what price Syria?
Ibrahim Hamidi Considering the ultranationalist, anti-American rhetoric of the ruling Baath Party branches in Damascus and Baghdad, Syria s vote in favor of Resolution 1441 at the UN Security Council on Nov. 8 came as a big surprise. That s why Syria s vote for the harsh resolution ordering Iraq to disarm didn t sit well with the Syrian street, which had grown used to hearing criticism of US President George W. Bush and his administration from the official media. The Syrian media had always told the public that Bush is intent on drawing a new Middle East map because the current one no longer serves Israel s interests. Those who whipped up this rhetoric as well as the quasi-official and popular drive to boycott American goods because of Washington s overt bias toward Israel were justifiably disappointed to see their country vote for a US-drafted resolution, which made impossible demands of Baghdad calculated to lead to the occupation of Iraq and the appropriation of its oil. Those who h
