War (of Words) with Syria
View current page...more recent posts
Wednesday, Apr 16, 2003
[More on Hezbollah.]
Daily Star -- April 15
Hizbullah warns of fallout from US regional plans
Maurice Kaldawi
A senior Hizbullah official warned Monday that fallout from the US-led war in Iraq may soon affect Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran and the region.
Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy secretary-general of Hizbullah, was speaking to reporters after visiting Aram I Keshishian, Armenian Orthodox Catholicos of the House of Celicia, at his seat in Antelias.
Qassem said the visit was part
of a “big tour” by Hizbullah officials involving religious and political leaders and designed to discuss developments concerning Lebanon in particular.
“Time has proved that the American steps in Iraq are the beginning of steps covering the whole region and providing an appropriate cover for Israeli designs,” Qassem said.
“(Israeli Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon is talking about the favorable chances he is expecting from the aggression on Iraq. In addition, there are accusations against Syria that it possesses weapons of mass destruction. This confirms that the Iraqi step is an American crossing over to other steps covering Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran and the whole region,” he said.
He added that what happened in Iraq “does not mean it can happen again in other spots, because the circumstances are different and so are the governments.”
Accordingly, we cannot prevent a possible danger but we can prevent events which others think of realizing, he said.
Replying to a question about the recent “campaign against Damascus,” Qassem said: “We and Syria are in the same trench and will remain united in confronting challenges.”
“We consider this American campaign to be aimed to weaken the Syrian and Lebanese position and an attempt to break the relationship between the two countries,” he added.
[Discussion of Hezbollah defiance. Review of Mofaz's plan to present Israel's demands to Syria via US.]
The Daily Star
Hizbullah: ‘Whatever happens, we are ready’
by Nicholas Blanford
The Hizbullah fighter, one of three manning an observation post on Sheikh Abbad Hill, ignored the taunts of “Terrorist! Terrorist!” from an unseen Israeli soldier in the giant concrete compound on the other side of the border fence, and simply said: “Whatever happens, we are ready.”
[More detail on Hezbollah reaction than carried in BBC story posted below.]
Al Bawaba -- April 15
Hizbullah dismisses US threats against Syria
Hizbullah believes US pressure on Syria and Iran will not be translated into military action and is only a tool for pressuring those opposed to US designs in the region.
The political adviser to Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, Hajj Hussein Khalil, told The Daily Star in an interview, published on Tuesday, that the US pressure was “nothing new.”
[Only a few questions on Syria in today's White House briefing. Quoted below is perhaps the most pointed exchange. This is in sharp contrast to the April 14th briefing which was peppered with questions about Syria. I find it surprising that their were no references to today's Guardian article, which I read late last night.]
White House Briefing -- April 15
www.whitehouse.gov/news/briefings/
Q Why is the focus on Syria?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the focus is on Syria is because Syria is the nation that's harboring Iraqis.
Q Do you have proof of that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, certainly, we would not have said it, Secretary Powell would not have said it, the President wouldn't have said it.
Q Why don't you present the proof, then?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, as always, Helen, this is an old argument. We have information that comes into our hands for a variety of means. We prefer to keep getting that information. We feel confident --
Q Don't think it will enhance your credibility if you showed us?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think our credibility is rather strong.
[Concise review of official and press responses.]
Utusan Express (Malaysia) -- April 15
World leaders, press alarmed as US turns sights to Syria
PARIS - World leaders and press reacted with a mixture of caution and dismay on Tuesday to the United States' escalating threats to Syria, which it accuses of harbouring Iraqi leaders and chemical weapons.
[Broadly ranging article on Syria, Iraq, Chalabi, Abbas. Covers Rumsfeld, Powell and Syrian comments which were covered in posts below. Gulf Cooperation Council weighs in.]
Washington Post -- April 15
U.S. Keeps Diplomatic Pressure on Syria
By Thomas W. Lippman
U.S. military officials said, Special Forces have stepped up their activities along Iraq's border with Syria, trying to cut off the possible escape of Iraqi officials or the transport of banned weapons.
The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, rejected U.S. accusations that Syria was developing chemical weapons and harboring Iraqi officials and urged the United States to get out of Iraq as quickly as possible.
"We think the threat to Syria should stop. We don't think Syria wants a war or to escalate any situation," Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad Bin Jasim Thani told reporters after an emergency meeting of foreign ministers of the six Gulf states in the Saudi capital. "We reject any infringement of Syria's security. . . . We are watching this with great care and if there is any problem to be solved it is to be solved by direct negotiations by both sides."
Ha'aretz -- April 16
Dozens of senior Iraqis flee to Syria
By Ze'ev Schiff
Dozens, and perhaps hundreds, of Iraqi officials escaped to Syria, according to fresh assessments by intelligence organizations including the U.S., British and Israeli services, which were surprised by the large numbers involved after initial estimates that only a few dozen made their way to Syria during or prior to the war.
Arabic News -- April 15
Mubarak discusses with Bush the Iraqi issue, threats on Syria
Well- informed diplomatic sources in Cairo said that the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, is seeking to contain the statements and threats launched by American officials, in which they accused Syria of supporting terrorism, seeking to own chemical weapons and harboring former officials in the regime of the toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
[Also covered in Mubarak-Bush conversation were the Israel Palestine roadmap and the situation in Iraq.]
[Tuesday's comments from Sharon. Support for Syria from Iran and Spain.]
Al Jazeera -- April 15
Syria dominates Middle East agenda
Syria continued to dominate the world’s agenda on Tuesday amid a flurry of statements and diplomatic manoeuvrings.
Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon weighed into the war of words demanding that greater pressure be brought upon the recalcitrant” country by the US to rid it of Palestinian "terrorists" while Iran threatened that any US-military action against Syria would be construed as an attack against Iran.
Through the escalating wrangle, Syria has struck a consistent note of indignation alleging that hardline “Zionists” had infiltrated the corridors of power in Washington and taken over its Middle East policy.
Israel’s Prime Minister was the harshest on Syria on the day, accusing its president, Bashar al-Asad of being a “dangerous" man, "whose judgment was impaired.”
[Comments from several Lebanese officials.]
The Daily Star -- April 15
Lebanese leaders stand by Syria against US
Speaker calls on america to respect rights of other countries
by Khalil Fleihan
Lebanese leaders are standing by Syria against charges from US officials that Damascus has been supporting the regime of Saddam Hussein and possesses weapons of mass destruction.
Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday called for a halt to such statements from officials in the US administration.