Intelligence Briefs: Syria

Syrian Prime Minister Visits Baghdad

Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa Miru traveled to Baghdad for a three-day trip that ended on August 13, the first visit to Iraq by a high level Syrian official since 1979. During his trip, Miru held talks with Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan to discuss military and diplomatic cooperation, declaring that Syria will help the Iraqis resist "all forms of flagrant pressure and aggressive measures aimed at intervening in Iraq's interior affairs." Ramadan pledged to assist Syria in the event of a military conflict with Israel. The Syrian premier also signed a number of economic cooperation agreements, most notably an agreement to establish seven joint pharmaceutical and industrial companies.

Syrian MP Arrested

Syrian parliament member Muhammad Mamoun al-Homsi was arrested on August 9 by security forces at his office in Al-Azbakiyya. Homsi, a 45-year old businessman who was "elected" to parliament as an independent candidate 11 years ago, had been on a hunger strike to protest the continuing state of emergency (though some have hinted that his anger over being required by the Finance Ministry to pay over $1 million in back taxes was the "real" reason for his protest). The Syrian Interior Ministry later released a statement saying that Homsi was charged with "attempts to undermine national unity, defaming the state . . . and insulting its legislative, executive and judicial authorities."

On August 18, a group of 15 lawyers issued a statement pledging to defend the jailed legislator. The lawyers, who included prominent attorneys Habib Isa, Haitham Almalh and Anwar Albani, said that Homsi's demands were legal under the constitution and blamed security officials for interfering in all aspects of Syrian life.

SSNP Holds First Public Meeting in 50 Years

The Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), a group that advocates the establishment of a Greater Syria encompassing present day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel, was allowed to hold its first public meeting in nearly 50 years on August 5. The SSNP was banned in 1955 for allegedly assassinating the deputy chief of staff of the Syrian army, Adnan Malki. Although the party is not officially recognized, Syrian President Bashar Assad has permitted the fiercely anti-Israeli movement to resume activities in order to bolster domestic support for the regime's hard-line stance toward the peace process.