Is Syria really so isolated? SYRIA PRESS REVIEW Thursday, December 15, 2011 The international press has been harping on the Sakharov Prize recently awarded by the European Parliament to Arab spring activists, including a Syrian woman. To underscore its message, the Parliament made the announcement on the anniversary date of the Tunisian uprising. This commemoration constitutes an opportunity to put the war in Syria into perspective. Abruptly changing course, the French press now highlights the geopolitical angle and the unlikeliness that a conventional war could be circumscribed to Syria alone. The U.S. press, on its part, asserts that Syria has never been so isolated. Despite the façade, Hamas and Hezbollah have started to transfer their leaders and weapons abroad. France Le Monde (pro- Atlanticist French daily newspaper for the leftist elite) is modifying its presentation of events: Contrary to what it had previously reported, the Free Syrian Army enjoys no foreign support, especially not French. The conflict is of a religious character rather than political, pitting the Shiite Iranian influence against that of the Saudi Arabia Sunni strand. The aim is to show that, unlike the case of Libya, a military intervention in Syria, albeit desirable, would suck France into a spiral leading to a regional conflict. Le Figaro published a column by Roland Hureaux, a former senior Gaullist official. Unlike Libya, Syria is in the eye of a conflict zone; it would be impossible to contain a war that may involve us. When one gets down to it, once the propaganda excesses are peeled off, there is no reproach against Syria that does not also apply to many other states in the region; hence there is no particular reason to make war. In the particular context of the Franco- Syrian dispute, it concerns issues that have dragged on for thirty years without a solution, but which do not justify the use of force.
Spain ABC continues to publish enthusiastic reports about the Syrian insurgency. United States The International Herald Tribune published an op- ed by Larbi Saidiki denouncing the hypocrisy of Hezbollah, which, once a resistance movement, now supports the Syrian dictatorship. However, Professor Saidiki never manifested any sympathy for Hezbollah in the past. In the Los Angeles Times, the former Levant country director in the office of the Secretary of Defense, David Schenker (WINEP) gleans from the ABC interview with Bashar al- Assad (which he does not know was rigged) the portrait of arrogant president oblivious to the defection of his allies. Indeed, despite their verbal support, Hamas is quietly moving its officials out of Syria, and Hezbollah its missiles. In an interview with the Washington Post, Ehud Barak confirmed Israel s change in stance vis- à- vis Syria. Whereas Ariel Sharon preferred to keep in power "the devil we know" rather than risking an overthrow in favor of someone unknown, the new administration, scalded by Syria s support of Hezbollah in 2006 and Hamas in 2008, seeks regime change. It is believed in Tel Aviv that Syria s secular bedrock will shield it from an Islamic tide. However, former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy is concerned about a possible disintegration of the army that would allow a transfer of weapons to terrorist groups. Occupied Palestine The Jerusalem Post ventilates its doubts in a four- page dossier devoted to the "Arab spring." In reality, the experience has morphed into a triumph for the Muslim Brotherhood, which are uncontrollable. There was no "Twitter revolution" but a "revolution of the mosques." There is nothing to indicate that the unfolding changes will be more manageable in the long run.
1 Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 Le Monde (France)
Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 2 Le Monde (France)
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7 Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 The Irish Times (Ireland / Ireland)
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11 Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 Diario de Noticias (Portugal)
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13 Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 Publico (Portugal)
Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 14 International Herald Tribune (USA)
15 Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 Los Angeles Times (USA)
Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 16 The Wall Street Journal (USA)
17 Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 The Washington Post (USA)
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23 Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 Gulf News (EAU / UAE)
Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 24 Kkaleej Times (EAU / UAE)
25 Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 The National (EAU / UAE)
Jeudi 15 décembre 2011 / Thursday, December 15, 2011 26 Today s Zaman (Turquie / Turkey)