Why the world loves Syria

[bemildred]

Long.

DAMASCUS - The mood in Damascus was joyful as the Republican defeat in the US congressional elections and the resignation of defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld were vibrating throughout political circles in the Arab world.

Under the broad headline "The Middle East is waiting for change", the Ba'ath Party's official daily, Al-Ba'ath, said: "The Iraqi war has driven out Rumsfeld and cut Bush's wings." Tishreen, another state-run daily, added: "Rumsfeld is the first of the sinking hawks."

For obvious reasons related to the war on Iraq, the blaming of former Lebanese premier Rafik al-Hariri's murder on Damascus, the Syrian exodus from Lebanon, the war on Lebanon, and the series of US-backed United Nations resolutions passed against Syria, government and public alike were relieved to see Bush's party defeated at the polls.

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It will, however, make any new adventure by Bush, such as an attack on Iran, close to impossible. It will also dramatically change US policy in Iraq, but is not likely to lead to changes vis-a-vis the Palestine-Israeli conflict, or Syrian-US relations. As one Syrian historian put it: "The Ba'ath Party has been in power since John F Kennedy was in the White House. It looks like they will remain in power even after George W Bush leaves it."

Asia Times