Facing Assad - American Diplomatic Relations with Syria, 1969-76

Abstract

The 1970 s were a dramatic decade in the Middle East. Amid civil wars, invasions, and Cold War tensions, a handful of American and Syrian leaders revived the diplomatic relationship between the two countries. That relationship had, in the preceding two decades, devolved to the point of virtual non-existence. The presidencies of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford were the first to face the emerging regime of President Hafez al-Assad, whose dynasty and legacy confounds American leaders to this day. Based on primary sources mainly originating in the United States White House and Department of State of the era, this study examines Syrian-American relationship through seven years. It focuses on central actors in the United States, their perceptions of Syria, their perceptions of Syria s leaders and their policies toward Syria. More so than the two presidents he served under, National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was a central figure in the renewed relationship with Syria. To the extent that the chosen primary sources - American in origin - help illustrate it, the study also seeks to help increase the understanding of the leader the Americans faced in Damascus - President Hafez al-Assad.