SYRIA US Report On The
Middle EastThe time has come for change in Syria; freedom for the Syrian people from the Baath regime is a must -- Director Walid Maalouf
Thursday, 17 November 2005
"The time has come for change in Syria," said USAID Public Diplomacy for Middle Eastern & MEPI Affairs Director Walid Maalouf, "especially after the disturbing speech of President Bashar al-Assad at the Damascus University last Thursday."
In his remarks at The Student Association for Terrorism and Security Analysis (SATSA) – Maxwell School for Citizenship and Public Administration at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, Mr. Maalouf added, "Freedom and democracy for the Syrian people from the Baath regime is a must."Presidents al-Assad, Katsav shake hands during Pope’s funeral -- SANA
Saturday, 9 April 2005
During Pope John Paul II’s funeral in the Vatican yesterday, Israeli President Moshe, "Katsav turned to (Syrian) President Bashar al-Assad who was standing amid a host of leaders and presidents and shook hands with him," said a Syrian official to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).Ambassador Moustapha: sectarianism that erupts in Iraq today scares us
Sunday, 8 August 2004
“[Iraq] is a crumbling country that is being destructed and lives in an astounding state of disassembly,” said Syrian Ambassador to the U.S. Imad Moustapha. “Sectarianism that erupts in Iraq today scares us.”
Ambassador Moustapha added, “The dismemberment of Iraq and its crumbling into cantons would lead to very detrimental results not only for Iraq but for the whole area. We in Syria are worried that this might be the real objective for [the war].”
In his remarks at al-Hewar Center today, the Ambassador noted, “We say to [Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad] Allawi’s government, we will extend support until you [Iraqis] regain sovereignty and get rid of occupation forces. And he answers us, we’ve already regained our sovereignty and those are multinational forces.”
Otherwise, the Ambassador pointed out that seventeen out of twenty-five members of the former Iraqi Governing Council used Syrian passports. 350,000 Iraqis live now in Syria, according to the statistics of the Emigration and Passports service.
The Ambassador's response to a question on the results of Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 included that the Commercial Bank of Syria made a profit during the last three months by selling its dollar deposits and buying Euros.
In another response, the Ambassador acknowledged that the public administration of Syria suffers much corruption, and the situation needs a radical reform. He commended a law released by President Bashar al-Assad to separate the state from the Baath party. The ambassador criticized some Syrian officers' corrupt exercises in Lebanon.President Bush imposes economic sanctions on Syria
Tuesday, 11 May 2004
President George W. Bush has imposed economic sanctions on Syria as he signed an Executive Order that prohibits U.S. exports into Syria other than food; medicine; aircraft parts and components; information and informational materials as well as telecommunications equipment.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, exports into Syria were at $214.1 million in 2003 and imports at $258.8.
Pursuant to the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, the Executive Order also implements debarring any air carrier owned or controlled by Syria from landing in the United States except in special or emergency cases.
In addition, the Executive Order comprised freezing in the United States or in control of United States persons, all Syrian Government property pertaining to certain activities including supporting a number of Lebanese and Palestinian organizations.Occidental, its partners are selected to negotiate a contract for the development of gas reserves in Syria's Palmyra
Thursday, 1 April 2004
Occidental Petroleum Corporation has announced today that it and its partners Petro-Canada and Petrofac have been selected through a competitive bidding process to negotiate a Production Sharing Contract for the development of the gas reserves in Syria's Palmyra area Gas Project.
Occidental has a 25% percent interest in the Project, that the Syrian Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has targeted for start up in 2007. Petro-Canada will be the operator. The Project will sell the gas into Syria's power generating markets.U.S. Ambassador to Syria protests the arrest of a U.S. diplomat observing a peaceful demonstration -- State
Tuesday, 9 March 2004
Our Ambassador in Damascus formally protested in the strongest terms the March 8 arrest of a U.S. diplomat, who was simply observing a peaceful demonstration, declared State Department Press Secretary Richard A. Boucher.
The Spokesman said, The Department in Washington has been in contact with the Syrian Ambassador in DC to protest this incident and express concern over Syrian actions against those peacefully demonstrating for their freedom of expression.IFC formalizes a $3 million equity investment (10%) in Syria's first private sector bank
Wednesday, 7 January 2004
Syrian Minister of Finance Mohammad al-Hussein has opened in Damascus, Syria today Syria's first private sector bank since nationalization of the system in 1961, Bank of Syria and Overseas (BSO).The International Finance Corporation (IFC) formalized a $3 million equity investment for a 10 percent shareholding in BSO.
Total capitalization of BSO amounts to $30 million, with Bank of Lebanon and Overseas (BLOM) the anchor investor in BSO, holding a 39 percent equity stake and exercising managerial control as well. Other shareholders in BSO include a group of prominent Syrian businessmen (13 percent), led by Dr. Rateb Shallah, head of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and 38 percent held by Syrian citizens through an initial public offering.
The Government of France provided funding, through IFC's Technical Assistance Trust Fund program, for the evaluation of the strength and weaknesses of Syria's financial system, including banks, insurance company, and other long-term savings institutions. The technical assistance also included the review of the legal and regulatory framework in the country and the identification of the material impediments in the development of the banking sector.State opposes all settlement activity in the Golan, West Bank or Gaza
Wednesday, 31 December 2003
"Whether in the Golan or the West Bank or Gaza, we oppose all settlement activity," said State Department Deputy Spokesman Adam Ereli. "Israel should freeze settlement construction."
The Spokesman added, "It's been our long standing policy, that there should not be settlement activity in land that is the subject -- the final status of which has not been determined through negotiation."President Bush signs into law the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act as advisory
Friday, 12 December 2003
"Today, I have signed into law H.R. 1828, the [Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003.]," declared President George W. Bush.
"My approval of the Act does not constitute my adoption of the various statements of policy in the Act as U.S. foreign policy. Given the Constitution's commitment to the Presidency of the authority to conduct the Nation's foreign affairs, the executive branch shall construe such policy statements as advisory, giving them the due weight that comity between the legislative and executive branches should require, to the extent consistent with U.S. foreign policy."Operations that target innocent civilians, international and humanitarian organizations are terrorist acts, badly affect the very interests of the Iraqi people -- Spokeswoman
Wednesday, 29 October 2003
"Syria strongly condemned the attack against International Red Cross headquarters in Baghdad," said Syrian Foreign Ministry Director of Foreign Media Department Boushra Kanafani.
According to Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Kanafani added that the operations that target innocent civilians and international and humanitarian organizations are terrorist acts and affects badly the very interests of the Iraqi people.We do not object to the Syria Accountability Act legislation -- State
Wednesday, 8 October 2003
"We have indicated to the House [of Representatives] membership that we do not object to the Syria Accountability Act legislation [imposing sanctions]," declared State Department Spokesman Richard A. Boucher.
"We'll have to look at the final version of the bill that emerges and see if it does restrict the President in some way."
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