The struggle against terror runs through Syria

Harold's List
by: Oubai Shahbandar

In his speech before the National Endowment for Democracy on Oct. 6 th, President Bush made clear that support for exiled democratic dissidents is key if the people of the Middle East are to ever have hope for a better future-- a future that does not stink of the stale failed authoritarian militant policies that have plagued countries like Syria≈as it once did in Iraq≈ for far too long. In the President's own words, "We're standing with dissidents and exiles against oppressive regimes, because we know that the dissidents of today will be the democratic leaders of tomorrow."

The nexus between support for Middle Eastern democratic opposition groups and the mission to defeat terrorism is a strong and necessary one. The Reform Party of Syria is on the front-line on the war on terror; our weapon is hope for a better tomorrow for the millions of disenfranchised youth of Syria≈a country that under the totalitarian rule of the last remaining Ba'athist regime has diligently worked on undermining U.S efforts to defeat terrorism in Iraq and the wider region. It is a hope that will translate into a more secure, democratic, and prosperous Middle East. The fruits of the efforts of the Reform Party of Syria will reverberate throughout the world; for as the President delineated in his speech, the struggle against terrorism is global and to surrender to the terrorists in Iraq and their enablers in Syria would be tantamount to rendering the world hostage at the mercy of the worst of the terror tyrants.

In his speech, President Bush reiterated his stance that the struggle for Democracy in Iraq and the entire Middle East is an inexorable component of the wider war on international Islamist terror. According to Bush: "The terrorists regard Iraq as the central front in the war against humanity. And we must recognize Iraq as the central front in our war on terror"

This speech is a highly salient one for those that strive to understand where the U.S mission in Iraq fits in with wider U.S goals in the region in the years to come. Referring to Iraq as the "central front" implies that there are, or at least will be, other fronts in which U.S forces will likely be engaged against what President Bush has clearly defined as an international war. Bush's strong words of resolve indicate that previous regional political considerations will likely take a secondary role to the objective of destroying not merely the different nodes of terror activity in the world but the whole network which supports it.

President Bush made it a particular point to leave no room for ambiguity when it came to his administration's commitment to taking the war to whomever works on behalf of expanding terrorism and obstructing democracy.

He said, "Our commitment is clear, we will not relent until the organized international terror networks are exposed and broken and their leaders held to account for their acts of murder."

With such commitment in mind and in lieu of active Syrian Ba'athist support for terrorists in Iraq and Lebanon-- murdering and maiming U.S military personnel and native inhabitants alike-- one cannot but help come to the conclusion that if the "central front" of Iraq is to be kept, then the secondary front opened at the behest of the terrorists and their Ba'athist enablers in Syria must be initiated.

We are the patriots of Syria and we stand in proud solidarity with the Patriots of America and the Patriots of Iraq in their struggle for democracy and security. Our war is inexorably linked with the war to defend the American people against the threats President Bush outlined in his NED speech. Our struggle is immense, the obstacles we face are unprecedented in difficulty-- but, as the President said, history gives us no choice, the regimes of terror must be taken down, for the sake of Syria, Iraq, the Middle East... for the sake of every nation that has ever had to suffer the consequences of terror brewed under the gleeful watch of those that stand unashamedly against the natural liberty of mankind.