Syrians demand military action to reclaim Golan Heights

[ECH1969]

Pressure is mounting on Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, to follow Hizbollah's example and consider force to eject Israel from Syrian land that it has occupied for nearly 40 years.

The public appetite for action is just one of the uncomfortable consequences regional rulers are facing, as Arabs compare their leaders' performances over Israel with the Lebanese "resistance".

Mr Assad, who supports Hizbollah, was quick to praise the militia's "victory" in a post-conflict speech and to bathe in its reflected glory.

Their deeds, he said, had "shattered the myth of an invincible army". But his rhetoric has turned public attention once again to the problem of the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in 1967 and annexed in 1981.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/18/wmid18.xml

[whistle]

1. This will be the big one Bush and Cheney have been waiting for

[IndianaGreen]

4. We are over-stretched

Our armies are bogged down in Iraq just as the Pentagon war planners are finalizing their PowerPoint presentation of the invasion of Iran.

Syria's best hope is to open negotiations with Israel and offer a peace treaty in exchange for the Golan. Israel will probably demand that Syria stop its support of Hezbollah. If Assad is smart, he will agree to this!

[papau]

10. Both Israel and Syria want that peace treaty &all but one detail is done

Israel wants the border to be a few hundred feet away from the water at all points so Syria can not turn the water supply off as they have in the past -

and Syria wants the waters edge - all of the waters edge.

Obvious compromise is Israel gets part of waters edge, say a half mile around only - and Syria gets the rest - and the compromise needs only Bush to push it - and he has not done so for 5 years.

[IronLionZion]

12. There's no negotiating for the golan heights

It's just too important strategically. As long as Israel controls it, it is a strong defense against invasion by Syria.

I consider myself very liberal in giving up occupied land: west bank, gaza, shebaa farms, even East Jerusalem, but I would never ask Israel to give up it's occupation of the Golan Heights. That move would seriously threaten the existence of the state of Israel.

[elliswyatt]

16. there wouldn't be an invasion if Syria had Jolan

They're not stupid enough to even try, especially without Egypt. This idea is just alarmist Zionist propoganda.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

25. Please, tell us more...

...about the evil Zionists.

[plasticsundance]

23. According to Seymour Hersh

Israel was ready to discuss the Golan Heights with Syria in 2003, and Washington suggested that Israel shouldn't. I guess it would have destroyed the neocon plan of conquest in the ME:

SEYMOUR hERSH: So it's been an amazingly horrific performance by this White House, which is of par. You know, I don't think any of us -- I certainly won't breathe easy until we get to 2009, inauguration of a new president. But there's just no question that if we were to approach Syria right now, something else I didn't write at the time -- that's because I wasn't writing about it -- I don't think there's any question that Israel was interested in talking to Syria in ’03, even about the Golan Heights, which is a tough issue for them, and --

AMY GOODMAN: In fact, Sy --

SEYMOUR HERSH: Let me finish this. And we discouraged Israel from doing it.

more ...

[LiviaOlivia]

6. Isn't this Israel's water source?

This is all Bush's fault.

on edit: per the great Digby
"Bush is now caught in a trap of his own making"

Next thing you know he'll ask Clinton and Holbrooke to bail his ass out of this mess. And no I don't think he's a Rapturist. He's a fucking elitist. Money is his god.

[rockymountaindem]

2. Pfft. "Syrian land"

Not anymore, Assad. Your dad lost it on a roll of the dice, so it's not in the inheritance.

[tocqueville]

13. stolen land

United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 (December 17, 1981) calls on Israel to rescind its annexation of the Golan Heights. The most important provision is "the Israeli decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights is null and void and without international legal effect" (section 1).

[rockymountaindem]

14. I wouldn't call it stolen

Israel won that land in a war begun by the Syrians. Should there be no consequences for the Syrians for having initiated aggressive war against Israel? Israel does not call the Heights annexed in the Golan Heights Law. Israel needs the Heights to defend itself from attack along that border, as it is the only high ground in that region and Syria successfully used it as a launching point for attacks on Israel. I see no reason why Israel should give up that land.

[elliswyatt]

15. Israel fought to steal it

Why shouldn't Asad and the Syrians want to fight to get it back?

I'm not supporting it, but I think some sort of reasonable Jolan settlement should be in place for there to be a glimpse of hope for peace in the future. Jolan is mistakenly a primary important issue for most Syrians, even the younger ones.

[BushOut06]

19. How did Israel fight to steal it?

Unless you mean that Israel instigated the Six-Day war for the sole purpose of stealing land from Syria and Egypt.

[azurnoir]

Not to be disagreeable

but Syria did not initiate the war, it was a toss up between Egypt and Israel and yes, Israel may have won but how long does punishment last? The refusal of both sides to give up old grudges is why progress in that region has been 1 step forward 2 steps bac

[Zynx]

21. Egypt and Syria together planned a war against Israel for months.

Israel struck first in order to survive, but there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the invasion was coming.

[elliswyatt]

17. how come

so many DUers support almost anything the UN says, but when it comes to Israel things are different?

I mean this in all seriousness. I am sorta new here.

Seems like on this issue there is such a divide.

[Barrett808]

20. Welcome to DU, ellis!

:hi:

[Pavulon]

3. Good luck with that...(nt)

[Redstone]

5. Yup. Just puffery and bullshit to feed the masses.

Redstone

[azurnoir]

9. Hopefully n/t

[PurityOfEssence]

7. Stupid stupid stupid

Puffing up after a moment of quasi-success to strut and fret and inflame the world is something only REAL tough guys can do. Maybe your daddy could pull this off, but you're a nobody, Bashar.

Syria should lie low at this point, not stick sticks in the eyes of wounded animals.

[DavidDvorkin]

8. This is a dangerous game for Assad

And I don't mean confronting Israel.

Dictatorships have to be careful with an emotional public. Their hatred often doesn't remain aimed at the outside enemy. Once that beast is uncaged, it can be hard to control.

[nam78_two]

11. Oh Jeez

what is wrong with all these leaders :(?

Why does EVERYONE everywhere seem to want war?

[Amonester]

18. Sadly, it's always been that way in History.

And it seems it's gonna be that way, until this species own demise.

There must be some genes involved in this. How we wish there could be a way to eliminate them before the last war wipes us all away from the surface of this planet.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[independentpiney]

24. If Bashir is gives in to public pressure

and pits the Syrian military against Israel in a conventional operation, the rise in Arab confidence Hezbollah has created will be quickly reversed.

[Snivi Yllom]

26. Syrian is guity of Imperialism in Lebanon

Before Syria starts whining about land they lost in a war they helped instigate, they should stop emddling in Lebanon.


That goes for Iran as well.