Seeking Strategic Window, Syria’s Assad in Russia

By Salwa al-Astawani, IOL Correspondent

Damascus, January 24 (IslamOnline.net) – Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad embarks Monday, January 24, on his first official visit to Moscow, with an eye on consolidating bilateral ties to head off US and Israeli pressures.

High on Assad's agenda during the three-day visit is economic and political cooperation, with both capitals denying media reports about a deal in the making for sophisticated missile systems.

Head of the official media delegation accompanying Assad, Dr. Fayez Al-Sayegh, downplayed the hassle over the rumored missile deal, saying the Syrian leader's visit focuses primarily on economic and political dimensions.

“The military file is not currently on the agenda. It is put off until restoring the strength of political and economic ties,” he told IslamOnline.net Monday.

“Syria is not seeking Russian weaponry as much as seeking a political atmosphere in which Russia plays an effective role on the international arena to resume the (Middle East) peace process and restore security and stability to the region.”

In an interview published Monday to coincide with his historic visit, Assad told the Russian daily Izvestia that “Russia's defense minister has said that such a deal does not exist and thus he has answered the question.”

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov earlier this month denied rumored reports that Moscow was in talks with Damascus to sell it Iskander-E ground-to-ground and SA-18 shoulder-fired missiles.

The rumors drew fierce Israeli reactions, prompting Premier Ariel Sharon to phone Russian President Vladimir Putin last week to scrap the reported deal.

Israeli daily Ha'atetz said Monday that Putin “vowed” there was no such deal.

Strategic Help

Western diplomats, speaking to IOL on condition of anonymity, believe Syria – currently under heavy orchestrated Euro-American pressures – is now seeking windows to face the imbalance.

Syrian strategic analyst Gamal Barout agreed.

“Back in 2001 the Russian side showed a desire for a strategic alliance with Damascus, but traditional government wrangling poured cold water on the bid. Now, Syria needs Moscow to stave off European-American pressures,” he told IOL.

The UN Security Council adopted on Friday, September 3, a resolution put forward by the US and France, demanding the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon and non-interference in the Lebanese presidential elections.

“Damascus also needs to maintain and modernize its army,” Barout added.

He said that Russia also needs a foothold in the Middle East in view of the security and strategic significance of the region and the Euro-American competition.

The expert reached the conclusion that Syria and Russia do have mutual strategic interests to maintain.

Al-Sayegh echoed a similar viewpoint, saying both Moscow and Damascus are now stuck and have no other option but to close ranks.

“Moscow has been facing several problems recently. It realized that Washington had gone too far in extending its influence at the expense of Russia's,” he said, arguing that Washington was seeking to encircle Moscow, one way or the other.

Syrian journalist Hayan Niouf also expected the talks to touch on a possible Syrian role in pushing for Moscow's membership in the Organization of Islamic Conference, in exchange for Russian political support in the UN and Security Council.

Syria was Moscow's key Middle East ally during the Cold War era, and Russia has been trying to revive the influence it once held in the region before the collapse of the Soviet Union, with Damascus seen playing a key role.

That trend manifested itself in the last couple of days, with the Russian foreign ministry jumping to Syria's defense against US accusations of sponsoring terrorism and interfering in war-ravaged Iraq.

US Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice warned Damascus earlier this week that it faced new sanctions because of “its suspected interference in Iraq and ties to terrorism”.

Russia's Foreign Ministry sprang to Syria's defense, calling the Arab state one of its “most important partners” in the Middle East.

“It's well known that slapping labels on countries and unilaterally describing certain states as part of the 'axis of evil' has not improved anyone's security,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said Friday.