Cairo deepens Syria isolation
 Posted on 8/21/2006
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

USUALLY high moral principles and prestige help Arab leaders to remain patient and give a measured response. However, the current situation has forced Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to break the circle of patience and give an angry warning to the President of Syria Dr Bashar Al-Assad advising him to stop making cheap claims and interfering in the affairs of Lebanon. President Mubarak, who is well-known for remaining calm even under trying situations, has preferred to reply in the name of all wise Arab leaders, who were recently criticized by Al-Assad.

The conclusion we can derive from the Egyptian President’s response is that both Damascus and Tehran don’t have any useful objective except causing the destruction of Lebanon and Iraq. The Iranian regime, which doesn’t respect life and cannot bear the prosperity of anyone, has given the people of Lebanon a paltry $150 million for braving Israeli bombs and missiles for over 30 days. What a cheap price for precious lives and heavy losses?

Iran’s propaganda gimmick reminds us of Saddam Hussein, who used to offer a refrigerator to the families of his victims and ended his legacy by forming an army to liberate Jerusalem. Iran is currently following in the footsteps of Saddam by conducting military exercises as part of its preparations to face American and Israeli forces if they attack its nuclear installations. This also reminds us of the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser’s army parades. Abdul Nasser used to flaunt his military might by parading “Al-Qaher” and “Al-Zafer” missiles, which were made of cardboard. None of his military maneuvers helped Abdul Nasser avoid a disgraceful defeat in the 1967 war or prevent the destruction of Egypt’s economy.

President Mubarak has been unable to remain silent because the situation has gone beyond respectable limits, especially as the leadership of Dr Bashar, who inherited the mantle of his father, has been inappropriate and his silly stands can only bring more trouble to Arabs. By aligning with Tehran, Dr Bashar has enabled the Iranian dragon to enter Iraq and Lebanon. The presence of this dragon and its insatiable greed for revolution will never allow the region to achieve stability and security.

President Mubarak’s stern warning to Syria will further the isolation of Damascus. It will also prepare the ground for shifting the military confrontation to Syria and finally Iran leading to a war where the heads of snakes will be targeted.

e-mail: ahmedjarallah@hotmail.com
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