Mideast leaders believe they can 'blackmail, cheat' U.S.

President Obama

TEL AVIV – Amid recent White House overtures to Syria and Iran, some Mideast leaders are considering hardening their positions against the U.S., believing they may extract more concessions from a conciliatory Obama administration.

"Instead of being pro-American and receiving little, maybe we should change our model to blackmailing and cheating you. This way we will bring more American support," a Palestinian Authority official told WND yesterday.

The official was offering his analysis of the current U.S. position in the Middle East. He spoke on condition his name be withheld. The official claimed some in the PA were considering adopting a stronger position "so we can have what Syria received without offering much in return."

The official was referring to a partnership deal announced earlier this month that will see billions of dollars in trade flow between the European Union and Syria. Egyptian and Palestinian diplomatic sources told WND the Obama administration was instrumental in facilitating the deal, which is worth an estimated $7 billion a year for the Syrian economy.

U.S. opposition was a main factor in the deal being delayed since it was drawn up as a draft pact in 2004. The Bush administration was particularly opposed to Syria's interference in Lebanese affairs and Damascus' military alliance with Iran.

According to the Egyptian and Palestinian diplomatic sources, the Obama administration dropped American opposition to the deal without first extracting a concession from Syria to end its alliance with Iran.

The sources told WND the White House received pledges from Syria to collaborate with the West in Lebanon and Iraq and to play a more constructive role in the Middle East.

The Obama administration also recently announced it would send an ambassador to Syria. The U.S. withdrew its ambassador from Damascus four years ago in protest against the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, an attack widely blamed on Damascus.

A top official from Syria's Ministry of Information previously told WND the Obama administration did not extract any concessions from Syria in exchange for the new U.S. ambassador.

The PA official, speaking to WND yesterday, confirmed: "All the Syrians did was blackmail the Americans. They didn't give the U.S. anything besides some improvement on the Syrian-Iraqi borders. In all the other cases, they didn't change their policy. They are interfering in Lebanon and shipping weapons to Hezbollah. They are partners in the region with Iran. Syria didn't change its equation with Hamas."

The PA official also noted U.S. willingness to engage with Iran despite "the idea of major compromise being rejected by the Iranians."

Separately, an Egyptian intelligence official told WND yesterday his country is also considering changing some of its attitudes in light of the U.S.'s new Syrian policies.

He said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was contemplating a visit to Syria in the next few months.