http://www.geostrategy-direct.com/geostrategy-direct/secure/2011/08_17/me.as p
Cable profiles Assad as vain, his brother as 'bit of a wild man' WASHINGTON - At least two U.S. presidents protected Syrian President Bashar Assad despite appeals by diplomats to impose sanctions on his regime. Government documents disclosed that at least two presidential administrations refused to impose sanctions on the Assad regime in connection with corruption and human rights violations. The documents reported appeals by the U.S. embassy in Damascus for Washington to pressure Assad to ease his brutal policies. "Actions that cause Bashar to lose balance and increase his insecurity are in our interest because his inexperience and his regime's extremely small decision-making circle make him prone to diplomatic stumbles that can weaken him domestically and regionally," a State Department cable from December 2006 said. "While the consequences of his mistakes are hard to predict and the benefits may vary, if we are prepared to move quickly to take advantage of opportunities that may open up, we may directly impact regime behavior where it matters - Bashar and his inner circle." State Department cables released by WikiLeaks portrayed at least two administrations - that of President George Bush and President Barack Obama - as hesitant to impose sanctions of the Assad regime. This included penalties on Assad's adviser on military procurement, Gen. Mohammed Suleiman, assassinated in 2008. "His activities are not widely known, which will make it difficult to obtain unclassified material [required to explain sanctions]," a Jan. 24, 2008 cable from the U.S. embassy in Damascus said. The cables do not explain why the administrations opposed sanctions on the Assad regime, but suggested that Assad represented the key to regional stability. But former diplomats cited such U.S. concerns as Saudi Arabia, a longtime supporter of Damascus, the need for Syrian cooperation against Al Qaida in Iraq and the hope that Assad would eventually agree to peace talks with Israel. "Most Syrians we talk to believe that President Assad still represents their best hope for change without instability," U.S. charge d'affaires Stephen Seche wrote in a cable in January 2006. "It is their fear of instability that stops the majority of Syrians from pushing harder for internal change." The January 2008 cable, written by Seche's successor, Michael Corbin, shared the assessment. For example, Corbin warned that Suleiman, assigned to work with Iran and Hizbullah, was not a suitable target for American sanctions, saying not enough was known about the Syrian general to justify U.S. sanctions without the release of classified data. In April 2009, the U.S. embassy in Damascus suggested that Suleiman was killed because of his vast riches, with $80 million in cash found in the basement of one of his homes. Still, Corbin recommended U.S. sanctions on another Assad aide, intelligence chief Gen. Ali Mamluk. In 2007, Corbin said Mamluk was playing a major role in quelling the pro-democracy movement in Syria. "The role of the organization he heads in suppressing internal dissent is publicly known in Syria and stating as much in our statement would resonate well here," Corbin wrote. Mamluk as well as other Assad regime figures were targeted for U.S. sanctions in 2011 amid the revolt in Syria. Still, the Obama administration has refused to call for Assad's ouster despite the death of more than 2,000 civilians. Other Assad aides rejected for U.S. sanctions by the Bush administration included Assad's uncle, Mohammed Makhlouf, father-in-law Fawas Arkhas and Syrian financier Zufair Sahloul. None of these men were targeted in three rounds of U.S. sanctions in 2011. The European Union, however, sanctioned Makhlouf on Aug. 2. Another Assad aide proposed for sanctions was Nabil Kuzbari, an investor for the ruling family. Obama approved sanctions against Kuzbari in May. "Taking action against those linked to corruption is a win-win proposition: not only does it bring pressure on the regime where it hurts most its pocketbook, but such a move would also be popular with the average Syrian who is the most common victim of the regime's avarice," the 2008 cable said. The Bush administration made several exceptions to its rejection of the State Department proposals. One was Assad's cousin, Rami Makhlouf, son of Mohammed, was sanctioned in 2008. The cables also portrayed a violent ruling family in Syria. Assad's younger brother, Maher, was termed "a bit of a wild man" who might have killed Suleiman and even Hizbullah operations chief Imad Mughniyeh in 2008. The president was described as a vain and pretentious man who was not as smart as his late father. "Syrian President Bashar Assad is neither as shrewd nor as long-winded as his father but he, too, prefers to engage diplomatically on a level of abstraction that seems designed to frustrate any direct challenge to Syria's behavior," a 2009 cable by Corbin's successor, Maura Connelly, said. "Bashar's vanity represents another Achilles heel: the degree to which USG [U.S. government] visitors add to his consequence to some degree affects the prospects for a successful meeting." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? 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