Friends and Foes Mourn Passing of Damascus ‘Lion’

Allies and adversaries of Syrian President Hafez Assad mourned his death, some pledging to press forward for Middle East peace, some voicing concern for the future of the volatile region, and others saying his passing robbed the Middle East of a visionary who stood unwavering in the face of challenges to the Arab nations.

In Lebanon, where Syria has 30,000 troops stationed and has served as the main power-broker for more than two decades, a one-week mourning period was declared during which flags would be flown at half-staff.

Assad’s death is a “tragedy that struck Lebanon in the heart,” said Prime Minister Salim Hoss. President Emile Lahoud, in a letter to Assad’s son and heir-apparent, Bashar, wrote that he was the last to speak to the Syrian leader.

“The last phrase he told me was that our fate is to build for our children an assuring future, and it is our duty to make sure they inherit better than what we inherited,” Lahoud said. “Then there was a sudden silence and the line broke off.”

Other Arab officials reflected on the life of a man who, in three decades of autocratic leadership, came to be dubbed the “Lion of Damascus.”

“In the peace process, we will continue to stand behind our brothers in Syria until they reach all their rights and get back all their occupied territories,” Jordanian Prime Minister Abdul Raouf Rawabdeh said after an emergency Cabinet meeting.

The Royal Palace in Amman, the Jordanian capital, declared a 40-day mourning period and the government announced a three-day mourning period during which schools and government offices would be closed.

A statement from the office of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a close friend of Assad, called him “the most noble partner in peace,” according to Egypt’s Middle East News Agency.

Saudi Arabia said in a statement carried by its official news agency that the kingdom “shared the deep sadness of the brotherly Syrian government and people.”

It said Saudi Arabia would “continue to stand by the Syrian people and whomever they choose to succeed the departed president.”

Kuwait said it “recalled at this painful time [Assad’s] influence, as well as his and the Syrian people’s great stand beside Kuwait during the tribulation of [Iraq’s] aggression.”

Iraq interrupted programming to briefly announce Assad’s death but issued no official reaction.

Israel struck a compassionate tone in its official response.

“The government of Israel understands the grief of the Syrian people following the death of President Assad,” said a statement issued by Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s office.

“Israel worked in the past for a peace deal with Syria and will continue to work for this in the future with all future leadership,” it said.

At the United Nations, Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed deep sadness at the death of Assad, describing him as a leader of great authority and consistent principle.

“The passing of President Assad is a great loss for the people of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Arab world and the region as a whole,” an Annan spokesman said in a statement.

”. . . In the secretary-general’s view, the death of President Assad underlines the urgency of the search for a comprehensive and lasting solution to the problems of the region,” the spokesman said.

In Russia, former Prime Minister Yevgeny M. Primakov said President Vladimir V. Putin was concerned about the future of the peace process after Assad’s death.

“He told me not only of his grief but also that he is worried about how events will unfold,” Primakov, a Middle East specialist, told NTV commercial television.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair paid tribute to Assad and added: “The best testament to President Assad’s memory would be for all involved to redouble their efforts to bring a just and lasting peace to the region, and I will do everything I can to support their efforts.”