The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • Sports

    KNOTT: Pollin honored as a D.C. treasure

  • Sports

    Jamison lights fire under Wizards

  • Politics

    Uninvited White House guests met Obama in line

  • Sports

    Wife aids Woods after SUV crash

  • National

    Volunteers for drug trials hard to find

  • Business

    Dubai debt crisis rocks U.S., Asia markets

  • World

    Piracy threatens fishermen in Yemen

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Assad inspires 'flip' theories

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • 3 Americans die in cargo plane crash in China
  • White House: Ticketless couple met Obama
  • Atlantis, crew of 7 back on Earth
  • Uninvited White House guests met Obama in line

By

TEHRAN -- Recent visits by Syrian President Bashar Assad to U.S.-allied Yemen and the United Arab Emirates are prompting speculation that Syria is seeking to leave the Iranian orbit and pursue closer ties with the West.

Such a move would fulfill a major recommendation of the Iraq Study Group, headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Rep. Lee H. Hamilton, which suggested it might be possible through diplomacy to pry Syria away from Iran.

"Bashar was recently invited to Tehran by [President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad as part of the Iranian effort to demonstrate regional leadership -- but he failed to show up, without even offering a public excuse," said Gary Sick, a U.S. foreign policy analyst who served on the National Security Council under Presidents Ford, Carter and Reagan.

"If you put this together with the 'Obaid initiative' to mobilize Arab action to stop Iran's encroachment in Iraq, it almost has the appearance of a regionally coordinated campaign."

Nawaf Obaid was fired this month as a Saudi foreign policy adviser after publishing an article saying, among other things, that Saudi Arabia could reduce Iran's regional prominence by raising oil production high enough to slash the price by half. Oil revenues are a crucial source of foreign currency for Iran.

Mr. Assad's talks in Yemen 11 days ago reportedly dealt with regional issues, including the infighting in the Palestinian territories, instability in Lebanon, Iran's nuclear program, Iraq and Somalia.

But eyebrows were raised by the timing of the trip, which came just two days after a visit to Yemen by U.S. Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch.

"I'll leave it to President [Ali Abdullah] Saleh to convey their views to President Assad," Mr. Welch said of the timing. "They know the views of the United States."

In another apparent overture yesterday, Mr. Assad told visiting Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Republican, that he was willing to host a conference where all the factions of Iraq could seek a consensus on the country's future.

Graham Fuller, former vice chairman of the U.S. National Intelligence Council, expressed skepticism that Mr. Assad's travels represented some kind of back-channel negotiation with Washington.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. EDITORIAL: The global-cooling cover-up
  3. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  4. Wife aids Woods after SUV crash
  5. PRUDEN: Trouble afoot for high priests
More Top Stories »
  1. In tobacco-loving Virginia, bars give up the habit
  2. Grade-schooler unearths fossil at dinosaur park
  3. Robotic hamster holiday craze
  4. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  5. Fenty's approval in D.C. divided by race

Most Shared

  1. EDITORIAL: The global-cooling cover-up
  2. PRUDEN: Trouble afoot for high priests
  3. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  4. University bubble bursting?
  5. In tobacco-loving Virginia, bars give up the habit
More Top Stories »
  1. Robotic hamster holiday craze
  2. We ain't seen nothing yet
  3. The United Socialist States of America
  4. Dubai debt crisis rocks U.S., Asia markets
  5. Finance mavens gloomy

Most Commented

  1. EDITORIAL: The global-cooling cover-up
  2. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  3. PRUDEN: Trouble afoot for high priests
  4. Crashers probe may become criminal investigation
  5. Fenty's approval in D.C. divided by race
More Top Stories »
  1. Ads add heat to health care debate
  2. Grayson's Senate filibuster petition faulted
  3. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  4. Health, climate bills seen to stifle hiring
  5. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Grimm a semifinalist

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.