The National Journal October 19, 2002
'Unbelievably Naive'
Letters To The EditorI was disgusted to read Tish Durkin's September 28 column [p. 2765] that describes the Syria Accountability Act, proposed by Majority Leader Dick Armey and myself, as a combination of "hysteria and ignorance."
The premise of the column is that American foreign policy can catch more flies with honey, and therefore the United States should put away the vinegar and try to gently steer the Syrians toward moderation. Additionally, the United States has three basic enemies: "Saddam, Al Qaeda, and the extremists such as Hamas and Hezbollah, who target Israel." Durkin then opines that the United States and Syria share Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda as common enemies. If Syria views Saddam as an enemy, why does it allow Baghdad to illegally export 150,000 barrels of oil per day through Syrian pipelines? Saddam then uses the profits to purchase Syrian military hardware. Who sells weapons to their enemy? As for Al Qaeda, the highly regarded journalist Ze'ev Schiff of Ha'aretz recently reported that Syria allowed 150 to 200 Qaeda operatives to enter a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria. And as for Ms. Durkin's assertion that Hezbollah and Hamas target only Israelis, perhaps she forgot about the 1983 terrorist attack against the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 Marines and about this summer's bombing at Hebrew University in Jerusalem that left five Americans dead.
Ms. Durkin also ignores one of Syria's most despicable transgressions-the occupation of Lebanon. The Lebanese Bekaa Valley, which is under Syrian control, is a virtual hornet's nest of the most deadly terrorist groups in the world-particularly Hezbollah. An outbreak of war between Israel and Hezbollah is a real threat and could profoundly destabilize the region. It is time to let the Lebanese run Lebanon.
Ms. Durkin, who wrote this article from Syria, also fails to mention the robust Syrian chemical weapons program, including the now well-known plant at al Safir. This facility is co-located with a Scud missile base, protected by anti-aircraft missiles, and partially hidden within large mountain tunnels. If her tour guides failed to show her, satellite photos of al Safir base are available online at www.globalsecurity.org.
Syria has done nothing to show that it is a friend of the United States or a real, sustained partner in the war on terror. In fact, Syria has been listed by the State Department as a sponsor of terrorism since the list's inception. Ms. Durkin's assessment that the United States can "nudge" Syria toward moderation with "positive, practical incentives" is unbelievably naive and ignorant in light of Syria's despicable record of terror, rejectionism, and malice in the region.
At the end of her article, Ms. Durkin says she is not sure what to do about Syria. I have a single piece of advice for her: Appeasement and turning a blind eye to terrorism is not the right way to go. As a congressman from the Bronx, I give Ms. Durkin a hearty Bronx cheer for her flawed analysis.
Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-N.Y.
Copyright 2002 The National Journal
