Could Iraqi Information Minister Muhammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, dubbed “Baghdad Bob” by some in the Western media, have a Syrian successor to his deadpan pronouncements of absurd denials?
Al-Sahhaf developed a reputation during Operation Iraqi Freedom for appearing on Iraqi television and declaring that the Saddam regime was winning the war and that “there are no American infidels in Baghdad,” even after U.S. troops had secured most of the city. The minister’s performance even spawned a spoof website.
Now, the Lebanese-American Council for Democracy is calling Syrian Deputy Ambassador Imad Moustapha Damascus’ version of “Baghdad Bob,” saying his recent statements on television “constitute nothing more than flagrant dishonesty and unabashed propaganda.”
“Syria’s carefully orchestrated campaign of deceit and misinformation must not be permitted to go unchallenged,” said Tony Haddad, president of the group, in a statement.
“Moustapha would have the American public believe that the Syrian regime is friendly to the U.S., and that its ‘feelings are hurt’ by recent comparisons being made between Iraq under Saddam Hussein and Syria under [President] Bashar Assad,” continued Haddad.
The Lebanese-American Council for Democracy believes that three of the major reasons the U.S.-led coalition went after Saddam also apply to Syria: Hiding weapons of mass destruction, harboring and supporting terrorists, and posing a threat to its neighbors.
“Syria’s long-standing chemical and biological-weapons programs are well-documented and beyond dispute. If suspicions are true that Saddam’s chemical and biological weapons were transferred to Syria, such weapons would only be a welcome addition to Syria’s already impressive pre-existing stockpiles,” said the group’s statement.
The council also mentioned Syria’s ties to terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, “all of which have dedicated themselves to jihad against America.”
The Lebanese-American Council for Democracy cites Syria’s occupation of neighboring Lebanon, saying the “illegal occupation … has turned Lebanon into a repressive satellite police state.”
Continued the group: “Syria now uses Lebanon as a safe-house for its terrorists, its terrorist training camps, and its weapons of mass destruction. It should not be in the least bit surprising if members of Saddam’s regime show up in Lebanon.”
The statement further criticizes Moustapha’s defense of Syria.
“Moustapha makes the laughable claim that unlike Iraq, Syria is not in violation of any international norm,” the statement said. “Has he forgotten about U.N. Resolution 520, which calls for its immediate and unconditional withdrawal from Lebanon? Not to mention its abhorrent human-rights record, which, in terms of the murder, torture and arbitrary jailing of its own civilians, and those of occupied Lebanon, is second to none.”
Concluded the group: “Syria has shown itself to be a threat to the United States and the enemy of democracy, especially democracies attempting to survive on its borders. Syria’s recent acts of hostility against coalition troops in Iraq-providing military equipment, transporting mercenary fighters, and harboring members of Saddam’s regime-have only reinforced this undeniable reality.”
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