Syria Supplies Scud Missiles to Hizbullah While Accepting American Overtures

The Media Line (Link) (April 14, 2010)

Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad has been supplying Scud missiles to Hizbullah while accepting overtures of relationship-building from President Obama. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that American officials have confirmed Israeli charges that Syria is, indeed, providing Hizbullah with Scuds that pose a serious threat to cities deep inside of Israel.

Israeli President Shimon Peres told Israel Radio on Wednesday that Syria is �claiming it wants peace while simultaneously delivering Scud missiles to Hezbollah, which is constantly threatening the security of the state of Israel.�

President Obama, who has made engaging Syria a foreign policy priority, has appointed a new ambassador to Damascus; has sent high ranking officials including Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry on numerous trips to meet with Al-Asad; and is easing sanctions on Syrian import of airplane parts and software.

But on Tuesday, Israeli officials made the Scud allegation against Syria and a day later, U.S. officials confirmed the charge. According to The Wall Street Journal, Republicans asked that the ambassadorial appointment be frozen even as the House of Representatives voted to approve the nomination of Robert Hall as ambassador to Damascus, but the administration said it will press on regardless of confirmation of the scud transfers. The Syrian ambassador to the United States told the Washington Post that the Obama administration has never raised the issue of scuds with him.