Between James Van Fleet and Tom Barrack: Will America Stand with Syria as It Once Did with Korea?

In June 1962, General James Van Fleet, who commanded U.S. forces in Korea during part of the Korean War—delivered a speech before the Los Angeles World Affairs Council titled “The Miracle of the Han River.” Speaking about South Korea, he said:

“It is the most exciting nation in Asia. Here, expertise, hard work, dedication, organization, and management can build anything that is built in Japan, Italy, Germany, or even the United States, and export it at a price that will be competitive throughout the world.” 

” I shall come back. You have made me o part of you. I know you are a port of me. I shall not ask you to give me back my heart. I leave it with you.”

General James Van Fleet played a pivotal role in South Korea’s economic development through his advocacy on behalf of the country after his military service, and by establishing the Korea Society.

After the Korean War, he became one of the strongest proponents of foreign investment in South Korea and of a robust U.S.–Korea alliance. During the Kennedy administration he led an influential delegation of American business executives to South Korea to help plan industrial projects and promote economic growth. 

Van Fleet’s major contributions to South Korea’s economic development centered on promoting foreign investment. After retiring from military service, he dedicated years to strengthening U.S.–Korean ties. The delegation of 28 American executives that he accompanied to South Korea in 1962 facilitated the planning of government-supported industrial projects involving both public and private sectors.

Van Fleet was also one of the first five signatories founding the Korea Society in 1957, a nonprofit organization focused on fostering friendly relations between the peoples of the United States and Korea. He played a key role in fundraising and advocating for U.S. assistance to Korea during his retirement, serving as the head of the American-Korean Foundation (AKF) in the 1950s.

In recognition of his exceptional contributions, the United States established the annual Van Fleet Award, honoring individuals and organizations that have made valuable contributions to the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea, including their economic cooperation.

I believe that the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, is following in Van Fleet’s footsteps through his support for the Syrian people and his strong belief in the need to give a devastated nation, one that has suffered under the tyranny of Assad and his allies—a genuine chance at economic recovery. While the Korean War lasted three years (June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953), Syria’s ordeal dragged on for decades.

Mr. Barrack has supported the Syrian people by advocating for the lifting of economic sanctions, with backing from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, where he serves as ambassador. He also facilitated the historic visit of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to the White House, a precedent-setting moment since the establishment of the modern Syrian state, and one that resonated strongly within American political circles.

Looking ahead, Mr. Barrack may well establish a Syrian Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering friendly relations between the peoples of the United States and Syria, mirroring what the Korea Society accomplished. He could also lead the creation of an American-Syrian Foundation (ASF) after his retirement, playing a central role in fundraising and advocating for U.S. assistance to Syria.

It may even be appropriate in the future for the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to propose the establishment of an annual Thomas Barrack Award, granted by the U.S. administration to honor individuals and organizations that make valuable contributions to the partnership between the United States and the Syrian Arab Republic, particularly in economic cooperation.

Just as General Van Fleet was the driving force behind South Korea’s economic renaissance, the “Miracle of the Han River”, Mr. Barrack has the potential to become the architect of Syria’s economic miracle, supported by Syria’s brothers, chief among them Saudi Arabia, and its friends, foremost among them, Turkey.

Although Syria recently endured a devastating 14-year war waged against its own people, its decline began decades earlier culminating in fifty years of economic destruction and stalled development under the Assad regime. Similarly, Korea faced a devastating war from 1950 to 1953, followed by slow and uncertain recovery. But thanks to the determination of its people and robust Western, especially American, support led by General Van Fleet, South Korea entered a period of rapid economic development from 1961 to 1996, transforming into a thriving industrial society.

As a result of their combined efforts, South Korea became one of the “Four Asian Tigers,” along with Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In December 1996, it became the 29th member of the OECD, an organization composed largely of advanced economies. South Korea’s exports rose spectacularly; from only $32.82 million in 1960, to $10 billion in 1977, then $542.2 billion in 2019, and finally reaching a historic record of $638 billion in 2024.

So the question arises:
Can Syrian political economists draw lessons from the South Korean experience and achieve a “Syrian Economic Miracle” with the support of our brothers and friends, most notably with the help of the United States represented by Mr. Tom Barrack, as General Van Fleet once helped the Koreans?