States in crisis / Comment
A chance for peace? The Collapse of the"Third Front" in the war against terrorism
24/09/2008 By Alain Gresh
Although pessimism over instability and the threat of terrorism prevails in other parts of the Middle East and Asia, one traditionally-conflict torn country appears to have made remarkable steps towards peace. Following the Doha Accords of May this year, Lebanon has attained, at least temporarily, a stable internal political settlement.
Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images
An important consequence of the accords has been the rehabilitation of Syria into the diplomatic dynamic of the region following several years of frosty relations with the United States and France, particularly after the murder of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005.
Under the aegis of Turkey, Israel and Syria have begun to talk to each other once again - eight years after promising peace negotiations between the countries ground to a halt. Syrian president Bashar al Assad sealed his international rehabilitation with an appearance in Paris at the talks to mark the creation of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Indeed, Assad's recent comments show that the Syrian leader is increasingly concerned by the influence of Islamist radicalism in the region, and believes that only concerted collective action by Arab states, along with economic development, can stop the region's young people from being drawn towards religious extremism.
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Keywords
Conflict Israel Lebanon Middle East SyriaBio author: Alain Gresh
French writer and journalist born in Egypt in 1958. Deputy Director of Le Monde Diplomatique, and author of the blog Nouvelles d'Orient and President of the Association of French journalists specialised on the Maghreb and the Middle East (AJMO).
