Saudi Arabia, a US ally that served as a launch pad in the 1991 Gulf War to drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait, has repeatedly voiced its opposition to any military action against Iraq, saying, any "regime change in Iraq was a matter for the Iraqis themselves."

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a prominent figure in the Middle East peace process, said recently all Arab states were united in rejecting a US strike against Iraq because such an attack could lead to chaos in the Middle East region.

However, among the Arab countries, Syria took the hardest stand against the US military threat, warning that Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be touched by foreign countries.

Syrian high-ranking officials have made shuttle visits to other Arab states to forge an Arab unity on the issue.

Analysts here believe that Syria, once Iraq's bitter foe, became its most vocal advocate against the possible US attack out of the following considerations.

Firstly, it is a matter of principle and national amour-propre. Syria argues that Saddam is an elected leader and therefore, it is the right of the Iraqi people to decide whether to keep him as their leader or oust him.

The Arab world has nursed grievance against US biased Mideast policies and it is unacceptable for them to see Washington easily overthrow the Iraqi government as it did in Yugoslavia and Afghanistan.

Besides, Syria fears if the Iraqi regime is removed, other countries, including itself, which refuse to comply with American policies, may be the next target on the US anti-terrorism campaign list.

Syria is already on the list of countries considered by the United States as sponsors of international terrorism.

Damascus plays host to many Palestinian oppositions, such as the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which strongly oppose peace negotiations with Israel.

Washington and Israel also accuse Syria of supporting the Lebanese resistance guerrilla Hezbollah, or Party of God, which often launches attacks against Israeli targets along the Lebanese-Israeli border area.

The third reason that Syria is opposed to a US attack on Iraq is embedded in the question of what kind of a regime is likely to emerge following the ouster of Saddam.

Syria and Iraq's other neighbors, especially Turkey, Iran and Jordan, insist on keeping Iraq's unity and territorial integrity intact no matter what happens.

The power vacuum in the "after-Saddam" period will bring about a scramble for power and wealth, or even a civil war, in Iraq. Syria does not want to see a turbulent Iraq on its eastern side.

In addition, a pro-US regime in Iraq would seek to further alienate Syria and cause a lot of uncertainties on the relationship of the two countries, which have not yet established diplomatic ties since 1980.

Moreover, economic cooperation and trade exchange have made the two countries come closer.

The trade volume between the two countries has expanded to 4 billion US dollars in the past five years.

During his visit to Damascus at the end of August, Vice Iraqi President Taha Yassin Ramadan signed agreements to establish three companies at cost of some 500 million dollars.

Iraq's oil dollar is an irresistible lure for Syria that thirsts for investment and technology to modernize itself.

Local analysts said unless Syria is offered "a significant carrot or incentive, namely the return of the occupied Golan Heights" from Washington, there is no chance for it to change its current stand on Iraq.

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2002)