Syria's U.S. Ambassador Signals Strong Commitment to 'Land for Peace,' Urges U.S. Engagement in Talk

[Violet_Crumble]

Richard Silverstein
July 31st 2008

Ori Nir, communications director of Americans for Peace Now, interviewed Imad Moustapha (audio), Syria's U.S. ambassador, about the current Syria-Israel peace negotiations being brokered by Turkey. Moustapha made an impressive pitch that confirmed the seriousness of the talks and of Syria's commitment to their success. Here he makes the case that Syria not only holds the key to peace on Israel's northern border, but with other Arab nations as well:

Syria plays the role of the gatekeeper between Israel and the rest of the Arab world. If Israel wants to make peace with the Arab world, Israel needs to understand this legitimate demand based on the premise of land for peace.

One might quarrel with this assessment and say that he's overstating Syria's importance. But when you realize that Syria holds the key to the involvement of so many players including Hezbollah, and by extension Lebanon, and even Iran, his claim becomes somewhat more credible.

Nir asked Moustapha why U.S. involvement in the talks is so important to his country. The ambassador replied that he doesn't expect the U.S. to become involved in the nitty gritty of the negotiations. But its role would be to help "provide guarantees" and "help create momentum" that would lead to negotiating and signing an agreement. Because Syria understands that such peace negotiations would lead to a "new paradigm" in relations among the front line states, U.S. engagement is critical to ensure the success of such a transition. He means that if Syria is to turn away from current alliances with Hezbollah and Iran, that Syria will expect the U.S. to "pick up the slack" by opening trade, restoring relations, and even guaranteeing Syria's security if attacked by any of its enemies or former friends.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-silverstein/syrias-us-ambassador-sign_b_116005.html