The Bush administration’s Middle East policy is unlikely to change much with the appointment of Edward Djerejian as the new assistant secretary of state for the Near East and South Asian affairs.
Djerejian, now ambassador to Syria, has been nominated by President Bush to replace John Kelly. His appointment must still be confirmed by the Senate.
While technically Djerejian would become the administration’s top policy-maker on the Middle East, he is likely to have only secondary influence, according to Middle East experts.
The reason is that Secretary of State James Baker prefers to involve only a “very small circle of people” in Middle East policy-making, said Morris Amitay, a pro-Israel lobbyist who formerly served as executive director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Nevertheless, Djerejian is “likely to be a more activist assistant secretary” than Kelly has been, said Marvin Feuerwerger, senior strategic fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a pro-Israel think tank.
Feuerwerger cited Djerejian’s past experience at the White House, where he was deputy press secretary from 1985 to 1986, and his “extensive Middle Eastern background.”
Prior to serving as assistant secretary, Kelly had been ambassador to Lebanon, but had no other Middle East experience.
Djerejian, on the other hand, has served since 1988 as ambassador to Syria, which Feuerwerger called a “critical” post, especially if a Middle East peace conference is convened.
Djerejian has also held posts in Lebanon and Jordan and was formerly a deputy spokesman at the State Department.
One analyst, who requested anonymity, voiced concern that Djerejian will advocate a “full withdrawal” by Israel from the Golan Heights. But Djerejian has “good press relations on the Israeli side,” the analyst added.
Feuerwerger said U.S. positions on Jewish settlements in the West Bank or on trading land for peace “won’t be changed by one or another figure filling the Near East bureau,” and that it remains to be seen if Djerejian’s views will carry weight with the top U.S. policy-makers.
‘NOT HAPPY’ WITH MIDEAST POLICY
Amitay said he is “not happy” with the administration’s current Middle East policy, which he said is being driven by Bush, Baker and Brent Scowcroft, the national security adviser.
“I don’t think any one of the three could ever be called a friend of Israel or someone who really understands the Middle East,” he said.
Amitay added that U.S. policy toward Israel “doesn’t get any better” when one widens the circle of Middle East policy-makers.
Djerejian, a career Foreign Service officer, became ambassador to Syria in August 1988. Under Kelly’s predecessor, Richard Murphy, he was the Near East bureau’s top deputy assistant secretary.
Because of his Armenian background, Djerejian was reportedly passed over this summer when Bush instead selected Robert Strauss to be his new ambassador to the Soviet Union.
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