text: In the Lion's Den: An Eyewitness Account of Washington's Battle with Syria - Library
  A key participant and an unrelenting quandary within the center East peace strategy, Syria has lengthy been a thorn in Washington's aspect by way of forging strategic alliances with powers within the area. yet basically after the occasions of 9-11 and Damascus's staunch competition to the conflict in Iraq did the U.S. executive commence a crusade to strain President Bashar al-Asad's regime to alter its guidelines and produce Syria into the Western political orbit.
  Author Andrew Tabler used to be either a witness to and player within the occasions of this covert clash. No different Western newshounds or lecturers have been dependent in Damascus in this whole interval, and as co-founder of what used to be then Syria's purely English-language ebook, Tabler was once not just watched and censored, yet courted via the Syrian govt in an try and impression his tales to the overseas group. He received certain entry to the higher echelons of energy like no different journalist earlier than him, even accompanying the Syrian president on a nation stopover at to China.
  In the Lion's Den presents an extraordinary glimpse into the machinations of 1 of the world's such a lot baffling political structures. The booklet vividly captures Tabler's behind-the-scenes reports in addition to the tale of Syria itself post-9/11 and Washington's makes an attempt to craft a "New heart East." Tabler's astute political research of the goings-on round him is seamlessly interwoven with a devastating critique of U.S. international coverage. He examines the results of the the Bush adminstration's process, asking what went incorrect, what went correct, and the place Washington must move from right here to accommodate this risky center japanese country.
  nation Department's assumptions have been that the younger president used to be no longer totally in command of the regime he had inherited from his father and that sure rogue parts have been capable of perform security-related actions with no the information of the presidential palace. With proof piling up of Syrian aid for resistance to the U.S. invasion, although, Powell laid blame without delay at Assad's doorstep. "Syria faces a severe choice," Powell instructed an viewers on the American Israel Public Affairs.
  Down many Western-funded NGOs in Egypt, which have been devoted to selling rule of legislations or democracy, for "improper registration." actually, despite the fact that, the Egyptian kingdom observed those corporations as Trojan horses for inducing regime swap. international investment of NGO operations grew to become quite delicate. to accommodate the matter, the Egyptian country handed a brand new institutions legislations that required overseas NGOs to achieve executive permission for all foreign-funded actions. After Bashar al-Assad got here to.
  offered the most cost effective alcohol within the heart East and housed what was once then Syria's in simple terms grocery store, the place every thing from frozen pizzas to Dunkin' Donuts items should be bought through the boxful. At Syrian customs, officials had became a blind eye to whatever in a Syrian duty-free bag. With the appearance of the blockade, notwithstanding, customs officers now constrained passengers from bringing in whatever except own results and baggage. In Syria, person response to Hariri's assassination was once certainly one of.
  monetary counsel to countries at the record, Washington terminated positive engagement with Damascus. Washington additionally leveled exchange sanctions opposed to Syria, together with regulations on US exports of "dual-use" fabrics. family members among Damascus and Washington fast became frosty. In June 1982, almost immediately after the final picture at the ready room's wall used to be taken, US best friend Israel invaded Lebanon to uproot warring parties of the Palestinian Liberation association (PLO). through the three-month.
  stay there. there isn't any prepayment…. Syria won't shut all, any of its possibilities simply in case, you by no means know." After al-Taqi complete his speak, Sami Moubayed took the microphone. He defined the matter among the us and Syria as a "difference in notion. If the Bush management has been announcing we're brokers of destabilization … if that's right … that suggests, by means of default, we're brokers of balance as well." To end up his element, Moubayed stated that Syria had.