The Command Post - Iraq - Syria says U.S. and UK cannot control Iraq

March 27, 2003

Syria says U.S. and UK cannot control Iraq

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the United States and Britain, waging a war on Iraq, will never be able to subdue the whole country and has warned Syria might be the next target on Washington's list.

Syria, on a U.S. list of states sponsoring terrorism for supporting Lebanon's Hizbollah guerrilla group and Palestinian organisations fighting Israel, has led Arab opposition to the Iraq war, which began last week.

(Reuters)

Posted By Gabriel Syme (Samizdata) at March 27, 2003 07:29 AM | TrackBack

Comments

Syria should be worried. Soon, there will be a vacancy in the Axis of Evil that will need to be filled.

Posted by: Houston at March 27, 2003 07:48 AM

Forget Syria, make Saudi Arabia next. It'll be a pushover.

Posted by: J Gunther at March 27, 2003 07:56 AM

Well, it's tough to convince the Syrians that you can control a population without flattening and paving over a city or two.

Posted by: E. Nough at March 27, 2003 07:57 AM

So much depends upon how the Americans act after the fighting is done...

If they do it right, then Syria won't need to worry about the US... They will need to worry about their own people..

Posted by: Mark at March 27, 2003 08:10 AM

Exactly, Mark. In my surfing, I've read a lot that indicates that young adults in Iran are delighted that Iraq will become a democracy, because that's what they want for their country.

The worst thing that can happen, as far as most of the Arab nations are concerned, is not just that we win the war, but a successful democracy in a Middle East Muslim country. Yiii!

That's what really scares 'em and maybe the biggest reason for the anti-U.S. spin.

In this age, controlling people rests in part on controlling information. The Iraqi people have been SO controlled and cut off for so long that naturally The Guy On The Street will have trouble believing that we'll be benevolent administrators and then leave. These folks know terror and secret police and poverty and have had very little to compare it to.

Posted by: Kathleen at March 27, 2003 09:04 AM

is Baathist dictator Assad implying that he will support terrorist activities against the US+UK liberation+occupation of Iraq -- or will he commit the Syrian army?

Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) at March 27, 2003 10:27 AM

The statement is contradictory. Presummably after the US is done with Iraq we would come for Syria. But if we can never subdue Iraq, when would we be able to come for Syria?

Posted by: t at March 27, 2003 12:38 PM