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By Joel Brinkley
Who's the world's most dangerous man?
You might think it's Kim Jong-il, the psychopath-leader of North Korea who frequently blusters about using his half-dozen nuclear weapons. Or, perhaps, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the diabolical leader of Iran, sworn enemy of Israel and the West who is working as fast as he can to build a bomb of his own.
Those two are obvious contenders. But my choice is Bashar al-Assad, Syria's duplicitous dictator, precisely because he has duped presidents and prime ministers into believing he is their indispensable friend -- even as he kills American troops, collects weapons of mass destruction and serves as the supply master for terrorist groups.
Even now, as his own people have at last taken to the streets to challenge his rule, prompting him to shoot and kill scores of them, Washington's criticism remains equivocal. A few days ago, President Obama remarked, "I strongly condemn the abhorrent violence committed" by "the Syrian government." But then he added: "I also condemn any use of violence by protestors." So both sides are equal offenders?
A few weeks ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remarked that Syria's leader is entirely different from Muammar Qaddafi, the embattled Libyan leader, because "many of the members of
Less than a week after that absurd remark, Clinton's own department sent a letter to congressional leaders noting that "the flow" of terrorists crossing from Syria into Iraq, intent on killing American troops, "has lessened, though not ended." (Obviously embarrassed, Clinton's more recent statements have been tougher.)
Clinton is hardly the first senior official to be irrationally enamored of Syria. When he was secretary of state, Henry Kissinger famously remarked that "there can be no war without Egypt and no peace without Syria." Last month, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said she told Assad, "the road to Damascus is the road to peace."
Where do these delusional views come from? For many years now, Washington has worked under the premise that, while Syria is unquestionably problematic, it is at least stable. Who knows whether another government might be worse -- the "devil you know" rule of foreign policy.
But how could any new government be worse? Consider the range of Assad's various extracurricular activities. Since the Iraq war's beginning, he has been the best friend of Islamic extremists transiting into Iraq. They've crossed the Syrian border by the busload, in full view of U.S. spy satellites.
He sells missiles to
Khaled Mashal, the
So I wonder why Washington is taking such an ambivalent posture toward Syria's uprising, even with Assad's hollow promise on Saturday to lift his emergency law. Compare Syria to the other states in turmoil. Egypt was Washington's best friend in the region. Tunisia's leader was praised for his cooperation with anti-terror investigations, as was Yemen's. Libya gave up its nuclear and chemical-weapons programs at Washington's urging. Bahrain is home to the
In fact, all of the other nations in play have tried to be American allies. To be sure, all of them have horribly oppressed their own people, But in recent years none have openly worked against Washington, as Syria does even now.
Why is Syria more dangerous than Iran or North Korea?
Last year, the Obama administration sent a new ambassador to Damascus, hoping to improve relations. The Bush administration had recalled the ambassador in 2005. Well, the very day after Obama made that announcement, Assad hosted a major, ceremonial state visit for none other than Ahamadinejad, the president of Iran. The timing was no accident.
Joel Brinkley, a professor of journalism at
Available at Amazon.com:
Aftermath: Following the Bloodshed of America's Wars in the Muslim World
Displacement and Dispossession in the Modern Middle East (The Contemporary Middle East)
The End of History and the Last Man
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
The Tragedy of Great Power Politics
The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War Between States and Corporations?
Running Out of Water: The Looming Crisis and Solutions to Conserve Our Most Precious Resource
Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water
Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization
At War with the Weather: Managing Large-Scale Risks in a New Era of Catastrophes
Friendly Fire: Losing Friends and Making Enemies in the Anti-American Century
Dining With al-Qaeda: Three Decades Exploring the Many Worlds of the Middle East
Uprising: Will Emerging Markets Shape or Shake the World Economy
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World - World's Most Dangerous Man? Syrian Leader Makes Strong Case | Global Viewpoint