US' New Found Syria-fixation Draws Ire
By Chidanand Rajghatta
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
15 APRIL , 2003
WASHINGTON: Washington's new-found Syria-fixation amid its military swagger in Iraq is drawing sharp criticism both in the US and abroad, even as the Bush administration is struggling to bring order to a largely secular and homogenous Iraqi society that it has dismantled.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, whose plea to take the route of inspections in Iraq was largely ineffectual in the face of Washington's predetermination to go to war, took the unusual step on Monday night of issuing a statement through his spokesman asking the United States to cool off on Syria.
"The Secretary-General is concerned that recent statements directed at Syria should not contribute to a wider destabilisation in a region already affected heavily by the war in Iraq," the spokesman said, adding that "any claim of threats to international peace and security should be addressed in conformity with the provisions of the Charter."
The statement followed an extraordinary day of charges against Syria from several administration officials from the President down accusing it of giving shelter to fugitives of the Saddam regime, harbouring terrorists, and manufacturing chem-bio weapons.
No evidence was presented to back any of the charges even as Syria vehemently denied them and asked for proof. The predominant feeling in the international community was that Washington was seeking to use the routing of Sadam Hussain to put pressure on neighbouring countries.
The barrage of charges against Syria came even as the US military virtually declared victory in Iraq, saying all "major combat operations are over" and the decimated Iraqi forces are now incapable of mounting a coherent defence. US forces are in almost total control of Saddam Hussain's home town Tikrit, which was considered the last outpost of the fallen regime.
Syrian diplomats in Washington and New York contended the Bush administration is pursuing a militaristic agenda in the region and said the US campaign could extent through Syria to Lebanon, Palestine, to even allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
The Bush administration's effort to turn the guns on Syria drew rebuke from even known US hawks such as Lawrence Eagleburger, a secretary of state in Bush Sr administration, who said in a BBC interview that Bush jr "would last in office for about 15 minutes" if he extended the war.
"In fact, if President Bush were to try that now, even I would think that he ought to be impeached. You can not get away with that sort of thinking in a democracy," Eagleburger said, amid shock and revulsion in many quarters at the latest US tack.
US officials denied that any war plans were in the offing but said there were a "variety of options" including possibly sanctions, to straighten out Syria.
Some US troops meanwhile are returning home from the Gulf region, even as others are still being deployed in Iraq. At least two aircraft carriers, including Kitty Hawks are turning around, and several Stealth bombers are being recalled to their home base.
But at the same time the US 4th Infantry Division in only now going into Iraq from Kuwait to be deployed for keeping peace in the country.