US Isolated and Rejected in Middle East

June 11, 2023

Commenting that Syria’s reinstatement of membership in the League of Arab States and normalization of relations with most Arab countries manifest the weakening of US interference in the Middle East, China’s Xinhua News Agency recently carried an article to the following effect:

Syria was reinstated in the League of Arab States because it dawned on Arab countries that the US interference only drives the regional situation towards instability and chaos.

At the foreign minister-level meeting of the League of Arab States held in Cairo on May 7, the foreign ministers of Arab countries decided to renew Syria’s membership of the League after 12 years of suspension.

After the reinstatement, the Syrian foreign ministry stressed that the next step requires substantial and constructive approach based on dialogue, mutual respect and common interests of the Arab world.

“Syria is observing the current positive trends and interaction within the Arab region and is convinced that this will benefit all Arab countries and contribute to stability, safety and welfare of the Arab people,” it stated.

The Arab decision was announced at a time when Syria and Saudi Arabia restored mutual relations, following the normalization of relations between Damascus and most Arab countries after their long severance owing to the Syrian crisis.

Syria has also received Saudi Arabia’s official invitation to the League summit due on May 19.

At an interview with Xinhua News Agency, a Syrian political analyst made positive comments on the advent of new situation in the region, saying that Arab states have started to give priority to the national and regional interests. He added that any outside interference would no longer be tolerated.

Arab countries also agreed to strengthen efforts “to help Syria escape from crisis”. On the contrary, the US is still imposing harsh economic sanctions on Syria and continues to pursue its isolation policy towards this war-stricken country.

The Syrian political analyst said, “The various attempts of the US to isolate Syria and cut off its relations with neighbouring countries may continue for several years. But in the end, a relationship structure based on mutual interests of Arab countries will be built and things will never turn out as the US desires.”

The US stubbornly ignores the changes in Arab’s approach to Syria and insists that the government led by President Bashar Al-Assad is not the one to normalize relations with.

The deputy spokesperson for the US State Department stated to the following effect: We believe it is not proper to reinstate Syria in the League of Arab States at present. We will not normalize relations with the Assad regime. We also do not want our allies and partners to normalize relations with Syria.

But experts stressed the US policy of sanctions and isolation, in the long run, cannot serve its purpose in a region where mutual interests and culture are intertwined with one another.

A Syrian expert, who is also journalist and political analyst, told Xinhua that what is clear is that the US foreign policy causes consistent confusion and instability rather than helping to seek peaceful solutions to the crises occurring all over the world.

“It has now become clear that no conflict would arise if there is no instigation from behind the scenes,” he said, adding that what the US cares about is not the interests of the local people but the geopolitical goal serving its own interests.

The political analyst continued to comment that the US is still forcing its will upon other countries lost in the pipedream that it is the world’s sole superpower, and noted that today’s world is becoming multi-polarized.

“The world can no longer serve as the US scapegoat and an object for gratifying its wants,” he stressed.

PROVIDED TO THE PYONGYANG TIMES