Regional powers' mixed reactions to imminent Syria strike (2)

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IRAQ IS DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER TERRORISM

Already mired in sectarian conflicts and worsening violence, Iraq, as one of Syria's neighbors with a long shared border, will be severely affected if some Western countries launch military strikes against Assad's administration, Iraqi observers said.

When meeting U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Robert Beecroft on Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki voiced his opposition to any military actions on Syria that seek to "punish" Damascus' alleged use of chemical weapons.

Maliki has announced the highest level of alert in Iraq to "avoid any possible serious consequences that could result from the Syrian crisis as there is talk about possible strike."

"The security situation (in Iraq) has repercussions from the developments in Syria and the recent wave of bombings is an extension of the (tense) situation in Syria, as there is active participation by the terrorists from Syria in Iraq," Saied al- Khafaji, a professor of politics at Mustansriyah University in Baghdad, told Xinhua.

"Toppling Assad will have catastrophic consequences on Iraq and on the region as a whole," Khafaji said. "The biggest loser will be Iraq as a result of its long common border with Syria and the incubators of Syrian terrorist groups that exist particularly in (Iraq's) western desert and other areas."

Ibrahim al-Ameri, a lecturer of politics in a Baghdad college, said there is a clear division in the attitudes of the Iraqi factions toward the Syrian conflict, as some support the Shiite-led Syrian administration and others are against it, and any Western strike on Syria may complicate the political and security scenario in Iraq.

LEBANON IS ON VERGE OF SECTARIAN STRIFE

Given to Lebanon's long history of involvement in the wars of major powers and its close relations with Syria, the country will be significantly affected if the United States decides to strike its neighboring Syria, local analysts told Xinhua.

Since Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian crisis, the political division in the country has become sharp. Furthermore, the recurrence of bombings in Lebanon, which left at least 70 people dead and over 894 injured in less than two months, has put people on pins and needles.

It is obvious that if the U.S. attacks Syria, the situation in Lebanon would become more complicated.

"If it is really a limited strike, nothing will happen, but if it is a big one with effects on the battlefield in Syria, then Hezbollah will react based on the situation on the ground," Kassem Kassir, a Lebanese political analyst and writer with close connection to Hezbollah.

Another political analyst, Georges Alam, said that Lebanon is on a very dangerous slope toward becoming "an open scene for the settlement of the regional problems."

He expressed fears that his country may not be able "to sustain the repercussions of the regional conflicts," and the current sectarian incitement may lead to "destabilization of the Lebanese entity."

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