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Syria: Next Target?
Aired April 14, 2003 - 10:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Boy, events like that in Iraq are calming down and the action there seeming to move on to another phase.
A lot of tough talk coming out of Washington now about Syria and this raises a question about whether or not Syria could be the next target.
Let's talk about that right now with Rob Sobhani, who's in our Washington bureau this morning. He's an adjunct professor of government at Georgetown University and he's an expert on U.S. foreign policy and a frequent guest on our program.
Glad to have you back, Rob. How are you?
ROB SOBHANI, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Good morning, Leon.
HARRIS: Let's talk about this. We've been hearing this talk now in the last couple of weeks, warnings issued by the defense secretary at briefings to Syria -- is there -- is this a clear signal that Syria probably is going to be next?
SOBHANI: There's no doubt that Syria is about to become an honorary member of the axis is of evil if it continues the adventurism that it seems it's embarked on.
But I think, Leon, we're not going to expect -- we shouldn't expect any military action against Syria, but certainly an enormous amount of diplomatic pressure on Syria, financial sanctions maybe on Syria and political pressure on Syria to change its course to try to move in tandem with Washington as it concerns a post-Saddam Iraq.
HARRIS: Why -- why Syria first and not Iran?
SOBHANI: Well, I think that because Syria has an immediacy to it there may be remnants of Saddam's regime in Syria. There may be the possibility of chemical weapons, as the president suggested.
But you mentioned Iran, and I think that's where the big focus will eventually be, when the dust settles, I think the United States will focus on Iran, because it is indeed the No. 1 sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East. It is a country very close to acquiring nuclear weapons. And I think, from the perspective of U.S. national security, Iran poses -- the government of Iran -- poses the biggest threat to the national security of the United States.
HARRIS: Yes, and -- and that's a reason why it strikes some as quite strange perhaps, maybe, to target Syria first.
But let me ask you about a point you made a second ago. Is there any evidence that Syria is either harboring any of the Iraqi leadership right now on the run or any weapons of mass destruction that Iraq may actually have owned or that Syria has its own programs right now that are a threat to the U.S.?
SOBHANI: I think the reports that I've seen indicate that maybe not the top echelon, but certainly the lower echelon and maybe families of these people that were involved in Saddam's regime could have slipped into Syria and also the possibility that even before the war started, some of these chemical weapons could have found their way into Syria.
But the fundamental point about Syria is this: it's got a Western-educated president, Bashar Assar. it can reform. It can focus inward. And instead it's choosing to have this policy of aggression towards the U.S. And it frankly is going to boil down to a decision by the president of Syria, which course he's going to take.
HARRIS: What about the population of Syria? Say that the Bashar Assar were to go ahead and change tactics and then decide not to defy the U.S. and actually cooperate more with the coalition and with the United States and with all the future planning right now that's in the works about trying to change the face of relations there is in the Middle East. What happens to the population of Syria? Would that not cause problems in the interiorally -- I'm sorry -- in the interior of Syria if that were to happen?
SOBHANI: Leon, the Syrians that I've talked to would like to see more economic opportunity.
One of the fundamental problems in the Middle East is unemployment. One of the fundamental problem middle east is lack of economic opportunity. And this is also true of Syria and Syrians would like to be able to open up their country for tourism. There is an enormous amount opportunity for Americans to go visit Syria and Syria is a haven for tourism. And I that's where the population of Syria, the sentiment lies: economic reform, political reform, and that's where I think they are hopeful that Bashar's better instincts prevail.
HARRIS: All right. One final question. I have to ask you this.
You live in Washington. You've been reading all the papers and hearing all the talk about there being some sort of a State Department versus Pentagon approach to all of this, both whether it's Iraq or Syria. What do you think is go on there and do you think there are any consequences for going either way?
SOBHANI: I think the big debate right now, Leon, is whether we go after and focus on government of Iran or not. I think this the biggest debate because, as I said, the government of Iran lost all legitimacy. The pentagon feels that this is an opportunity for regime change in Iran and I think this the biggest policy debate after Iraq is going to be Iran policy, frankly. HARRIS: Professor Rob Sobhani, thank you much. Appreciate it, as always. Take care.
SOBHANI: Thanks, Leon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 14, 2003 - 10:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Boy, events like that in Iraq are calming down and the action there seeming to move on to another phase.
A lot of tough talk coming out of Washington now about Syria and this raises a question about whether or not Syria could be the next target.
Let's talk about that right now with Rob Sobhani, who's in our Washington bureau this morning. He's an adjunct professor of government at Georgetown University and he's an expert on U.S. foreign policy and a frequent guest on our program.
Glad to have you back, Rob. How are you?
ROB SOBHANI, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Good morning, Leon.
HARRIS: Let's talk about this. We've been hearing this talk now in the last couple of weeks, warnings issued by the defense secretary at briefings to Syria -- is there -- is this a clear signal that Syria probably is going to be next?
SOBHANI: There's no doubt that Syria is about to become an honorary member of the axis is of evil if it continues the adventurism that it seems it's embarked on.
But I think, Leon, we're not going to expect -- we shouldn't expect any military action against Syria, but certainly an enormous amount of diplomatic pressure on Syria, financial sanctions maybe on Syria and political pressure on Syria to change its course to try to move in tandem with Washington as it concerns a post-Saddam Iraq.
HARRIS: Why -- why Syria first and not Iran?
SOBHANI: Well, I think that because Syria has an immediacy to it there may be remnants of Saddam's regime in Syria. There may be the possibility of chemical weapons, as the president suggested.
But you mentioned Iran, and I think that's where the big focus will eventually be, when the dust settles, I think the United States will focus on Iran, because it is indeed the No. 1 sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East. It is a country very close to acquiring nuclear weapons. And I think, from the perspective of U.S. national security, Iran poses -- the government of Iran -- poses the biggest threat to the national security of the United States.
HARRIS: Yes, and -- and that's a reason why it strikes some as quite strange perhaps, maybe, to target Syria first.
But let me ask you about a point you made a second ago. Is there any evidence that Syria is either harboring any of the Iraqi leadership right now on the run or any weapons of mass destruction that Iraq may actually have owned or that Syria has its own programs right now that are a threat to the U.S.?
SOBHANI: I think the reports that I've seen indicate that maybe not the top echelon, but certainly the lower echelon and maybe families of these people that were involved in Saddam's regime could have slipped into Syria and also the possibility that even before the war started, some of these chemical weapons could have found their way into Syria.
But the fundamental point about Syria is this: it's got a Western-educated president, Bashar Assar. it can reform. It can focus inward. And instead it's choosing to have this policy of aggression towards the U.S. And it frankly is going to boil down to a decision by the president of Syria, which course he's going to take.
HARRIS: What about the population of Syria? Say that the Bashar Assar were to go ahead and change tactics and then decide not to defy the U.S. and actually cooperate more with the coalition and with the United States and with all the future planning right now that's in the works about trying to change the face of relations there is in the Middle East. What happens to the population of Syria? Would that not cause problems in the interiorally -- I'm sorry -- in the interior of Syria if that were to happen?
SOBHANI: Leon, the Syrians that I've talked to would like to see more economic opportunity.
One of the fundamental problems in the Middle East is unemployment. One of the fundamental problem middle east is lack of economic opportunity. And this is also true of Syria and Syrians would like to be able to open up their country for tourism. There is an enormous amount opportunity for Americans to go visit Syria and Syria is a haven for tourism. And I that's where the population of Syria, the sentiment lies: economic reform, political reform, and that's where I think they are hopeful that Bashar's better instincts prevail.
HARRIS: All right. One final question. I have to ask you this.
You live in Washington. You've been reading all the papers and hearing all the talk about there being some sort of a State Department versus Pentagon approach to all of this, both whether it's Iraq or Syria. What do you think is go on there and do you think there are any consequences for going either way?
SOBHANI: I think the big debate right now, Leon, is whether we go after and focus on government of Iran or not. I think this the biggest debate because, as I said, the government of Iran lost all legitimacy. The pentagon feels that this is an opportunity for regime change in Iran and I think this the biggest policy debate after Iraq is going to be Iran policy, frankly. HARRIS: Professor Rob Sobhani, thank you much. Appreciate it, as always. Take care.
SOBHANI: Thanks, Leon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
