Syria’s Pissed. And This Is A Problem Because?

You know what you are doing is working when it really angers your enemies. Enter Syria, foaming at the mouth and apoplectic with rage:

On July 27, 2003, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq Al-Shar'a spoke to Syrian journalists, strongly criticizing the U.S. administration. While his statements were published in the London-based Arabic press, the majority did not appear in official Syrian government papers. The following are Al-Shar'a's statements as published in the London-based Arabic-language dailies Al-Hayat and Al-Sharq Al-Awsat:

The administration of President Bush is exceptional. Perhaps there have been similar administrations in the past, but never one at the same level of violence and stupidity.

The Syrians sound just like Howard Dean!

The disputes between the hawks and the doves [in Congress] do not reach the level of violence directed [towards Syria]…

"The external pressure applied to Syria is the heaviest it has ever faced, perhaps since the 16th century… For the first time, the U.S. is trying to set conditions for Syria's entrance into the peace process. This means that the U.S. does not want Syria in the process or that it wants to eliminate the Palestinian cause and does not want Syria to be a partner in it…[The demand to] dismantle Hizbullah is aimed at arousing all the ethnic and religious instincts to the point of civil war, and at again opening the door to Israeli intervention in Lebanon.

"Syria's granting legitimacy to the temporary Governing Council in Iraq will be the greatest mistake in Syria's political history, as [the council] still has not earned popular Iraqi legitimacy. This does not mean that we will not cooperate with these people in the council, as cooperation is one thing and giving legitimacy is another."

Popular legitimacy? And when was the last time the Baathist, one party state held an election?

- posted by total @ 7/30/2003 05:33:00 AM .