{"id":655,"date":"2008-04-07T17:33:21","date_gmt":"2008-04-07T17:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?p=655"},"modified":"2008-04-07T17:42:16","modified_gmt":"2008-04-07T17:42:16","slug":"655","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/","title":{"rendered":"News Round Up (7 April 2008)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Syrian Pres Says Ready To Help Lebanon Overcome Crisis
<\/a>AFP – 2008-04-07  <\/p>\n

\n

S\"Assadyria "stands ready to provide all possible help which the Lebanese could request, to guarantee security and stability in Lebanon," Assad said, according to the official SANA news agency.<\/p>\n

Assad made the remarks during talks with Lebanese parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri.<\/p>\n

The Syrian president also expressed support for "an internal Lebanese dialogue" saying such talks between Beirut's feuding politicians would help resolve the crisis that has plagued Lebanon for more than a year.<\/p>\n

After the two-hour meeting, Berri told reporters that Syria was putting "no conditions" on the inter-Lebanese talks which he has been trying to organise.<\/p>\n

Berri said the visit to Damascus had provided him "with a new boost to launch a dialogue in Lebanon aimed at electing… General Michel Sleiman to the Lebanese presidency" — a reference to the Lebanese army chief.<\/p>\n

Berri's spokesman Ali Hamdan had earlier said that the speaker intends to gather Lebanon's political leaders for talks before April 22 when parliament is due to convene for a fresh attempt to elect a president.\\<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Naharnet writes<\/a>: <\/p>\n

\n

High-ranking Syrian officials have informed Moussa that the Arab initiative could be implemented following approval of three suggestions:<\/p>\n

1- Formation of a neutral, transitional government.
2- Agreement on the 1960 electoral law.
3- Agreement on a consensus president.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

From Beirut to the Beltway<\/a> writes: "It pains me to see that Berri's latest call for dialogue is not being met with across the board rejection from March 14. We have heard a few voices, but it looks like at least Jumblatt and Gemayel are willing to humor Berri… How the hell are you going to "win this war" while keeping Berri in charge of you?"<\/p>\n

Run on Rice Prompts Exporters to Pare Sales Rivaling Credit Market Seizure <\/a><\/p>\n

\n

From Cairo to New Delhi to Shanghai, the run on rice is threatening to disrupt worldwide food supplies as much as the scarcity of confidence on Wall Street earlier this year roiled credit markets. <\/p>\n

Rice, the staple food for half the world, rose 2 percent to a record $20.910 per 100 pounds in Chicago today, double the price a year ago and a fivefold increase from 2001. It may reach $22 by November.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Ehsani alerted me to the rice crisis and explains: "The reason I sent you that rice story was because its price went up 200% in Syria over the past two weeks from syp 20 to syp 70. Egypt decided to stop its exports." Rice merchants report a dramatic fall in sales as consumers shift to alternative grains, such as the old Syrian staple, burghal.<\/p>\n

Persistant rumors that Asef Shawkat has fallen from grace continue to be recycled in the press. This time they have surpassed Assiyassa and other rumor mills to be picked up by Ya Lubnan, the Jerusalem Post, etc. Last Friday I spoke to a journalist at a world class radio station for over an hour about this story. He said he only needed to confirm that Shawkat had not been seen in public for a few weeks in order to go with the story. I said that I did not believe it because we have heard this rumor for over two years and it has never been true. When I see some proof, I will believe it. Here is naharnet:  Khaddam: Assef Shawkat Under House Arrest<\/a>, and here is The Jerusalem Post<\/a> – <\/p>\n

\n

Israeli intelligence experts downplayed media reports on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar Assad had fired his intelligence chief and placed him under house arrest due to his failure to prevent the February assassination of Hizbullah arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyeh. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Of course, one of these days it will be true, just as the little boy who cried wolf eventually did have a wolf eat one of his sheep. In the mean time, it is a story that is invoked by opponents of Syria in the hope that the presidential family will begin knocking themselves off and to bolster those who argue that Western powers need not engage Damascus.<\/p>\n

Ready for everything but peace<\/a>
By Zvi Bar'el<\/a><\/sub><\/p>\n

\n

Two important headlines appeared in the official Syrian press last Thursday. A day after the big scare that engulfed the Israeli media, which reported on the possibility of war with Syria, the calling up of armored divisions and the movement of large military units that could not be explained, Bashar Assad had different worries: He issued an important decree on the supervision of construction irregularities in Syria. <\/p>\n

Another report dealt with the great success of the Arab League summit in Damascus. Editorials in Syria discussed peace between Israel and the Palestinians, U.S. policy in the Middle East, and the need for an Arab embargo on Israel, which is not willing to adopt the Arab peace initiative. War between Syria and Israel? An Israeli attack on Syria? Readiness for a conflagration this summer? Not a word. <\/p>\n

In Israel, on the other hand, there was fear and trepidation. Once more the magic word is whispered: miscalculation. In other words, if Assad doesn't comprehend Israel's moves, or Israel fails to understand Assad's moves, or Hezbollah does not understand Israel's intent, suddenly a shot is fired, a shell, a counteraction, and suddenly, with no intention, there is a regional war. So the generals and political advisers are rushing to calm things down, rushed messages are issued to and from Damascus: Everything to make it clear that there is no – definitely no – room for worries. Maybe it will be a different war, but not one of miscalculation. Not this time. <\/p>\n

The question isn't whether Syria is sufficiently strong to embark on a war with Israel, or whether Israel is prepared to respond, because Syria had gone to wars with Israel when it seemed it was not ready for them. And Israel, too, went to war a year and a half ago when it was not prepared. Israel's deterrent force also is not enough, because if Syria had really moved divisions to the border, that would have signaled that Israel's deterrent strength does not have an effect on it. <\/p>\n

The point is the ease with which the mercury rises in the war thermometer between the two countries; even worse is the absence of a real mechanism for preventing such a miscalculation. The reason for this lies in the Israeli paradox that stems from a serious absence of common sense. It argues that as long as Syria is very weak it poses no threat, so there is no need to make peace with it. But if Syria is really a threat and is planning war, what is the meaning of the panic that miscalculation may lead to war? The other side of that paradox states that only when Syria is powerful and threatening is it worthwhile to make peace.<\/p>\n

The main problem is that this paradox only examines relations between Israel and Syria through the prism of battle and not through a diplomatic prism. Peace with Syria is perceived as a tactical step, and the most important aspect is to avoid any miscalculation. If an alternative means were available, a hotline between Damascus and Jerusalem, for example, then there would be no need for peace. But to withdraw from the Golan Heights for a hotline, that is surely too heavy a price to pay. <\/p>\n

The result is that Israel is seeking an appropriate tactical return for peace with Syria. Peace in and of itself is simply not "worth it." Peace with an Arab state that also affects Hezbollah, controls events in Lebanon, has close ties with Iran and close allies like Turkey, is party to the Arab initiative and will announce in advance any military maneuver it plans to carry out, and would invite Israeli observers – peace with such a state is considered by Israel as an empty peace. <\/p>\n

Israel first wants a strategic change in the Middle East – that Iran breaks ties with Syria, that the Hamas leadership is evicted from Damascus, and that Hassan Nasrallah converts to Judaism. Only then will it "grant" Syria peace. Peace with Syria according to Israel needs to be a not-very-significant by-product, instead of the means by which strategic change is brought about. <\/p>\n

This Israeli dream will not come true. Instead, every Arab or Israeli newspaper could rally a panel of Israeli generals that will make it clear that war with Syria is not going to happen. Nor is peace, God forbid. At most, there will be some kind of miscalculation. After all, as the deputy chief of staff said, we are ready for any eventuality. Except for that of peace. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Syrian Pres Says Ready To Help Lebanon Overcome CrisisAFP – 2008-04-07   Syria "stands ready to provide all possible help which the Lebanese could request, to guarantee security and stability in Lebanon," Assad said, according to the official SANA news agency. Assad made the remarks during talks with Lebanese parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","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,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,42,36,15,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-economics","category-ehsani","category-elections","category-israel","category-lebanon"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nNews Round Up (7 April 2008) - 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\/655\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"News Round Up (7 April 2008) - Syria Comment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Syrian Pres Says Ready To Help Lebanon Overcome CrisisAFP – 2008-04-07   Syria "stands ready to provide all possible help which the Lebanese could request, to guarantee security and stability in Lebanon," Assad said, according to the official SANA news agency. Assad made the remarks during talks with Lebanese parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri. […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Syria Comment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2008-04-07T17:33:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2008-04-07T17:42:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.alalam.ir\/newspics\/2008\/04\/07\/20080407210504_be3.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joshua\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@joshua_landis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@joshua_landis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joshua\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/\",\"name\":\"News Round Up (7 April 2008) - Syria Comment\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.alalam.ir\/newspics\/2008\/04\/07\/20080407210504_be3.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2008-04-07T17:33:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2008-04-07T17:42:16+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.alalam.ir\/newspics\/2008\/04\/07\/20080407210504_be3.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.alalam.ir\/newspics\/2008\/04\/07\/20080407210504_be3.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News Round Up (7 April 2008)\"}]},{\"@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\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80\",\"name\":\"Joshua\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.joshualandis.com\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/joshua_landis\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/author\/syriacomment\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"News Round Up (7 April 2008) - 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\/655\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"News Round Up (7 April 2008) - Syria Comment","og_description":"Syrian Pres Says Ready To Help Lebanon Overcome CrisisAFP – 2008-04-07   Syria "stands ready to provide all possible help which the Lebanese could request, to guarantee security and stability in Lebanon," Assad said, according to the official SANA news agency. Assad made the remarks during talks with Lebanese parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri. […]","og_url":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/","og_site_name":"Syria Comment","article_published_time":"2008-04-07T17:33:21+00:00","article_modified_time":"2008-04-07T17:42:16+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.alalam.ir\/newspics\/2008\/04\/07\/20080407210504_be3.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Joshua","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@joshua_landis","twitter_site":"@joshua_landis","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Joshua","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/","url":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/","name":"News Round Up (7 April 2008) - Syria Comment","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.alalam.ir\/newspics\/2008\/04\/07\/20080407210504_be3.jpg","datePublished":"2008-04-07T17:33:21+00:00","dateModified":"2008-04-07T17:42:16+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/www.alalam.ir\/newspics\/2008\/04\/07\/20080407210504_be3.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.alalam.ir\/newspics\/2008\/04\/07\/20080407210504_be3.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/655\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News Round Up (7 April 2008)"}]},{"@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"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3b31d23576e1b8c0928811e638957c80","name":"Joshua","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.joshualandis.com","https:\/\/x.com\/joshua_landis"],"url":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/author\/syriacomment\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s38J3A-655","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}