Sparing Syria

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The international investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri has entered its final phase. Within a matter of weeks the findings of the enquiry will be made public. It is not a question of whether or not senior Syrian officials will be implicated in the bombing of Al-Hariri's motorcade in Beirut. It is no secret that they will be. Nor is it a question of who and when: the names of at least some of those involved have been bandied around the international press and a tentative date has been set for the enquiry to disclose its findings.

The question today is what Arab countries -- and for that matter Turkey and Iran -- can do to help Syria contain the fall out from the mess in which it has landed itself. Should Syria come under the kind of pressure that causes its regime to implode then the entire region will face the prospect of being swept up in the resulting chaos. Arab governments understand -- or should -- that with ongoing violence in Iraq and the Palestinian territories, not to mention Sudan, and potentially explosive points of tension in Turkey, Iran and elsewhere, the region cannot afford any more unrest.

It is up to the Arabs, Iran and Turkey to tell the US and Israel that they are not willing to condone any attempt to impose harsh sanctions against Syria, let alone tolerate another bout of military adventurism in the region. And to convey this message they must do more than merely issue statements condemning such action.

The price of the timid opposition to the illegal and failed US-led war against Iraq is still being paid, by ordinary Iraqis but also by Iraq's neighbours. It is up to the latter to coordinate their positions and collectively attempt to sway the US administration from making yet another miscalculated intervention in the region, one that could unleash untold havoc.