November 23, 2004
ISOLATING THE "INSURGENTS" AND THE FRENCH:
Iran and Syria condemn the insurgency in Iraq (Jenny Booth, 11/23/04, Times Online)
Jack Straw tonight hailed a new mood of international unity on Iraq after a gathering of key foreign ministers endorsed the elections set for January 30.Posted by Orrin Judd at November 23, 2004 1:46 PMThe conference in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, which brought together the G8 group of industrialised nations, Iraq’s neighbours and the Arab League - issued a final communique condemning terrorist violence and supporting the democratic process.
"It shows that there is a real desire in the Arab world and key countries in the international community to look forward and not back and to see this is now a shared problem," the Foreign Secretary said.
The conference was attended by many of the leading critics of the US-led war in Iraq, including France, Germany, Russia, Iran and Syria. Present were the representatives of 20 nations, including Iraq's six neighbors, and bodies such as the Group of Eight, the European Union and the Arab League, who came to this Red Sea resort to discuss Iraq's future.
The conference rebuffed calls from France and some Arab states to set a deadline for withdrawing the US-led forces.
When are the French going to give it a rest?
Iran had to oppose the 'insurgency' because it is a Sunni Baathist and al-Qaeda alliance which targets mostly Shi'ites. Thus, support would not play well with the people in Iran that the regime needs to placate to stay in power. Also, Iran hopes to be able to influence the Shia population in the electoral process through its numerous agents provocateurs.
Syria is on double-secret probation and is squeezed between three militaries, the US, Israel and Turkey which would loving nothing more than squashing Baby Assad into Baby Oil. Also, as a minority Alawite, a Shia sect, Assad is concerned with not encouraging Sunni militancy in Syria.
Posted by: Bart at November 23, 2004 2:18 PMhello
Posted by: mkultra at November 23, 2004 2:28 PMIf the lips are moving of any official from Iran or Syria, they are lying.
Posted by: BJW at November 23, 2004 2:55 PMI'm sure they condemn the insurgency because its been a waste of money, time and resources for them. Also, the US military gets a great deal of practice at one of the most difficult aspects of warfare -- urban warfare.
AML - Fallujah has certainly made the Russians look bad by comparison in Grozny. Didn't the Russians lose 14,000 men in Chechnya?
Posted by: Randall Voth at November 24, 2004 8:02 AM