{"id":8848,"date":"2011-03-29T00:42:51","date_gmt":"2011-03-29T04:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?page_id=8848"},"modified":"2020-01-09T13:12:38","modified_gmt":"2020-01-09T18:12:38","slug":"landis-news-2007","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/","title":{"rendered":"Landis in the News 2007"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"news_archive_list\">\n<li>Browse Archive By Year<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/\">Current<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2019\/\">2019<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2018\/\">2018<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2017\/\">2017<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2016\/\">2016<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2015\/\">2015<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2014\/\">2014<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2013\/\">2013<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2012\/\">2012<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2011\/\">2011<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2010\/\">2010<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2009\/\">2009<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2008\/\">2008<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"active\" href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/\">2007<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2006\/\">2006<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2005\/\">2005<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2004\/\">2004<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>11 December 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.infolive.tv\/en\/infolive.tv-15269-israelnews-us-officials-meet-arch-foes-iran-and-syria\">US Officials To Meet With Arch Foes &#8211; Iran and Syria<\/a><br \/>\nBy <em>Infolive.tv<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, a leading Syria expert, who publishes &#8220;Syria Comment&#8221; was quoted in a recent article saying, &#8221; Syria is key to the peace process. If you keep the door closed on Syria, many people believe the peace process can go nowhere.\u201d Syrians he said are willing to do a deal, despite Iran\u2019s objections&#8230;.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>11 December 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thetrumpet.com\/index.php?q=4512.2760.0.0\">Is the Syria-Iran Alliance Beginning to Crack?<\/a><br \/>\nBy <em>theTrumpet.com<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, a Syria specialist at the University of Oklahoma, said this week that the leadership crisis in Lebanon may have been one reason Syria chose&#8230;.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>4 December 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?p=510\">Landis: Syria Key to Middle East Peace Process<\/a><br \/>\nBy Bernard Gwertzman, <em>Council on Foreign Relations<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Joshua Landis, a leading Syria expert, who publishes &#8220;Syria Comment,&#8221; says Syria&#8217;s surprise attendance at last week&#8217;s Annapolis peace conference came after &#8230;.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3 December 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.csmonitor.com\/2007\/1203\/p01s03-wome.html?page=2\">Is the U.S. now ready for talks with Syria?<\/a><br \/>\nBy Nicholas Blanford, <em>Christian Science Monitor<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Syria is being brought back in, including by Washington, and Syria is trying to dress itself up and get on Israel&#8217;s dance card&#8221; to get the Golan Heights back, says Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, and author of the widely read &#8220;Syria Comment&#8221; blog&#8230;.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>28 November 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/subscribe.jsp?art=800357\">Deal signals a thaw in US-Syrian relations<\/a><br \/>\nBy <em>Globe and Mail<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, co-director of the Centre for Peace Studies at the University of Oklahoma and a Syria expert, said that the sudden acceptance by all sides of &#8230; Syria upbeat on chance to reopen Golan issue<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>28 November 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2007\/11\/29\/idUSN281148\">Syria upbeat on chance to reopen Golan issue<\/a><br \/>\nBy Khaled Yacoub Oweis, <em>Reuters<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, a Syria specialist at the University of Oklahoma, said Syria had shown flexibility by attending the Annapolis conference.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Syria has shown it is not as ideological as some in the U.S. administration (who initially opposed inviting it to Annapolis) had thought. Syria has sent a message to its Hamas allies that it is willing to bargain (with the United States),&#8221; Landis said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>26 November 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/worldservice\/ondemand\/rams\/nh48195____2007.ram\">Explaining why Syria is going to Annapolis<\/a><br \/>\nBy <em>BBC World Service<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Syria has accepted an invitation by the USA to attend the Middle East conference in Annapolis. Syria said it would only take part if the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights was discussed. So why the change? Joshua Landis is the director of the Centre for Peace Studies at the University of Oklahoma.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>18 October 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/newsok.com\/article\/3150725?mp=1&amp;pg=1\">Syrian envoy decries lack of diplomacy<\/a><br \/>\nBy James S. Tyree, <em>NewsOK.com<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>AP Video Syrian ambassador Imad Moustapha (right), joins a panel discussion Wednesday with University of Oklahoma faculty Josh Landis<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>17 October 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/ipsnews.net\/news.asp?idnews=39698\">Rights Groups Fly By Ever Darker Night<\/a><br \/>\nBy Ali Gharib, <em>IPS<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;They never had any legal NGOs [non-government organisations]&#8221;, commented Joshua Landis, the co-director of the University of Oklahoma&#8217;s Centre for Peace Studies and author of the widely regarded Syria Comment blog. &#8220;You can fly by night, which can get you into trouble.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>26 September 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/uk.equilibri.net\/article\/7776\/Syria__internal_politics_after_the_re-election_of_Bashar_Assad\">Syria: internal politics after the re-election of Bashar Assad <\/a><br \/>\nBy Lorenzo Nannetti, <em>Equilibri<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Certainly, as is confirmed by Joshua Landis, analyst and expert in Syrian affairs that &#8220;Syrians have still not completely accepted this regime.&#8221;&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>20 September 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.scoop.co.nz\/stories\/HL0709\/S00384.htm\">Israel&#8217;s Syria Incursion<\/a><br \/>\nBy Sol Salbe, <em>Scoop<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Of course, even if Olmert\u00b4s does not tell the Knesset anything the fact remains that without any proof of provocation this remains an aggressive violation of another country\u00b4s air space. Larry Derfner touched on the subject in a Jerusalem Post column (reproduced in Josh Landis Blog):<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For once, Israelis seem to believe that Syria is telling the truth &#8211; that Israeli jets invaded Syria&#8217;s airspace last Thursday&#8230; &#8220;The reason Israelis believe the Syrian story is because if it wasn&#8217;t true, Israel would deny it. Why would Israel deny it? Because countries aren&#8217;t supposed to fly their jets into another country&#8217;s airspace without permission. It&#8217;s considered an invasion. An act of aggression. It gives the invaded country a causus belli &#8211; a justification to strike back.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>22 September 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.atimes.com\/atimes\/Middle_East\/II22Ak06.html\">Shots in the dark over Syria&#8217;s skies<\/a><br \/>\nBy Sami Moubayed, <em>Asia Times<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, a professor at Oklahoma University who is an expert on Syrian affairs and runs Syriacomment.com, said: &#8220;Bolton represents the crowd that is very distressed that the US has declared defeat in North Korea by trusting the North Koreans. They would like to scuttle that agreement.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>20 September 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thejewishweek.com\/features\/war_fears_rise_syria_border\">War Fears Rise On Syria Border<\/a><br \/>\nBy Stewart Ain and Larry Cohler Esses, <em>The Jewish Week<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>A poll released Tuesday by Yediot Achronot, Israel\u2019s biggest-selling paper, showed that a plurality of the Israeli public \u2014 32 percent \u2014 consider war with Syria now more likely. Only 13 percent believed Israel\u2019s operation had decreased the odds for war.<\/p>\n<p>But that pessimism is not shared by many other Middle East experts. In fact, University of Oklahoma Syria specialist Joshua Landis says everything he knows about Syria tells him war remains highly unlikely.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSyria would be devastated in a war,\u201d he said. \u201cAssad\u2019s legitimacy rests on two things: stability and security. If Syria engaged in any adventure with Israel, [its] economic growth would be wiped out and Bashar would fail on his two claims to popularity.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>19 September 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ipsnews.net\/news.asp?idnews=39304\">Neocons Tie N. Korea to Israeli Strike on Syria<\/a><br \/>\nBy Khody Akhavi, <em>International Press Service<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Bolton represents the crowd that is very distressed that the U.S. has declared defeat in North Korea by trusting the North Koreans. They would like to scuttle that agreement,&#8221; wrote Syria expert Josh Landis, on his widely-read blog, www.syriacomment.com.&#8221;While doing it, anything they can dredge up to boost the notion of weapons transfers between Korea and Syria and Iran will be icing on the cake. Israeli planes were trying to get the goods,&#8221; he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Bolton represents the crowd that is very distressed that the U.S. has declared defeat in North Korea by trusting the North Koreans. They would like to scuttle that agreement,&#8221; wrote Syria expert Josh Landis, on his widely-read blog, www.syriacomment.com.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;While doing it, anything they can dredge up to boost the notion of weapons transfers between Korea and Syria and Iran will be icing on the cake. Israeli planes were trying to get the goods,&#8221; he wrote.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>17 September 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.aina.org\/news\/2007091794716.htm\">Jordan, Syria Reach Their Limit of Iraqi Refugees<\/a><br \/>\nBy Mark McKinnon, <em>The Globe and Mail<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Though Syria&#8217;s security apparatus is similar to Mr. Hussein&#8217;s old regime in Iraq &#8211; which for all its horrors kept a lid on sectarian violence &#8211; Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and part-time resident of Damascus who teaches at the University of Oklahoma, said that there already have been incidents suggesting that might not last, including tit-for-tat kidnappings and at least one gunfight in which a number of Syrian policemen were killed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>13 September 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.iran-press-service.com\/ips\/articles-2007\/september-2007\/israel_syria_13907.shtml\">Did Israel Destroy Iranian-Syrian Missile Production Facilities?<\/a><br \/>\nBy Safa Haeri, <em>Iran Press Service<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cNorth Korea may be cooperating with Syria on some sort of nuclear facility in Syria, according to new intelligence the United States has gathered over the past six months, sources said. The evidence, said to come primarily from Israel, includes dramatic satellite imagery that led some U.S. officials to believe that the facility could be used to produce material for nuclear weapons\u201d, Joshua Landis, the author of the interesting blog \u201cSyria Comment\u201d, reported on Thursday<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>13 September 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.latimes.com\/news\/nationworld\/world\/la-fg-arabs11sep11,0,5893952.story?coll=la-home-world\">Among Arab nations, an atmosphere on edge<\/a><br \/>\nBy Jeffrey Fleishman, <em>Los Angeles Times<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Syria has reached a decisive moment in its regional politics,&#8221; said Joshua Landis, co-director of the Center of Peace Studies at the University of Oklahoma. &#8220;As it becomes clear that the U.S. must begin withdrawing from Iraq . . . Syria must decide what policy it will pursue toward a post-American Iraq. Will it side with Iran in supporting a Shiite government or will it side with Saudi Arabia in supporting the Sunni opposition?&#8221;&#8230;.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>7 September 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.prospectsforpeace.com\/2007\/09\/piecing_together_whats_just_ha.html\">Piecing Together What&#8217;s Just Happened between Israel and Syria<\/a><br \/>\nBy Daniel Levy,<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Today, Josh Landis has a fascinating post on his well-respected Syria Comment blog entitled &#8220;Is Israel Looking for Korean Weapons in Syria?&#8221;. Landis reminds us that less than a week ago, John Bolton was writing in the Wall Street Journal against the current diplomatic efforts with North Korea, and raised the claim that Syria may be providing &#8220;safe havens for North Korea&#8217;s nuclear weapons development, or may have already participated with or benefited from it.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>6 September 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/kpfk.org\/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=2101&amp;Itemid=135&amp;lang=en\">Killing civilians in Afghanistan<\/a><br \/>\nBy Jon Wiener, <em>KPFK &#8211; Pacifica Radio Los Angeles<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/archive.kpfk.org\/parchive\/m3u.php?mp3fil=20962\">Listen here.<\/a>(Go to 4:30 minutes into the broadcast.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>22 August 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/templates\/transcript\/transcript.php?storyId=12635901\">Iran and Syria: An Alliance Shaped by Murual Foes<\/a><br \/>\nBy Deborah Amos, <em>NPR<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Saddam Hussein not only started a war against Iran, he was supporting anti-Syrian elements \u2014 the Muslim Brotherhood \u2014 here. So both regimes were threatened. They had to come together and be against Saddam Hussein,&#8221; says Josh Landis, co-director of the Center for Peace Studies at the University of Oklahoma and assistant professor of Middle Eastern Studies in the School of International and Area Studies.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a classic balance of power game. When Iraq is strong and threatens both countries, the two neighbors, Syria and Iran, have to come together and protect themselves,&#8221; Landis says. The Iran-Syria alliance drifted apart in the 1990s when Saddam was weak, but Landis says that in 2003, Iraq became a threat again.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>9 August 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.aliraqi.org\/forums\/showthread.php?t=77644\">Syria To Crackdown Tougher On Web Sites<\/a><br \/>\nBy Joseph S. Mayton, <em>aliraqi<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Cairo, Egypt (AHN) &#8211; The Syrian Ministry of Information has promised that a new media law will be &#8220;issued soon,&#8221; and that it will include clear restrictions on electronic media. According to reports from the country, the new law will continue to restrict the use of the Internet for disseminating information. Already, Damascus has stopped blogspot from being used in the country and plans on making it difficult for users to have comments pages on their blogs.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is hard to believe that Syria would want to close down all websites with comment sections. Already all Blogspot blogs have been blocked in Syria. They can still be read through Bloglines or any other RSS feed, but the comment sections are not so easily accessed,&#8221; Joshua Landis, Co-director at the Center of Peace Studies, University of Oklahoma, wrote on his blog.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>23 July 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.upi.com\/International_Intelligence\/Analysis\/2007\/07\/23\/analysis_all_quiet_on_the_mideast_front\/3956\/\">Analysis: All quiet on the Mideast front?<\/a><br \/>\nBy Claude Salhani, <em>United Press International<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The next few months could be &#8220;fateful&#8221; for Syria, according to the country&#8217;s president, Bashar Assad, as quoted by the usually very well informed Internet blog, SyriaComment.com.<\/p>\n<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The situation is likely to get worse before it gets better,&#8221; writes Joshua Landis, co-director of the Center for Peace Studies at the University of Oklahoma, publisher of the SyriaComment blog, who is currently visiting Syria. The next few months &#8220;will be a waiting game and the hatches have all been battened down,&#8221; writes Landis.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>2 July 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/globalpolitician.com\/23021-iraq\">Regional Powerplays and Shifting Sectarian Dynamics in Iraq<\/a><br \/>\nBy Timothy Brown, <em>Global Politician<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, a leading expert on Syrian affairs, says \u201cSecretary of State Condoleezza Rice\u2019s recent meeting with Syrian foreign minister, Walid Moualem, at the conference on Iraq held at Sharm-el Sheik has\u2026complicated Saudi Arabia\u2019s efforts to draw Syria away from Iranian influence.\u201d Saudi Arabia\u2026is looking to bring Syria back into an Arab consensus, and to contain Iranian influence in the Arab world by breaking Syria\u2019s isolation and trying to woo it away from Iran. The Harari court stands in the way of that process. Severing the Iran-Syria nexus has vast strategic implications for the region because as Joshua Landis further states that \u201cIn order to contain Iran, Saudi Arabia understands that it needs Arab unity, and most important in that Arab unity is Syria, because Iran\u2019s reach into the Arab world is through Syria. Hezbollah is armed through Syria. The arms come largely from Iran, but arms cannot be sent through airports, or by ships, because Israeli intelligence will stop them. Therefore the only way to get arms into Lebanon is over the mountains and through the valleys of the border of Syria.\u201d The Saudi assertion is that continuing to isolate Syria only allows them to side with Iran; however, any Saudi-Syrian talks would be divergent of the policy of its main ally, the United States.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>21 June 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cfr.org\/publication\/13643\/smiles_in_damascus_and_tehran.html?breadcrumb=%252F\">Smiles in Damascus and Tehran<\/a><br \/>\nBy Lionel Beehner, <em>Council on Foreign Relations<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Iran is seeking a stronger foothold in the Middle East, and as Joshua Landis of the University of Oklahoma points out in this interview with Bernard Gwertzman, \u201cIran\u2019s reach into the Arab world is through Syria.\u201d The rest of the Arab world\u2014and specifically Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan\u2014is worried by what it perceives as an encroachment of Iranian influence in the region\u2014the so-called Shiite crescent. \u201c[L]ast summer&#8217;s war between Israel and Hezbollah showed the reach of Tehran&#8217;s influence,\u201d writes CFR\u2019s Vali R. Nasr in <em>TIME<\/em>. \u201cIran supported Hezbollah and supplied it with sophisticated weaponry, and not surprisingly basked in the glory of its perceived victory to overshadow the Sunni regimes that had condemned the Shiite movement.\u201d Both regimes are further emboldened, argues Barry Rubin of the Global Research in International Affairs Center, by what they perceive as growing U.S. weakness in the region. \u201cThe Syrians and Iranians believe the United States, in [former Ayatollah] Khomeini\u2019s terms, \u2018cannot do a damn thing\u2019,\u201d Rubin told <em>Global Politician<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>8 May 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cfr.org\/syria\/landis-rices-meeting-syrian-foreign-minister-produced-little\/p13293\">Landis: Rice\u2019s Meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Produced Little <\/a><br \/>\nBy Bernard Gwertzman, <em>Council on Foreign Relations<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, a leading expert on Syrian affairs, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice\u2019s meeting last week with the Syrian foreign minister produced little of substance. He says the chief reason for this is U.S. determination to press Syria to go along with the special tribunal on the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005, in which Syria is widely believed to have played a leading role. He says the plans for a tribunal have also complicated Saudi Arabia\u2019s efforts to draw Syria away from Iranian influence.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>17 June 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sfgate.com\/cgi-bin\/article.cgi?file=\/chronicle\/archive\/2007\/06\/17\/MNG56QGQEI1.DTL&amp;type=politics\">Mideast surprise: Changes are astir<\/a><br \/>\nBy Amr Emam, <em>San Francisco Chronicle<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Countries like Egypt took steps forward,&#8221; said Joshua Landis, an assistant professor of history at the University of Oklahoma. &#8220;But soon these countries took steps backward.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>4 April 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.kcrw.com\/news\/programs\/tp\/tp070404british_marines_and_\">British Marines and Sailors Are on Their Way Home<\/a><br \/>\nBy Warren Olney, <em>KCRW<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><object width=\"424\" height=\"268\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" codebase=\"http:\/\/download.macromedia.com\/pub\/shockwave\/cabs\/flash\/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http:\/\/www.kcrw.com\/news\/programs\/tp\/tp070404british_marines_and_\/embed-audio\"><\/object><\/p>\n<p>Iran today abruptly announced the release of 14 men and one woman captured in disputed waters a week and a half ago. Britain did not concede they trespassed on Iranian waters. Tony Blair said the release was accomplished without confrontation&#8211;or negotiation. Was there a deal or did Iran provide a surprise &#8220;gift&#8221; to the British people, as its president claimed? Was the US involved in a swap for Iranians held in Iraq? Also, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi conducts international diplomacy in Syria. Is she undermining President Bush or is it time for a breakthrough?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>2 April 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/lobe\/?articleid=10754\">Tough Week for Bush&#8217;s Middle East Strategy<\/a><br \/>\nBy Jim Lobe, <em>antiwar.com<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;King Abdullah has come to the conclusion that only Arab unity can restore the regional balance of power [that has been] so skewed in Iran&#8217;s favor by the destruction of Saddam&#8217;s Arabist regime,&#8221; wrote Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at University of Oklahoma, on his blog. &#8220;To do this, Saudi Arabia must reach an accommodation with Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas; it cannot destroy them, as the U.S. recommends.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>2 April 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/fr.groups.yahoo.com\/group\/MOpin\/message\/10634\">Les tensions avec Ryad mettent Washington en <\/a><br \/>\nBy , <em>L&#8217;Orient-Le Jour<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Selon Joshua Landis, un expert du Center of Peace Studies de l&#8217;Universit\u00e9 de l&#8217;Oklahoma, en qualifiant d&#8217;\u00ab ill\u00e9gitime \u00bb la pr\u00e9sence de troupes am\u00e9ricaines en Irak, le roi Abdallah s&#8217;est pos\u00e9 comme le champion d&#8217;un nouveau panarabisme, destin\u00e9 \u00e0 contenir la mont\u00e9e de l&#8217;influence de l&#8217;Iran dans la r\u00e9gion. Le roi est d\u00e9j\u00e0 parvenu \u00e0 la conclusion que le plan du pr\u00e9sident George W. Bush en Irak \u00e9tait vou\u00e9 \u00e0 l&#8217;\u00e9chec et cherche \u00e0 \u00e9loigner la Syrie de l&#8217;Iran pour ramener le r\u00e9gime de Damas dans le giron arabe, explique cet expert. \u00ab Le roi Abdallah a annonc\u00e9 qu&#8217;il cherchait \u00e0 adopter une nouvelle politique irakienne, une politique destin\u00e9e \u00e0 une nouvelle phase postam\u00e9ricaine en Irak et une politique qui doit \u00eatre coordonn\u00e9e avec la Syrie \u00bb, ajoute-t-il, rappelant que le souverain saoudien a eu deux entretiens avec le pr\u00e9sident syrien Bachar el-Assad en marge du sommet de Ryad.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>5 February 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.kuow.org\/defaultProgram.asp?ID=12196\">Syria, War, and Diplomacy<\/a><br \/>\nBy Steve Scher, <em>KUOW<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kuow.org\/mp3high\/m3u\/WeekdayA\/weekdaya20070205.m3u\">Listen Here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230;&#8221;Today we&#8217;ll talk to Imad Moustapha, the Syrian Ambassador to the United States, and Joshua Landis, a leading Syria expert.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>1 February 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.alseyassah.com\/alseyassah\/PDF\/07\/Feb\/01\/37.pdf\">Joshua Landis to &#8216;Al-Seyassa:&#8217; Bush will not Heed Baker and Hamilton&#8217;s Advise<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Al-Seyassa, Kuwait, (39th Year) Issue No (13736)<\/p>\n<p>(Article in Arabic)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>5 January 2007<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/news.monstersandcritics.com\/middleeast\/features\/article_1240126.php\/Outside_View_Golan_key_to_peace\">Outside View: Golan, key to peace<\/a><br \/>\nBy Claude Salhani, <em>United Press International<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8230; &#8220;SyriaComment.com, Joshua Landis` respected and authoritative blog, reports that the Syrian government-run daily newspaper Ath-Thawra&#8230;&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<ul class=\"news_archive_list\">\n<li>Browse Archive By Year<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/\">Current<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2018\/\">2018<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2017\/\">2017<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2016\/\">2016<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2015\/\">2015<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2014\/\">2014<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2013\/\">2013<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2012\/\">2012<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2011\/\">2011<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2010\/\">2010<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2009\/\">2009<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2008\/\">2008<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"active\" href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/\">2007<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2006\/\">2006<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2005\/\">2005<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2004\/\">2004<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Browse Archive By Year Current 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 11 December 2007 US Officials To Meet With Arch Foes &#8211; Iran and Syria By Infolive.tv Joshua Landis, a leading Syria expert, who publishes &#8220;Syria Comment&#8221; was quoted in a recent article saying, &#8221; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":21998,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8848","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.8.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Landis in the News 2007 - Syria Comment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Landis in the News 2007 - Syria Comment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Browse Archive By Year Current 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 11 December 2007 US Officials To Meet With Arch Foes &#8211; Iran and Syria By Infolive.tv Joshua Landis, a leading Syria expert, who publishes &#8220;Syria Comment&#8221; was quoted in a recent article saying, &#8221; [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Syria Comment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-01-09T18:12:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@joshua_landis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/\",\"name\":\"Landis in the News 2007 - Syria Comment\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2011-03-29T04:42:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-01-09T18:12:38+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Landis in the News\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Landis in the News 2007\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Syria Comment\",\"description\":\"Syrian politics, history, and religion\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Landis in the News 2007 - Syria Comment","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Landis in the News 2007 - Syria Comment","og_description":"Browse Archive By Year Current 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 11 December 2007 US Officials To Meet With Arch Foes &#8211; 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