Interesting Analysis of Assad's Words

Reading Haaretz provides confirmation of Assad's failure to attain his strategic objectives with regards to the war in Lebanon.

First paragraph of Haaretz article frames issue.

"Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday rejected Israeli demands for the deployment of international troops on the Lebanese-Syrian border to stop what Israel says is the smuggling of arms to Hezbollah."

According to advance excerpts of an interview to be aired by Dubai Television on Wednesday, Assad stated,

"This would be a withdrawal of Lebanese sovereignty and a hostile position."

Hold on. If Lebanon wants UN forces along border to help it police arms smuggling (from Syria), how would this violate Lebanese sovereignity and be hostile to Lebanon. Quite possibly, Assad is thinking but not saying,

"This would be a withdrawal of Syrian sovereignty over Lebanon and a hostile position,"

But, Lebanon is not sovereign terrority of Syria. The murder of Harari resulting in the Cedar Revolution made sure of that fact. Later, Assad stated,

"There will be no drawing of the border in the Shaba Farms before the Israeli forces leave it,"

There is only two reasons for Assad to touch on the Shaba Farms issue:

• He believes it belongs to Syria (which it did prior to Israel's capture of it during war), and
• He will not be able to negotiate with Israel to keep Shaba Farms for return of the Golan Heights.

This is interesting to note, especially given the fact that he is supporting Hezbollah, but does not believe in what Hezbollah is stating--nameley, Shaba Farms belongs to Lebanon.

Finally, Assad states,

"Hezbollah's victory was enough to teach Israel a lesson, that the isolation of Syria has failed and that anyone who tries to isolate Syria isolates himself from basic issues."

Forgetting about who was victorious (that was posted earlier), Assad speaks of being "isolated".

One of the significant victories gained by Israel and the US in this war was the isolation of Syria with regards to Lebanon. They did not request nor need Syria to gain a ceasefire in Lebanon. Assad supported the kidnapping which resulted in the war in the hopes that he would be needed to regain the peace, regain a foothold into Lebanon, and possibly win concessions from the Israelis over the Golan Heighs; thereby ending Syrian isolation.

But instead, he remains isolated, is less in control of Lebanon, and still does not have the Shaba Farms nor the Golan Heights. Syria gained nothing from this war. Since this was a proxy war for Iran and Syria, it is noted from Syria's dictator himself, he did not meet any of his his strategic objectives.

As stated before, while not war was a knockout for the Israelis (which it should have been), this war was definitely not a victory for Syria either.

It is nice to see this fact proven from the dictator of Syria himself.

Now let's see how Iran reacts in the near future now that its main deterrent has been exposed for the insignificance it is.

The end results of this war are getting better and better each day.