Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, November 2008, page 24

Special Report

Taking a Page Out of the French Playbook

By Imad Moustapha

	Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani (2nd from left) and French President Nicolas Sarkozy shake hands as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (c) and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani (l) look on following their Sept. 4 meeting in Damascus (AFP photo/Sana/Ho).

AT A TIME when the U.S. is engaged in a Middle East policy based, among other objectives, on isolating Syria, unfolding developments in the region have exposed the futility of such a policy. Working with some of America’s closest allies, such as Turkey, Qatar and France, Syria has managed to address a number of the toughest issues facing our region.

On Lebanon, Syria worked diligently to help achieve the recently brokered Doha accords that brought an end to the Lebanese political stalemate, giving birth to the recent national unity government and electing President Michel Suleiman. On Palestine, Syria supported the indirect talks between Hamas and Israel through Egyptian mediation that established a cease-fire and, with it, a curtailing of violence. We have also continued to work on the inter-Palestinian dialogue in order to constrict the rift between the Palestinian sides. On Iraq, our efforts and collaboration with the Iraqi government to bring order and stability back to its people endure in the face of extremists, as well as the Bush administration’s obdurate lack of cooperation. We also continue to host 1.5 million Iraqis who have fled the violence in Iraq and turned to Syria for refuge. And finally, on the peace front, Syria and Israel continue to hold several rounds of indirect peace talks through Turkish mediation in an attempt to reach a peaceful settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict. All these developments are creating a new paradigm in the region, drawing it further away from chaos and bringing it closer to stability and security.

The U.S. refuses to engage Syria for a list of reasons that include “supporting terrorism against Israel” and destabilizing Lebanon and Iraq. Yet, these countries, on whose behalf Washington speaks, are in direct or indirect talks with Syria. We maintain very close relations with the Iraqi leadership; Lebanon’s newly elected president recently concluded a productive visit to Syria; and we are currently holding indirect talks with Israel through Turkish mediators.

In fact, it has become abundantly clear that, after eight years in office, the Bush administration’s antagonism toward Syria was never rooted in realities on the ground or pragmatic politics. Instead, it is a staunchly ideological stance toward a country that does not fit in the neoconservatives’ vision for a “New Middle East”—a vision now widely rejected in the U.S. as well.

In contrast, President Nicolas Sarkozy’s France, eager to resume her historic position in the Middle East, decided to shift her policies and play an active role in the search for peace in the region and to passionately support the peace process. Realizing that no peace can be attained while ignoring Damascus, the new French diplomacy has made Syria a cornerstone for its Mediterranean vision—a vision that has become central to the Sarkozy administration. President Sarkozy also realized that by engaging Syria, the West can capitalize on Syria’s relations with the very same parties that the Bush administration loathes and criticizes Syria for maintaining. The French president has asked Syria to use her relations with Iran to help assuage the Iran nuclear program crisis that is looming on the international scene—a task that President Assad did not hesitate to undertake.

Recognizing the potential of this policy shift, President Sarkozy invited President Assad to Paris in July to attend the Mediterranean Union Summit, along with the Bastille Day celebrations. There, the presidents of Syria and Lebanon met and agreed on a variety of issues, including the first exchange of diplomatic representation between the two countries. Also in Paris, the Israeli leaders stated publicly that achieving peace constitutes the only path forward and pledged to continue working toward the realization of this monumental goal.

President Sarkozy also just concluded a visit to Syria, where he met with the Syrian leadership and attended a four-way summit that included the Turkish, Qatari and Syrian heads of state. Among the several issues discussed with full transparency was the status and future of the current indirect talks between Syria and Israel.

Had France maintained a policy similar to that of the U.S., all these developments might never have come to fruition.

There is no room for ideological rigidity in international diplomacy. Even the defense of national interests and principles are best attained through negotiations and political malleability. In the past, U.S. policies used to exemplify such an understanding of world politics. If President George W. Bush hopes to salvage any legacy in the remaining months of his administration, he needs to borrow a page from the playbook of his predecessors and, more recently, of President Sarkozy, who fully understood these realities. Either way, President-elect Obama or McCain will inevitably have to return to this true American diplomacy in order to restore the historic U.S. role in our region, step out of the sidelines, and resume playing a role it had forfeited over the past eight years—a role the U.S. deserves and ought to play, and a role that the Middle East eagerly awaits.

Imad Moustapha is Syria’s ambassador to the United States.