The message from Syria

Re “Washington’s stubborn failure to communicate,” Opinion, Aug. 4

I never thought I would agree more with the Syrian ambassador than I do with our own president. Open lines of communication will not stop all problems, but without communication, failure can be guaranteed. I saw New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman interviewed recently, and he described how, prior to the start of the Gulf War, he traveled with then-Secretary of State James A. Baker III to Syria 15 times. Baker was talking with the Syrians about supporting a war with Iraq. Friedman said that he wrote in 14 articles that Baker had failed in his mission. On the 15th time, he was able to report on Baker’s success.

The Bush administration needs to provide the sort of leadership that only the strongest democracy in the world can provide. That leadership starts with communication.

MIKE REARDON

Fallbrook

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Imad Moustapha, the Syrian ambassador to the United States, grossly overstates his country’s involvement in fighting terrorism and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. Since 1948, Syria has waged several unprovoked wars against Israel. Since the 1970s and continuing until 2005, Syria militarily occupied Lebanon, during which it instituted a regime of intolerance that included the murder of political opponents. Today, Syria provides material support to the terrorist group Hezbollah, including hundreds of missiles being fired at Israeli civilians.

If Syria wants to talk, it should start by saying, “I’m sorry.” The U.S. should not feel compelled to seek the counsel of a country that uses terrorism as a bargaining chip and refuses to respect the sovereignty of its neighbors.

HOWARD CHERNIN

Van Nuys

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Re “Syrians Give the Lebanese VIP Treatment,” Aug. 2

Thank you for this article. We Syrians seldom find anything nice written about us in American newspapers. In the face of the systematic destruction taking place in Lebanon, with a heavy human toll, common people in Syria are overlooking the insults regularly delivered to the Syrians by some Lebanese factions over the last year and practicing an old Syrian tradition: welcoming refugees.

Refugees are sheltered not only in schools, mosques and summer camps, but in churches and convents. Syria has in the past welcomed Kurds and Armenians, so it is not quite right to say that Syria welcomes the Lebanese just because their cause is linked to that of the Palestinians. The real incentive is pure old-fashioned human feelings.

MAJDA I. KHOURY

Damascus, Syria