Good Luck to Sarkozy with Syria!
French President Nicholas Sarkozy has successfully driven Syria out of the international isolation it has been mired in since the UN Security Council Resolution 1559 and the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. In Paris, President Bashar Assad and his wife Asma were the stars of the recent Union for the Mediterranean Summit, as acknowledged by everyone. Boosting this image was a successful and remarkable campaign in the French media, engineered by a former Lebanese minister who has long-standing and wide-ranging contacts in French media circles; Assad has rarely had a better ambassador in France.
As for the content, at his joint press conference with Assad, the Emir of Qatar and Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Sarkozy said, "You know that we have begun new ties with Syria, not for a few days, or a few weeks, but rather strategic relations. How quickly these relations develop is not only linked to speeches and promises, but also to (tangible efforts) and work by the French and Syrian sides."
With these frank comments, Sarkozy addressed Assad and affirmed during his meeting with Suleiman, which took place before his summit with Assad, that he would end dialogue with Damascus if Syria did not keep its promises,.
Sarkozy had hoped that Assad and Suleiman would announce the resumption of diplomatic relations from Paris. He raised this issue with the Lebanese president, saying that it would be good if it was announced from the French capital. Suleiman responded by saying that such a step would require some time due to the legal and administrative measures needed. In his talk with Suleiman, Sarkozy encouraged the Lebanese president to take such a step; he also encouraged the opening of negotiations with Israel, saying that a statesman must gamble and take steps that sometimes are opposed to public opinion. He gave the example of his invitation to Assad to Paris, which faced opposition from some of the French public.
Sarkozy opened a new page with the Syrian president; he will visit Damascus on 7 September. However, despite Sarkozy”s announcement that the Syrian president informed him that he was committed to establishing diplomatic relations with Lebanon, one should ask about the reason why Assad himself did not make the declaration. In fact, he repeated what he has said since 2005, namely that he was ready for such a move but that there were legal and administrative measures involved, as well as a Higher Syrian-Lebanese Council that should be developed. All of these excuses will delay the opening of an embassy until further notice. Sarkozy also asked Assad to convince Iran to provide assurances that it was developing nuclear power for peaceful and not military purposes. Sarkozy”s effort here is also due to his limited experience with Syrian promises that do not come to pass. As for Sarkozy”s hope that he could secure a handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Assad, it appeared that his dream would not come to pass. In fact, the contrary took place; when Olmert addressed the Summit, Assad walked out of the hall.
Sarkozy has ended Syria”s isolation thanks to the efforts of his friend, the experienced diplomat and prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem. Sarkozy received Syrian commitments before the international community and the Emir of Qatar. If the Syrian president did not keep his commitments, the French reaction would be similar to when then-President Jacques Chirac became disappointed with Syria”s obstruction in Lebanon. However, Sarkozy is not Chirac. He is quick to anger and if Syria disappoints him, his reaction will be sharper than that of his predecessor. Will Assad keep his commitments to France? Has he really changed? There are still strong doubts, especially after he failed to commit to any specific step in Paris. However, an objective observer should give the Syrian president a new chance. Assad is presented with a new opportunity, as international conditions have changed and America”s policy has totally collapsed in the region. He can now benefit from a golden opportunity to change course. However, the indications do not herald so far such a development. Weapons still cross the Lebanese-Syrian border. A Syrian embassy in Lebanon remains just talk. The French strategy lacks dates and a timetable for the awaited steps of a road map of Franco-Syrian relations. When Claude Gueant, the secretary-general of the French presidency, asked President Assad to announce the opening of an embassy in Lebanon before Sarkozy”s visit to Damascus on 7 September, the Syrian side responded, as usual, that it did not want conditions.
After this visit, we can only wish Sarkozy good luck as he deals with Syria.
Randa Takieddine