Intelligence Briefs: Syria

Banking reforms announced
2 December 2000

SANA (Damascus) reported that the Regional Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party voted to permit the creation of private banks in the form of "private shareholding or mixed companies" and approved a bank secrecy law. It also approved government plans to create a securities exchange market and liberalize currency exchange rates in Syria.

Government permits travel to Iraq
3 December 2000

Al-Hayat (London) reported today that Syrian authorities have cancelled measures which prohibit the travel of Syrian nationals to Iraq that have been in effect since the two countries broke diplomatic relations 20 years ago. The immigration department of the Interior Ministry issued a memorandum late last month mandating the removal of the words "except Iraq" from all Syrian passports. In May 1997, the Syrian authorities began allowing businessmen to travel to Iraq, but required that they obtain official permission for each trip. The new changes came after two rounds of talks between Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and Syrian Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shar'a.

State TV promotes boycott of American products
13 December 2000

State-run Syrian television carried extensive coverage today of a demonstration in Damascus organized by the Syrian National Committee for Boycotting US goods and Interests. The broadcast said that the protestors burnt American and Israeli goods "as an expression of the Arab masses' solidarity with the courageous intifadah as it strives to achieve its legitimate national goals of liberation, return of the refugees and establishing an independent Palestinian state with holy Jerusalem as its capital."

Assad regime expected to close Tadmur prison
15 December 2000

Al-Mustaqbal (Beirut) reported today that the Syrian regime will soon announce the closure of Tadmur prison, one of the most infamous detention centers in Syria, and turn it into a "relic of the past." Prisoners at Tadmur have been gradually transferred to the Saidnaya prison near Damascus, which has more modern facilities, in recent months. In November, Assad ordered the closure of Mazzeh prison [See "Bashar Breaks with the Past . . . Gradually," Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, December 2000].

Syria, Lebanon and Egypt sign gas pipeline deal
15 December 2000

Syria, Lebanon and Egypt signed an agreement to build a gas pipeline from the Egyptian city of Al-Arish to the Lebanese port of Tripoli (via Syria) today. Syrian Energy Minister Muhammad Mahir Jamal, Lebanese Energy Minister Muhammad Abd-al-Hamid Baydun, and Egyptian Energy Minister Samih Fahmi praised the agreement as a model of cooperation among Arab states.

Iran extradites 3 Syrian Islamists
22 December 2000

Al-Hayat (London) reported today that Iran recently extradited to Syria three Islamists who had entered the country. The paper quoted Yasir al-Sirri of the London-based Islamic Observation Center as saying that Muhammad Bakir, Mustafa Qadid and "Mus'ab" (whose full name was not mentioned), all of whom were residents of Aleppo, left Syria after the massive crackdown on Islamists launched by the Assad regime in December 1999 [See "Syrian, Lebanese Security Forces Crush Sunni Islamist Opposition," Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, January 2000].

Credit Cards to be allowed in Syria
25 December 2000

A Syrian bank announced plans today to introduce the country's first credit cards. The Savings Bank published a tender in local newspapers, asking for bids from foreign companies to supply and install credit card equipment, train employees and oversee marketing. The Commercial Bank of Syria announced similar moves today. Reforms in the country's banking sector have picked up steam recently. Syrian banks have been nationalized since 1963, but earlier this month the government approved the privatization of Syrian banks.

Iran threatens to retaliate for Israeli attack on Syria
30 December 2000

In an interview with Al-Watan (Kuwait) published today, Iran's defense minister said that an Israeli attack on its "strategic ally Syria" would be met with ''astounding and unexpected'' retaliation from Iran. Shamkhani did not say what kind of retaliation might ensue, but added that ''not all what is known could be said, and not all what is said is reported.'' Iran has built a number of missile capable of hitting Israel, such as the Shahab-3, which has a range of 810 miles (1,300 km). Israel has threatened to launch reprisals against Syria if there is an escalation of violence along the Lebanese-Israeli border.