ater, in 1976, Jordan was the only Arab country to support SyriaÆs invasion and subsequent role in Lebanon (Collelo, 1990, p. 252). Syrian-Jordanian relations deteriorated once again, however, when Jordan supported Egyptian President Anwar SadatÆs peace initiative to Israel. To bolster its position against Syria, Jordan improved its relations with Iraq, an act that further aggravated Syrian-Jordanian relations. By the mid-1980s, Jordan and Syria were once again attempting to improve relations. During the Gulf War, however, the two countries were again placed in opposition, as Syria joined in the Allied cause, while Jordan provided at least tacit support for the Iraqui position. In recent years, Jordan has not posed a major threat to Syria. Thus, the roller coaster relationship between Syria and Jordan has not been a major influencing factor on the military aspects of SyriaÆs foreign policy.
Syria is bounded on the east by Israel and Lebanon (Paxton, 1991, p. 1175). Historically, Syria has considered Lebanon to be a part of Greater Syria (Collelo, 1990, p. 3).
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