War (of Words) with Syria
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Tuesday, May 06, 2003
[A brief tangent into another Arab country which has a complicated relationship with the US.]
Saudi Arabia: The pendulum swings
Asia Times -- May 7
By Syed Saleem Shahzad
KARACHI - The road map for peace in the Middle East envisages as a final destination an independent Palestinian state. But along the way, it will also certainly call for the curtailment of organizations such as Hamas and the Islamic Jehad, which in turn will put pressure on the main sponsor of these groups, Saudi Arabia.
Over the past few months, sections of the Saudi media, some circles of the royal family and the clergy and intellectuals have speculated that after Iraq, the US is determined to bring Saudi Arabia to heel.
[A nuanced analysis of the subtleties of Lebanese politics and the complex history of the Israeli-Lebanese conflict over the past two decades.]
Lebanese Leaders Siding With Terrorists
Wheeling News-Register -- May 6
Lebanese leaders apparently weren't listening when President Bush, during the days after Sept. 11, 2001, warned that nations not with the United States in the war against terrorism will be counted as against us.
Secretary of State Colin Powell on Saturday sought Lebanon's cooperation in eliminating a serious threat to peace in the Middle East. Specifically, Powell asked that Lebanese armed forces be moved into the country's southern area to replace a large contingent of Hezbollah fighters now in that region.
Hezbollah, a terrorist group supported by both Syria and Iran, has as its primary goal the destruction of Israel. Period. The presence of hundreds of Hezbollah fighters on the border between Lebanon and Israel gives the terrorists easy access to their enemy. It makes terrorist assaults against Israelis much easier for Hezbollah.
But Powell was told in no uncertain terms that Lebanon will not cooperate.
In rebuffing the United States, Lebanese leaders also are thumbing their noses at the United Nations, which also has sought removal of the Hezbollah forces.
Clearly, Lebanese leaders have chosen to side with terrorism. They should receive one more reminder that nations supporting terror become enemies of the United States. Then, U.S. leaders should ask the United Nations to impose sanctions against Lebanon.
Tel Aviv bombing trail leads to Damascus
Jane's Terrorism Intelligence Center -- May 6
By Alon Ben-David
Israeli Intelligence sources allege that Hanif and Sharif first met one another in Damascus. Hanif, believed to have been activated there, arrived in Damascus for the last time five months ago, while Sharif was alleged to have been activated in the UK and traveled to Syria in March. The men were met in Damascus by Hamas representatives, Israeli intelligence claims, but received training from another group, possibly Hizbullah or Al-Qaeda.
The explosives used in the bombing were also prepared in Syria, Israeli intelligence believes, but were probably brought into Israel by a third party. JTIC has learned that the explosive content of the devices was a rare form of plastic explosive nicknamed 'datasheet'. When flattened into thin leaves and disguised as pages of a book, this form of explosive is completely undetectable by X-ray machines and is difficult to identify even with a trained eye.
Nearly $1-billion taken from Iraq bank still missing
AP via The Globe and Mail -- May 6
Washington — Treasure Department officials say they don't know where roughly $900-million (U.S.) that was removed from Iraq's Central Bank shortly before the United States began bombing Baghdad has been taken.
The New York Times reported that Saddam Hussein ordered the money be taken from the Central Bank and sent his son Qusai to grab the cash in the middle of the night.
A U.S. Army Special Forces officer, Colonel Ted Seel, said intelligence indicated that a convoy of tractor trailers crossed the border into Syria, but that the contents of the trucks was unknown, the Times report said.
Lebanese Army Already Deployed in South: UN
Deutsche Presse-Agentur • Reuters
Arab News -- May
BEIRUT, 7 May 2003 — A United Nations spokesman based in southern Lebanon said yesterday the Lebanese Army was effectively deployed in the region. “As far as I am concerned, (the army) is already deployed in south Lebanon,” said UN Interim Forces in Southern Lebanon spokesman Timor Goksel.
He said the Hezbollah resistance group had contributed to the relatively calm situation in southern Lebanon over the past few months.
[Another angle on the previous story.
The original arrests were in September, and the convictions came two
days after Powell's visit.]
Lebanon convicts Australian over "terror" links
Reuters -- May 6
BEIRUT - A Lebanese military court has jailed four men including an Australian for three years on "terror" charges after they were arrested on suspicion of links to the al Qaeda network, judicial sources said on Tuesday.
The sources said the men were convicted on Monday of forming a "terrorist group" to carry out criminal acts and undermine state authority.
Mohamed Ramez Sultan, an Australian-Lebanese dual national, had denied to the court he had any links to Osama bin Laden's militant Islamic network, although Lebanese prosecutors said he had admitted belonging to al Qaeda during questioning.
Al-Qaida suspects convicted in Lebanon
UPI -- May 6
BEIRUT, Lebanon -- A Lebanese military court has handed down prison sentences of hard labor to eight people convicted of trying to form an al-Qaida cell in the country, judicial sources said Tuesday.
The ruling marked the first time Lebanese authorities have confirmed any attempt by al-Qaida to infiltrate Lebanon.
[An analysis of Powell's interaction with Syria.]
Powell and Syria
Beirut Calling -- May 5
A spot analysis of Colin Powell's visit to Syria and Lebanon seems in order. Officially, Powell came with a list of items for the Syrians that included putting an end to their support for Palestinian groups the Bush administration considers terrorist organizations, ending Hezbollah attacks against Israel in the disputed Shebaa Farms area of southern Lebanon, giving up members of the former Iraqi regime, and ending the development of weapons of mass destruction. Powell went further, saying the Syrians would be judged on their actions, not words. That was the official line.
Unofficially, things were different. Powell came to Syria to essentially tell Bashar Assad, "Look, I'm the best you have now. Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Otherwise, those cranks at the Pentagon will have a shot at you." What did Powell mean by having his back scratched? I suspect some relatively cosmetic action on the Palestinian groups that might include closing their Damascus offices, but not expelling their leaders. On Hizbullah, it might mean ensuring the party will cease its attacks against Israel, or make them rare indeed, while also beefing up Lebanese army troops in the border area.
[Weekly middle east press review in Slate. Includes coverage of Powell's trip to Syria.]
Powell Play
Slate -- May 5
By Michael Young
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell kicked off a new phase in post-Iraq-war Middle East diplomacy Saturday when he traveled to Syria and Lebanon to issue a warning and some embedded reassurances. Lebanon's left-wing Al-Safir headlined with the gist of what Powell told the Syrians: "We Want Action, Not Words, and We'll Be Watching Syria."
[Transcript of Powell's press briefing on Saturday morning, prior to his meetings with Assad and Shara.
Lebanon, Hezbollah, Israel, and a little bit of Palestine are included on this US-Syria page. It's nice to see official confirmation that these problems are intertwined. But according to Powell, Bush has a vision for how to untie this Gordian knot.]
Briefing by Powell in Damascus
Arabic News -- May 3
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, good morning everyone, I am very pleased to be back in Damascus and I am looking forward to my conversations this morning with the President of Syria, President Bashar Assad, and with the Foreign Minister, my colleague Foreign Minister Shara. Much has changed since my last visit to Syria. We have entirely a new situation in Iraq, and I think another element that is significant is the appointment of Mr. Abu Mazen as Prime Minister to the Palestinian authority and the presentation of the road map to both parties and to all other interested nations. So we have two dynamics at work: changed strategic situation in Iraq with the elimination of a dictatorial regime and a new opportunity for the people of Iraq to build a country and a government that rests on democratic foundations and the opportunity to move forward with a peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
I will mention to the President in no uncertain terms that even though the Roadmap relates principally to the Palestinians and the Israelis, the United States sees this as part of a comprehensive settlement that must be achieved that would include the interests of Syria and Lebanon, as well. That is part of the President's vision.