War (of Words) with Syria
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Saturday, May 10, 2003
[An analysis of Syria's grip on Lebanon.]
Lords Over Lebanon
Syria's still in charge, but the U.S. presence in Iraq could change that.
Slate -- May 8
By Michael Young
Although it went unreported in the international media, during last weekend's visit to Beirut by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, 250 protesters took to the streets demanding the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon. Riot police intervened and several demonstrators were imprisoned or taken to the hospital. Judging from Powell's mollifying statements on Syria, they can probably expect little help from Washington.
[Nasrallah continues to voice defiance.]
Hezbollah may help Iraqis if they decide to fight Americans
AP via San Francisco Chronicle -- May 8
SAM F. GHATTAS
BEIRUT -- The Hezbollah leader said Thursday his guerrilla organization -- which fought Israeli forces to a standoff in southern Lebanon -- might join Iraqis if they decide to launch an insurgency against U.S. forces.
"It is a matter first for the Iraqi people to decide," Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said on the Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera.
Nasrallah also said his guerrillas would not disarm as the United States has demanded.
"My information is that what was demanded is for the resistance to end and be disarmed," he said expectations voiced by Secretary of State Colin Powell during a visit to Syria and Lebanon last week.
"This matter is out of the question," Nasrallah said on the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera.
"Are we supposed to confront the Israeli aggression by speeches?" he said in the lengthy interview which included telephone calls from viewers. "People without weapons are helpless ... All they can do is stage a demonstration."
[In my commentary I've said a few times that US pressure on Syria, Lebanon and Hezbollah are at least in part about the US responding to direction from Likud. Thanks for the verification Ariel!]
Sharon Says Ready for Talks with Syria
Reuters -- May 8
By Maia Ridberg
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Thursday he was ready to reopen peace talks with Syria without preconditions, three years after contacts collapsed over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
Sharon said his government would wait before entering into any diplomatic initiative with Syria to give time for U.S. pressure on Damascus to rein in Palestinian militants based there, as well as Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas, to bear fruit.
'I held serious consultations with the foreign minister and we came to an agreement that we must wait a number of weeks to avoid interfering with American pressure on Syria or Lebanon to take steps necessary for the security of Israel,' said Sharon.
Bush Administration
Readying for 2004 Invasion of Iran
Centre for Research on Globalisation -- March 23
by John Stanton
Between April of 2003 and November 2004, the US, UK and Israel will accelerate instability operations in Iran and engage in global disinformation campaigns to belittle the political and military leadership there. They will take to the airwaves to portray to Americans a country beset by internal strife and dissension. Corporate media will revisit the Iranian Hostage Crisis and display for war-hungry Americans footage from the 1978-80 timeframe. That will include images of Khomeni's henchmen hanging and executing the Shah's secret police. Movies such as Sally Field's Not Without My Child portraying many Iranians as "evil doers" will be broadcast by all the networks. Reza Pahlavi, son of the former Shah of Iran, will be featured with greater frequency on CNN, Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS.
via abuddhas memes
World Opinion Roundup
High-Tech Hezbollah Has Its Defenders
Washington Post -- May 8
By Jefferson Morley
They have their own militia, political party, and TV station.
They have their own Web sites, hospitals and computer games.
They are Hezbollah, the "Party of God" that represents millions of Shiites in Lebanon -- and worries Bush administration officials in Washington.
Sources: Palestinian factions close Damascus offices
Al Bawaba -- May 8
Informed Palestinian sources have confirmed to Al Bawaba that four Palestinian factions have decided to close their Damascus offices in response to escalating tensions between Syria and the United States.
A Palestinian official in Damascus said that the four factions, namely Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, have ‘decided willingly’ to freeze activities in the country and hence close their offices in the Syrian capital.
The anonymous source said, “The factions received no orders from the Syrian authorities concerning the office closure. They took the decision on their own so that they wouldn’t cause Damascus any further embarrassment, particularly in view of the pressure imposed on Syria by the US which claims these organizations are ‘terrorist’ organizations.”
Nasrallah: Syria, Lebanon not pressuring Hezbollah to disarm
Middle East Online -- May 8
BEIRUT - Neither Syria nor Lebanon is exerting any pressure on the Lebanese Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah to disarm in response to US demands, its leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said in remarks published Thursday.
"There is no official Lebanese or Syrian pressure seeking to make us accept measures related to US demands," Nasrallah told the pro-Syrian daily As-Safir.
Syria Hands Over Suspect in Lebanon Bomb Spree
Reuters -- May 8
BEIRUT - Syria has handed over to neighboring Lebanon a man suspected of belonging to a gang blamed for a string of bomb attacks against Western fast food outlets, a senior judicial official said on Thursday.
Syria helped U.S. catch 'Mrs. Anthrax'
UPI -- May 8
By Richard Sale
Syrian intelligence, in a good-faith effort to boost cooperation with the United States in the war on terror, provided intelligence that resulted in U.S. forces taking custody of one of Iraq's top biological weapons scientists, administration officials said.
[Transcript of Wolfowitz interview.]
Wolfowitz Criticizes Turkey for Not Backing U.S. on Iraq
US Dept. of State -- May 7
CNN Turk: But if you make a prognosis of what went wrong earlier,
since you mentioned for example the military -- the traditional
institution which had strong connections to the United States -- did
not play a leadership role, so for the future to repair the
relationship and bring it back to its original level that means that
you have to need a leadership role to be played by those who haven't
played it. What kind of a role the military might have because after
all the military is not working in Turkey's parliament political
parties (inaudible)?
CNN Turk: And they have been criticized by getting involved in
politics.
Wolfowitz: I'm not suggesting you get involved in politics at all. I
mean, I think, all I'm saying is that when you had a issue of Turkey's
national interest and national strategy I think it's perfectly
appropriate, especially in your system, for the military to say it was
in Turkey's interest to support the United States in that effort.
CNN Turk: Didn't they say that?
Wolfowitz: I don't know. My impression is they didn't say it with the
kind of strength that would have made a difference. But look - let's
not dwell too much on the past.
Update:
The State Department link in the headline is broken. Check the comments page for the full transcript plus official links.
Dr. Paul's Words of Wisdom
NTV-MSNBC report on Turkish reaction