Salim sahib, I respect your opinion. Believe me that Soviet Union was no protector of Syria either.
Let's not forget that Syria lost Golan heights at the "hight" of Soviet era. Soviet union couldn't do a thing to stop the mauling and manhandling of its allies in the Middle East.
Even though I want to believe in the notion of "fairplay", the reality points to a different direction. When it comes to powers whether one, two, or a zillion, there never is a fair-play. You know why? Because powers believe in power-play (instead of being fair).
So the ones who talk about "multi-polar" world, they are simply looking for more sources of "funding".
p.s. coming back to the previous post! Yes, Syria is a known leftist anarchist country, and so are the countries such as: Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, and Cuba. Off course any leftist may disagree with me on that assessment, and I respect that.
I believe Syria is now giving berthing rights for the Soviet Black Sea fleet, much to the US' discomfort and more so, after the gains from the Cedar Revolution and UN presence.
In so far as Syria losing Golan Heights, it was a war and I don't think any superpower can intervene physically in any war of other countries, except those that they support openly like a Military Pact etc.
I would tend to think that by giving even military hardware, it qualifies as support and keeping things even. Has the USSR not supplied compatible weaponry, Israel possibly could have swamped quite a few countries in the Middle East.
In the Yom Kipper War, Egypt and Syria took the initiative, the former with its ingenuous employment of the 'water cannon' to blast the Suez Canal banks, 'suitcase missiles' to thwart the Israeli armour, and the SAM shield to protect itself from the formidable Israeli Air Force while Syria attempted to overrun the Golan Heights. However, the tables turned and the Israelis seized the initiative from the Arabs. I don't think any superpower could have intervened physically in favour of Syria.
There is no doubt, and I agree with you, that there is no fairplay in international politics. However, what I meant that in the power play, there is the good chance that the smaller countries are not swamped over as was Iraq!
I am not a leftist, but I find it hard to believe that Iran or Syria are leftist or anarchist, irrespective of what the western media's opinion maybe. While I may not find their policies very attractive and maybe the policies are a trifle quirky, yet I cannot reconcile myself to taking them to be leftists. The others are obviously leftist, but Venezuela, inspite of its sabre rattling continues to supply oil to the US and there is no US inclination in not keeping such a flow ongoing. As you said, it is all powerplay!
