Word: hafez
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...been pushing Syria to take a more active role in securing the hostages' freedom. It was no accident that President Bush sent Syrian President Hafez Assad a warm congratulatory message on the 44th anniversary of Syrian independence last week. Syria's influence over Hizballah has been partly limited by the fact that Damascus is a supporter of the Shi'ite Amal, a secular Muslim group that continues to fight fierce battles with the fundamentalist Hizballah. But Hussein Musawi, leader of a pro-Syrian faction within Hizballah, is now believed to have taken control of the American hostages held...
...country. Lebanon is convulsed by feudal warfare, pitting Christians against not only Muslims but, increasingly, rival Christians. Saudi Arabia has long forbidden any open Christian activity. By contrast, Islam is not the state religion in autocratic Syria and its 10% Christian minority will apparently be secure as long as Hafez Assad holds power...
...superpower retreat has had the most dramatic impact on Syria and Israel. U.S. officials speak of a "rough symmetry" between Moscow's announced intention to draw down its military support for Syria and Washington's cooling approach toward Israel. In Damascus, Moscow's moderating attentions have curbed President Hafez Assad's hopes of achieving strategic parity with Israel. In the past the Soviets funneled enough hardware into Syria to leave the country with a $15 billion military debt; now Moscow speaks of Assad's need for "reasonable defensive sufficiency...
Syria. For almost as long as President Hafez Assad has aimed for military parity with Israel, the Soviet Union has been only too willing to help. For years Moscow has supplied Damascus with interceptors, attack bombers, surface- to-air missiles, tanks and artillery. But Moscow is now seeking to recast its role as troublemaker in the Middle East to that of peacemaker. In November the Soviet Ambassador to Syria, Alexander Zotov, suggested that Damascus abandon its dream of parity and instead embrace "reasonable defensive sufficiency." Zotov acknowledged that one motive for the decision to pursue a less aggressive approach...
...signed. And Syria remained the most stubborn holdout until last week, when Damascus and Cairo announced that the two countries would resume relations after a twelve-year hiatus. The restored ties will be celebrated sometime in January at a meeting between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Hafez Assad. One possibly helpful result of their detente: a moderation in Syrian opposition to current Middle East peace initiatives...