Some years ago, when the Syrian vice was closing on Lebanon, a Lebanese Christian leader held a press conference in which he delivered an unforgettable line: ‘The Western world should either support us, or change its name.’ The West did neither, falling into sin. Now there is an opportunity for redemption. http://www.spectator.co.uk/article.php3?table=old&section=current&issue03 -04-12&id=2984

but

Nor is there any evidence that Mr Bush being a ‘born again’ Christian is of decisive importance. He prays much, it seems. Christian fundamentalists vote for him. But they vote for most Republicans, especially for one running against Mr Gore who served the profane Mr Clinton. Mr Bush, then, is above all a politician. He strings along the neo-conservatives – whose war this was – just as he strung along the fundamentalists when they were no threat to him. But the neo-conservatives would indeed become a threat to him if they plunged him into wars with Syria or Iran in the name of spreading democracy to the Middle East, especially next year, an election year. By drifting along with them, Mr Bush rather blundered into this war. He did not think the Iraqis would fight. A week after war began, he must have become worried because the Iraqis seemed to be resisting rather more than he was told. In the end, they stopped, and Mr Bush had his victory. He will not risk another. http://www.spectator.co.uk/article.php3?table=old&section=current&issue03 -04-12&id=2997

and

The argument is that, however imperfect he may be, Assad has provided invaluable assistance in the war against Al Qaeda, and the White House will need to call on him if it intends to revive the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians. President Bush has also rung up a debt to Prime Minister Blair for his wartime support, and the British have been pushing the Bush team to make amends with Syria. Hence, when asked last week whether Rumsfeld’s comments portend a less forgiving policy toward Damascus, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw snapped, “We would have nothing whatever to do with an approach like that.”

http://www.tnr.com/docprint.mhtml?i030421&s=kaplan042103