January 24, 2013
CounterPunch.org

A Zionist Friendly, Right-Wing Texas Islamist to Lead Syria?

by Franklin Lamb

DAMASCUS -- For the past year, a plan C or D, depending on how one numbers the failed US-Israel projects in Syria was badly needed for those presuming to topple the Assad government.

And this week, according to Congressional staffers, both Tel Aviv and the White House are pinching themselves in disbelief over their good luck with installing republican leaning conservative Dixie businessman, the congenial, Ghassan Hitto, as Syria's new interim Prime Minister.

Securing the key position for Mr. Hitto, a decision made last year, was not so easy and had to be approached gingerly. But finally, after weeks of sometimes intense debate within Syrian opposition circles, Washington, Ankara, Doha and Tel Aviv among others, managed to appoint their preferred guy. "The White House thought Hitto was the best of a bad lot", one Congressional committee source, whose work load includes Syria, explained to this observer. "Bottom line, he's an American, nearly thirty years here makes Ghassan one of us. And who cares if he came here as young man to dodge military service in Syria. Many of us dodged our draft during Vietnam and what's important is that we can count of him!"

And just as some Americans were beginning to believe that our government may be afflicted with a congenital incapacity to learn from our past mistakes, installing Hitto, "should keep hope alive and we should not give up", according to our Ambassador in Beirut, Maury Connelly. "Look what we achieved in Libya" she lectured a visiting delegation recently. After the meeting, one participant deadpanned, "Good lord! If that woman had not been Jeff Feltman's office favorite for whatever reason, she might still be serving coffee to State Department visitors at 2201 C St NW, Washington, DC!" Having quoted that snide comment, Maury, dear readers, is reputed to be a lovely lady. Just ask her frequent visitor, Samir Geagea of the Lebanese Forces, who is reputed to be her special confident these days.

One recalls how Washington installed nearly one dozen Libya ex-pats during the uprising just as the NATO no-fly zone was being launched. Most of them knew foreign countries better than their birth country and some needed to get their hands on a US supplied "non-lethal weapon" i.e. a GPS and a National Geographic map to find the places in west Libya which they were meant to govern. Not to drop names, but in late June 2011, Saif el-Islam, now locked up in Zintan west of Tripoli, told this observer, referring to the influx into Benghazi and Misrata of "Team USA-UK" as Saif referred to those NATO chose to form an alternative government so they could be recognized quick as the "sole legitimate government"of Libya, "Franklin, you know Libya better than these foreigners do!"

Mr. Hitto's "election" solves several immediate Syria problems for the White House. Or so they are hoping. At minimum, Hitto will be an American 'potted plant' who can be recognized and around whom NATO can corral an implant some of the desperate factions vying for power. Ghassan appears willing to take orders and is now involved in a crash-course to learn what he needs to know about Syria and how to implement the game plan. One congressional aide who helped vet Mr. Hitto clams he has "spunk and can be tough. And we think he will play ball."

One proposal that Hitto has reportedly agreed to is the Dennis Ross/AIPAC idea for a "political isolation law." If adapted by the Hitto provisional government, this decree would ban nearly the whole ruling class in Syria from having any role in government. Its intension is to eliminate anyone who worked with either the Hafez or Bashar Assad regimen from 1970 until today. "We need a clean break in Syria", Ross reportedly told fellow conferees at the recent AIPAC convention.

Washington has also encouraged Hitto to reject dialogue with the Government of Syria because neocons in Congress are insisting that "negotiations" with the Assad government will drag on interminably and allow the current regime to eradicate pockets of resistance and bring in more help from Russia and Iran. Citing negotiations with Iran, Arizona Senator John McCain recently told Fox News that "if you try to negotiate with these people (Iran's government) you will lose. And we did. We need action!" Some in Congress are telling the White House that the same is true with the Syrian government and it appears Mr. Hitto agrees that dialogue is a bad thing. . . .

It appears Washington, Doha and Tel Aviv has got their man in place. What the Syrian people will think of their selection will likely be known soon.

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Franklin Lamb is doing research in Lebanon and Syria and can be reached c/o fplamb@gmail.com

Gen. Wesley Clark, Commonwealth Club, October 3, 2007

[It has grown to include more than 160 military cargo flights by Jordanian, Saudi and Qatari military-style cargo planes landing at Esenboga Airport near Ankara, and, to a lesser degree, at other Turkish and Jordanian airports.--C J Chivers and Eric Schmitt, "Arms Airlift to Syrian Rebels Expands, With C.I.A. Aid," nytimes.com, March 24, 2012]

"Syria Regime-Change Project: An Ugly Stalemate," The Wisdom Fund, September 12, 2012

Jonathon Cook, "Israel Stirs the Pot in Syria," counterpunch.org, June 17, 2013