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Bashar's Trial by Fire
Brookings Institution Press
October 2006
300 pages
ISBN: 0815752032
EAN: 9780815752035
Trade Size (reprint)
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Non-Fiction | Non-Fiction Political
Syria has long been a paradox for U.S. Policymakers. The
country's weak economy, diverse population, and vulnerable
geographic position would be expected to minimize its clout
in the Greater Middle East. But under long-time dictator
Hafiz al-Asad and his son and successor Bashar, Syria has
been and continues to be a major regional actor. Syria occupies an important strategic position in the Middle
East, one made even more significant as American considers
long-term involvement in the reconstruction of neighboring
Iraq. Syria has cultivated numerous Lebanese clients and
allies--most notably Hizballah--during its more than
twenty-year occupation of Lebanon. Damascus, which sees
Israel as a hegemonic power, remains intransigent on
Israel's complete withdrawal from the disputed Golan Heights
as the sine qua non for peace with that state. Since the death of Hafiz al-Asad in 2000 and the transfer of
power to Bashar, debate on Syria's place in the region has
been renewed. The policy challenges posed by Syria's
problematic behavior on a number of fronts have grown more
pressing in the present security environment, and the United
States has had difficulty formulating a coherent and
effective policy toward Damascus. Western consensus on how
to deal with the Syrian leadership has been thrown further
into doubt. Inheriting Syria fills this void with a detailed analytic
portrait of the Syrian regime under the leadership of the
Asad dynasty and the strategic legacy bequeathed from father
to son. It draws implications for U.S. policy, offering a
bold new strategy for achieving American objectives, largely
via a "conditional engagement" employing both carrots and
sticks. This strategy would be independent of the
Arab-Israeli peace process and thus a historical departure
for the United States. A highly readable analysis of Bashar al-Asad's ascendancy
and approach to rule, Inheriting Syria provides valuable
insights to anyone concerned with events in the Middle East,
the war on terror, and the future of American foreign
policy. It is an important resource for all who seek deeper
understanding of this enigmatic nation and its leadership.
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