his Week

Washington Watch

Syria Sanction

War drums likely to be replaced by U.S. economic sanctions.

to talk to [Colin] Powell and [Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul] Wolfowitz
about my bill in the next few weeks."
Engel also raised the sanctions issue
1 ewish groups are gearing up
in a recent meeting with Defense
to support economic sanc-
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. "He
tions on Syria in the wake of
agreed with everything I said about
the Iraq war.
Syria," Engel said. "I hope that's a sign
The Bush administration seems
headed in the same direction, despite a of an administration shift."
Recent news about Syrian aid to
week of white-hot rhetoric from
Iraq, and reports that the
Washington and specula-
Assad government is pro-
tion that Damascus could
viding sanctuary to fleeing
be in the U.S. military's
Iraqi officials, have con-
crosshairs.
vinced more House mem-
On Monday, Secretary
o bers to sign on as co-spon-
of State Colin Powell,
sors to his legislation,
responding to reports that
Engel said. "There's no
Syria has provided haven
doubt in my mind we
to dozens and perhaps
have
the votes to pass this
hundreds of fleeing Iraqi
even if the administration
officials, said Washington
stays neutral," he said.
"will examine possible
"But I'm hoping they
measures of a diplomatic,
will support it; I'm cer-
economic or other
tainly amenable to any
Defense Secretary
nature." And the White
change they want to make
Donald Rumsfeld,
House this week labeled
on the margins."
right,
and
Kuwaiti
.
Syria a "rogue state."
But not all Jewish groups
Foreign Minister
But U.S. officials have
are supporting the Engel
Mohammed Sabah
signaled that military
legislation. Shoshana
talk to reporters
action is probably not in
Bryen, special projects
the cards, at least for now, following a meeting
director for the Jewish
at the Pentagon
despite mounting corn-
Institute for National
on April 14.
plaints about Syria's sup-
Security Affairs (JINSA),
port for terrorism and its
said sanctions rarely change
quest for weapons of mass
the behavior of nations — and that
destruction.
leaders of countries like Syria have
Publicly and privately, administra-
become adept at passing along the costs
tion officials are talking about new
of sanctions to their poorest citizens.
diplomatic and economic measures to
bring Syria into line, now that Iraq has
been dealt with. Rep Eliot Engel, D-
Aid Bill OK'd
N.Y., author of the Syria
Congress has finished and sent to
Accountability and Lebanese
President George Bush a record $78.5
Sovereignty Restoration Act, sees signs
the administration may end its opposi- billion supplemental appropriations
bill to pay for the war in Iraq. It
tion to the measure — which the
includes new aid and loan guarantees
White House effectively blocked last
year, claiming Syria had been "helpful" for Israel.
The legislation includes $62.8 bil-
in the war against terrorism.
lion to cover direct costs for the mili-
Engel's bill, co-sponsored by Rep.
tary campaign in Iraq and the global
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., threatens
heavy economic sanctions if Syria does war on terrorism and $15.7 billion in
general discretionary funds. Also
not end its support for terrorism, its
included: $8 billion to help U.S. allies
weapons of mass destruction program
in the war on terrorism.
and its occupation of Lebanon.
Congress defined that category gen-
"I'm pleased officials in the adminis-
erously; the final bill includes addi-
tration are starting to say the things
tional aid for Turkey, which refused to
I've been saying for the past few
allow U.S. troops to use its land to
years," Engel said this week. "I hope

JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent

13

4/18

2003

28

attack Iraq, and Egypt, which fiercely
criticized the U.S. effort.
But Jewish activists aren't complain-
ing; despite predictions of a long, hard
battle, the Israel package, including $9
billion in loan guarantees and $1 bil-
lion in extra military aid, shot through
Congress at record speed.
Pro-peace process groups expressed
satisfaction that the final bill puts
some conditions on the Israel aid,
including non-binding language
encouraging the administration to
move assertively to secure a compre-
hensive peace agreement between
Israel and Palestinians.
As expected, the measure includes
dollar-for-dollar reductions for funds
spent by Israel on activities that the
president determines are inconsistent
with understandings between
Washington and Jerusalem — a broad-
ly worded provision that gives President
Bush expanded leverage on .the always
touchy issue of Jewish settlements.
The measure includes demands for
additional economic reforms in Israel
and provisions added by the House pro-
viding the loan guarantees in three
installments, giving the president more
power to limit the dollar flow if he deter-
mines Israel is violating its understand-
ings with this country. And the final
measure requires the president to provide
a yearly report to Congress on how
much he has deducted from the next
installment because of Israel's actions.
Americans for Peace Now expressed
gratitude to Congress for "meeting
Israel's request for additional military
assistance and loan guarantees at this
difficult moment," said Debra DeLee,
the group's president. "At the same time,
APN appreciates the significant changes
that Congress made to President Bush's
original version of this request."
With the U.S. ready to turn to more
active Mideast peacemaking and the
potential growing for new diplomatic
conflict over the issue of settlements "the
law says to Israel: 'Here is your $9 bil-
lion, but be careful; if you mess up, the
president can yank it, without appeal,'"
said a longtime pro-Israel lobbyist.
"It gives the president a great deal of
latitude for determining the condi-
tions under which the loan guarantees
will continue."
Other pro-Israel activists say the

changes were expected, and the speed
and size of the package was a strong
reaffirmation of U.S. support for Israel.
The loan guarantees will provide a
quick and sizeable boost to the bat-
tered Israeli economy; the extra mili-
tary aid, which may start to flow in 30
days, will help Israel cope with the
staggering costs of almost three years of
war against Palestinian terrorism.

U.N. Hits Israel

The United Nations Commission on
Human Rights (UNCHR), known for
ignoring a long list of atrocities and
genocides and for elevating Libya to
its chair, has once again lashed out at
its favorite punching bag: Israel.
Early this week, the international
body, meeting in Geneva, passed a
number of one-sided resolutions on
the Middle East. One condemned
Israel for the "mass killing" of
Palestinians; others blasted the Jewish
state for its "occupation" of the Golan
Heights, Gaza and the West Bank.
In a repeat of last year's session,
UNCHR delegates approved a resolu-
tion supporting the Palestinians' battle
against occupation by "all available
means." David Harris, executive direc-
tor of the American Jewish Commit-
tee, called that an "implicit endorse-
ment of Palestinian terrorism."
But Harris said there was a glimmer
of hope at Geneva; seven countries
that voted for last year's version moved
into the abstention column this time
around. Australia, Canada, Peru and
Germany joined the United States in
voting against the resolution.
"The fact that Germany broke with
its European partners is also very sig-
nificant," Harris said.
Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, the
head of the U.S. delegation in Geneva,
said the resolutions taint the interna-
tional body "with bias and prejudice,
polarization and mistrust," and that the
one-sided debate only serves to "rein-
force the distrust and fear that are
obstacles to a genuine and lasting peace
for the Palestinian and Israeli people."
Harris said it is "business as usual"
for the tainted international human
rights body. "Tragically, the UNCHR
is on auto-pilot. There's almost a
reflexive nature to their condemna-
tions of Israel. Last year, there were
eight separate anti-Israel resolutions,
and no other nation in the world was
the subject of more than one."
. Many of the worst human rights
abuses were utterly ignored by the
biased body, he said, "because of the
politicization of the commission."

