt with a
multitude of issues centered around American national security. Ironically, the
Letter to the President focused on the sources of threats to Israeli security:
terrorism, Syria, Lebanon (Hezbollah), Iran, Turkey and Russia. Just a note
regarding the difference in emphasis in the two documents. In the seven – page
single spaced interim report Israel is mentioned nine times, it is mentioned
twenty one times in the two page Letter.
The first paragraph of the Letter states “[…] we recommend
several specific steps to advance our regional security priorities, including
assisting our ally, Israel, in defending itself in the face of growing threats,
including on its northern border.” The reference to northern border is Syria
and Lebanon. As for Syria, it is suffice to note that Israel occupied the
Syrian Golan for fifty two years and annexed it recently with Trump’s
blessings. Syria has not fired a shot at Israel in decades while Israel has
fired hundreds of shots at Syria just recently; there are no Syrian boots on
the ground in Israel, while there are Israeli boots on the ground in Syria. So
much for the threat to Israel emanating from Syria. As for the Lebanese
scenario, it is similar to that of Syria, albeit on a smaller scale, with one
addition: Hezbollah which Israel views it a source of imminent threat. However,
it is suffice to note that it is Israel which has been the source of violent
onslaughts against Hezbollah. The Letter, in the succeeding paragraphs,
elaborates further on the acquisition by Syria and Hezbollah of large and more
threatening sophisticated weapons to threaten the security of the regional,
nuclear super power: Israel. Need one point out the ridicule?
In the third paragraph, the Letter asserts: “While our nation
has encouraged more stable and inclusive political systems in the Middle East, the
regime in Tehran has spread its influence and destabilized its neighbors for
its own gain.” To say this is an outrageous distortion of the truth would be an
understatement. There is not a sane Iraqi, Syrian, Lybian, Yemeni and most
Muslim Arabs who would vouch to such a distortion. In fact, internationally,
the US and Israel are viewed as sources of threat to international peace and
security; both have boots on foreign grounds but no foreign boots on their
grounds.
Russia receives a jab at the fourth paragraph for its role “[…]
to ensure the survival of the Assad regime.” It adds “Furthermore, in providing
Damascus with advanced weapons like the S-300 anti-aircraft, Moscow is
complicating Israel’s ability to defend itself from hostile action emanating from
Syria.”
The last part of the Letter contains three recommendations which
are interrelated and converge on the core of the Letter; the security of
Israel:
- Underscore Israel’s right to
self-defense.
- Increase pressure on Iran and
Russia with respect to activities in Syria.
- Increase pressure
on Hezbollah.
Beyond any conceivable doubts, the Letter was dictated by
Israelis or their advocates in Washington, signed and submitted by the 400
congressmen to Trump; the height of hypocrisy. What is dismaying is that hardly
any voices of protests were raised in the American society at large or the
political or intellectual segments about the fact that four hundred
congressmen, who are elected by Americans to serve American interests, at a
time when the US is bogged down in the Arab region, sign and submit a letter to
the US President concerned almost exclusively with Israel Security.
These congressmen had an opportunity to make a coherent
recommendation on US policy in the Arab region in the interest of American
National Interest, but instead chose to make recommendations to safeguard the
wellbeing and security of a foreign state: Israel.
