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Ahead
MIDEASTWAR
IN
1984?
by
Keith W. Stump
Here is an eye-opening, behind-the-scenes report on the state of
war-readi ness of a key Arab nation.
Damascus, Syria
S
YRIA
is a pivota! coun–
try in the Arab world.
And Damascus is it s
hea rt. Israe li forces are only
30 miles away from where I
am writing.
lt
is time our readers under–
stood why Syria has become
the
Arab power that cannot be
ignored.
Thro ughout 1983, events in
neighboring Lebanon focused at–
tention of the world on Syria and
its President, Hafez ai-Assad, one
of the Mideast's most formidable
leaders.
The attention centered on Syria's
adamant opposition to the
u.s.–
mediated Is raeli-Lebanese agree–
ment for the withdrawal of foreign
forces from Lebanon.
Why
has Syria objected to this
controversia! pact?
National Motivations
No newsman can intelligently eval–
uate the situation in the M iddle
East without an understanding of
the motivations underlying the
actions of each nation in this criti–
ca! region. Regardless of whether
these altitudes are based in fact,
altitudes
motivare
a nation's poli–
cíes. One may agree or disagree
January
1984
with them. But to be
unaware
of
them is to ignore a major factor in
the complex Mideast equation.
That is why
The Plain Truth
is
bringing you this firsthand report
as the year 1984 springs upon us.
"You in the West have not heard
our side of the story," a student of
literature commented to me at the
university here in Syria's
capital.
"You call us hos tile,
intransigent and unrea–
sonable," he con ti nued.
"And that is because your
news media have failed to
repor t the
reasons
behind
our so-called 'hard- line'
position. And we
do
have
good reasons!"
T he student spoke to
me with conviction and
emotion. Emotions often
run high here in the vota–
tite Middle East. Like the
vast majority of Syrians,
this student knew prccise–
ly where he stood on the
Arab-lsraeli question, and
why.
Yet how many in the media–
saturated West know
why
he and
his fellow countrymen believe and
act as they do?
To be informed, we need to
understand why Syria rejects the
lsraeli-Lebanese agreement, and
how Syrians view the Mideast situ–
ation at this moment.
Expansionist Designs?
By the terms of the ls raeli-Leba–
nese accord , Jsrael has agreed to
withdraw its troops from battle–
scarred Lebanon only when Syria
does likewise.
TURKEY
Syrians, however, see no link
between their own presence in
Lebanon and an l s raeli withdraw–
al.
From Syria's point of view, its
troops are in Lebanon on an entire–
ly different basis than are Israelí
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