Azerbaijan, Baku, 16 April / Trend corr R. Hafizoglu, E. Tariverdiyeva, R. Abdullayev/ The political alliance between Iran and Syria will rather cause differences in the Arab world than needed reunification. "Estrangement of Arab world from Damascus is directly connected with its rapprochement with Iran," Israeli expert Vladimir Mesamed said.
The Arab world is concerned about close cooperation between Damascus and Iran in the military and political fields. That caused boycotting by several Arab countries the summit of the League of Arab States which took place in Syria on 27-29 March.
"Isolation of Syria from the Arab world is in fact the political price which Syria pays for short-sighted policy pursued by President Bashar al-Assad," Vladimir Mesamed, professor of the Israel-based Middle East Institution, said to Trend on 16 April.
" Israel supports direct talks with Syria, while Damascus demands USA or EU as mediator. The fact that Damascus recognizes Iran as its strategic partner gives good ground for serious doubt about Bashar al-Assad's peaceful approach to settling of the settling of Syrian-Israeli problem. At the beginning of 2008, a new stage began in the Iranian-Syrian military dialogue. The alliance will be intended against USA and will be aiming to protect the interests of the Middle East countries from hypothetic external interference," Mesamed said.
"Isolation of Syria by Arab countries is a political mistake," Turkish political scientist Mustafa Ozcan, expert of Yeni Asya newspaper said. "Today, Arab countries rather need unanimity than split and differences," Ozcan said to Trend in a telephone conversation from Istanbul on 16 April.
"Now, USA and Israel are trying to determine the future of Syria as a state. The country faces war danger," he said. "Arab countries isolate Syria from themselves and thus increase the political tensions in the region, though they could do better if they solve the problem through negotiations. " USA and Israel use all opportunities to tear ties between Syria and Arab counties," Ozcan said.
According to him, the Arab countries do not want to get closer with Syria as long as its relations with Iran remain at the current level. "Freezing relations with Syria, the Arab states want to establish relations with Israel," Ozcan said.
Independent Syrian politician, Husni Mahalli considers that the Arab states boycotted Damascus summit according to the order of Washington. "According to the Charter of the League of Arab States, be the next meeting, the summit organizing country will have the authority to influence many political processes that take place in Arab world. However, the USA did not want the country opposing its political interests to politically influence other Arab state," Mahalli reported to Trend on 16 April.
The politician considers that the leaders of Arab states are concerned not by the Iranian-Syrian relations, but US-Israeli relations. "The USA protects the interests of only Israel in the region, which is concerned by the organization of Islamic resistance HAMAS and Hezbollah, and these organizations are supported by only Syria and Israel," he said.
The Arab world has a complex view of Syria and its leadership, said US politician Paul Sullivan. "It sees Syria as a brother Arab nation, but also a supporter of what they call the "Shia Triangle"," the Professor of Georgetown University, Sullivan, reported to Trend via e-mail on 16 April.
Many in the Sunni part of the Arab world are worried about the growing power of Iran, Shias in Iraq, Shias in Lebanon and a growing restiveness in the Shia communities in the Gulf region.
In February 2005, the Prime Minister of Syria, Muhammad Naji al-Otari, appealed to Iran with a suggestion of establishing unified Syrian-Iranian front. In August 2005 Syria and Iran made a decision to form strategic alliance. In January 2008, the countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding and it was trailed with numerous mutual visits at high level.