Is "Greater Syria" Still Policy?

Submitted by Alex (United States), Jul 22, 2006 at 13:46

Does Dr. Pipes believe that Bashar still seeks a Greater Syria? Bashar's withdrawals from Alexandtretta in Turkey and from most of Lebanon seem to indicate that the idea of Bilad al-Shem has at least been put on hold.

Another interesting development is that jihadists in the Levant have in the past 18 months been referring to Bilad al-Shem as an area where they would like to usurp state institutions on behalf of zealous mass-movements, in line with the idea that "there is no such thing as an Islamic land, just a land where Muslims adhere to Shari'a."

A group calling itself "The Organization for Victory and Jihad in Bilad al-Shem" even claimed responsibility for the Hariri assasination, so I wonder whether al Qaida and Bashar's regime have entered into a dynamic whereby Syrian policy becomes increasingly coopted by the the much less particularistic goals of global jihad, the same way that Syrian policy has lately become subject to Iranian hegemony.

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Daniel Pipes replies:

"Does Dr. Pipes believe that Bashar still seeks a Greater Syria?"

No, by writing that "Greater Syria is a topic that has disappeared into the historical shadows," I was saying that this goal is not in play at present.