Analysis: Rumsfeld’s Syrian accusation refreshing

Mike O'Callaghan

Monday, March 31, 2003 | 11:15 a.m.

Editor's note: During the month of March, Mike O'Callaghan, the Sun's executive editor, has been in Israel where he has been writing columns on that nation's view of the war in Iraq.

TEL AVIV -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld might have surprised some State Department diplomats when he accused Syria of shipping military equipment to Iraq. His blunt accusation didn't cause a ripple in this part of the world where Syrian leaders have shown sympathy for Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

Rumsfeld was direct in pointing his finger and naming night-vision goggles as part of that equipment. Although specific types of military materiel have not been named before, everybody knows that Syria has been the pipeline for terrorists in Lebanon moving to aid Saddam's military forces. A week ago a Syrian military expert made known his country's border was open for volunteer fighters wanting to enter Iraq to kill Americans and Brits.

Sunday The Jerusalem Post carried a story by Khaled Abu Toameh that included direct quotes from one of the leaders of the Fatah movement in Lebanon. Toameh wrote, "Hundreds of Palestinians living in Lebanon have been sent to Iraq to carry out suicide attacks against American and British soldiers.

"Col. Munir Magdah, one of the top commanders of the Fatah movement in Lebanon, said his men were already in Baghdad prepared to launch suicide attacks. Another group of Fatah suicide bombers are due in Iraq shortly, he added." Fatah also includes women in its ranks of suicide bombers.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has called the war in Iraq "a flagrant aggression against a United Nations member state." He has also made known his concern about his brother Arabs and Muslims being attacked by the Americans and the British. This song being sung by the son of the late Syrian President Hafez Assad doesn't make good music. It was only 21 years ago that his father approved the slaughter of more than 30,000 residents of Hamat city. This was during his fight to successfully destroy the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Syrian support of Hezbollah and Hamas terrorists in Lebanon has never been a secret. These killers have been supplied by Iran through Damascus for many years. What's so surprising now to learn that Syria is helping Iraq? Probably the only surprise is the refusal of Rumsfeld to allow the situation to remain hidden behind diplomatic curtains. He brought it out for the world to hear and evaluate.

Some military experts in the Middle East are now waiting to have somebody of equal stature discuss what military materiel and other goods many believe Saddam has hidden in Syria.