This page is a narrow-focus warblog. In fact, it's a blog of a war that is only verbal, so far. The content consists primarily of pronouncements by various government officials in the US, Syria and around the world, as well as analysis and commentary from media outlets.

Archive

Sources (non-exhaustive)

AFP -- France
Al Bawaba -- Jordon, UK
Al Jazeera -- Qatar
Arab News -- Saudi Arabia
Arabic News
Asia Times -- Hong Kong
Associated Press (AP) -- USA
BBC -- UK
CNN -- USA
The Daily Star -- Lebanon
Financial Times -- UK
Forward -- USA
The Guardian -- UK
--- The Observer
Google News
Ha'aretz -- Israel
.......... Ha'aretz vs. haaretz.com
The Hindu -- India
IRNA -- Iran
IslamOnline -- Qatar
Maariv -- now in English -- Israel
Monday Morning -- Lebanon
New York Post -- USA
New York Times -- USA
Reuters -- UK
Scoop -- New Zealand
United Press International (UPI) -- USA
US DoD Defense Link
US Dept. of State Int'l Information Programs
US White House, Press Briefing Archive
Washington Post

Cast of Characters

Syria
.......... CIA Factbook
.......... Global Security, Syria Special Weapons News Archive
.......... BBC, profile
Bashar al-Assad, President
.......... BBC, profile
.......... Slate, profile
.......... Arabic News, biography
.......... Forward, profile
Farouk al-Shara, Foreign Minister
Imad Moustapha, Deputy Syrian Ambassador to the US
.......... Boston Globe, profile
.......... personal page?
.......... Greta's Fox News show, photo

USA
George W. Bush
.......... US White House, biography
.......... A&E, biography
.......... Iraqi News, biography
.......... Realchange.org, Skeletons
.......... awolbush.com
.......... bushwatch.com
.......... whitehouse.org, biography, may contain satire
.......... bartcop, profile of Bush's military career
Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary
.......... A & E, biography
.......... The New Republic, profile
Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense
.......... US DoD, biography
.......... Wikipedia, biography
.......... ABC News, profile
Colin Powell, Secretary of State
.......... US White House, biography
.......... Behind Colin Powell's Legend
Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense
.......... US DoD, biography
.......... US DoD, transcripts
.......... American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, biography
.......... Slate, profile
.......... Foreign Policy in Focus, track record in Asia
.......... The Australian, profile
Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor
.......... US White House, biography
.......... Hoover Institution, profile
.......... BBC, profile
John R. Bolton, Under Secretary of State, Arms Control and International Security
.......... US Dept. of State, biography
.......... Foreign Policy in Focus, profile
Douglas Feith, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy
.......... US DoD, biography
.......... Middle East Infromation Center, profile
.......... American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, biography
Richard Perle, Defense Advisory Board
.......... AEI, biography
.......... Center for Cooperative Research, biography -- scroll down
.......... Slate, profile
Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State

NGOs
AEI
AIPAC
PNAC
.......... PNAC's website
.......... pnac.info

UK
Tony Blair, Prime Minister
.......... 10 Downing St., biography
Jack Straw, Foreign Minister
.......... 10 Downing St., biography


Israel
Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister
.......... Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, biography
.......... Electronic Intifada, biography
Shaul Mofaz, Defense Minister
Silvan Shalom, Foreign Minister
Dov Weisglass, Sharon's chief of staff
Ephriam Halevy, National Security Adviser

Palestine
Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen)
.......... Middle East Information Center, profile
Hamas
.......... UPI, background on Hamas/Israel connection
.......... Terrorism Research Center, profile

Lebanon
.......... CIA, profile
.......... Dept. of State, profile
Emile Lahoud, President
.......... Lebanese Embassy to the US, biography
.......... American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, profile
Rafiq Hariri, Prime Minister
.......... Lebanese Embassy to the US, biography
.......... BBC, profile
.......... The Estimate profile
Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Parliament
.......... Lebanese Embassy to the US, biography
.......... Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, biography
.......... Encyclopedia of the Orient, biography
Jean Obeid, Foreign Minister
Hizbullah
.......... Hizbullah's website
.......... US Dept. of State, profile
.......... Momkey Media Report, Hezbollah links
.......... Yellow Times The History of Hizbullah

Multi-national Organizations
United Nations
European Union
Gulf Cooperation Council
Arab League

Reciprocity

::: wood s lot :::
Providence Journal
random walks
blogs against war
The Memory Hole


War (of Words) with Syria

View current page
...more recent posts

Thursday, May 15, 2003

Toronto terrorists snuffed by Syria
Calgary Sun -- May 14


By STEPHANIE RUBEC
OTTAWA -- A Toronto-based al-Qaida terrorist cell dismantled in late 2001 was plotting attacks on major government institutions in Canada and the U.S., according to a new report.

The Washington Post reported Monday the Syrian government played a crucial role in helping Canadian and American authorities take down the key players in the al-Qaida cell before they launched their attacks.

A source in Damascus told the Post that Syrian security officers alerted Ottawa of the plot to attack Canadian institutions in late 2001, after they arrested and interrogated an al-Qaida suspect upon his arrival in Syria. He had already passed through two European airports.

- mark 5-15-2003 12:02 pm [link]

[Transcript of Rice's press briefing yesterday.]

National Security Advisor Rice briefs foreign journalists
US Department of State -- May 14


QUESTION: Amal Chmouny, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper. How genuine is the statement by the American administration for Syria to withdraw its troop from Lebanon? And where do you put the relation between USA and Syria?

DR. RICE: Well, the relationship between the United States and Syria has been problematic because the policies and behavior of Syria have been problematic: the Syrian support for terrorism, particularly for Hezbollah, but also other rejectionist organizations where it comes to peace in the Middle East; the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, which has long been U.S. policy that it should end.

And the Syrian relationship has been very difficult. Now, it doesn't have to remain difficult. There is a path that could create conditions in which this could be a much better relationship, but we are not there.

We were very concerned about Syrian activities closing in on the end of the Iraq conflict. It was obvious that people were escaping into Syria. It was obvious that they were not being stopped. There was some improvement in that after we raised the issue, but there is a lot of work to be done. Syrian weapons of mass destruction programs have to be accounted for, and Syria should stand up and renounce those and make it possible to verify that they have given up any aspirations to weapons of mass destruction.

But it is, frankly, a very difficult relationship and it is not one that is likely to improve without some major changes in Syrian behavior.

- mark 5-15-2003 11:52 am [link]

Rice chides Syria, Iran for supporting terror
Reuters via Ha'aretz -- May 14


WASHINGTON - The United States chided Syria and Iran on Wednesday for their support for "terrorism" and urged Syria to show its commitment to Middle East peace by pulling its troops out of Lebanon.

Speaking at the Foreign Press Center in Washington, White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice described the relationship between America and Syria as a difficult one because of its support for terror activities.

"The relationship between the United States and Syria has been problematic because of the policy and behavior of Syria - Syria's support for terrorism," Rice said.

- mark 5-15-2003 10:18 am [link]

Tuesday, May 13, 2003

Collapse of Iraqi trade hits Syrian economy hard
The Daily Star via MENAFN -- May 13


DAMASCUS: Omar Abu Said spent $225,000 on purchasing and equipping two factories south of Baghdad to manufacture high-quality industrial alcohol from distilled dates. But just as his factories were ready to start production, the war in Iraq began.

"I don't know what has happened to my factories," Abu Said said. "There was a lot of fighting near them during the war and I'm worried that they have been damaged or destroyed. All my savings were invested in that project."

Abu Said is one of many Syrian businessmen who are lamenting the collapse of trade with Iraq, which has dealt an unwelcome blow to the shaky Syrian economy. But some analysts believe the impact on Syria will be limited to the short term and may even encourage businesses to seek new markets elsewhere.

- mark 5-14-2003 12:35 am [link]

After meeting Khatami, Nasrallah says Hizbullah enjoys backing of Iran
Al Bawaba -- May 13


The head of Lebanon's Hizbullah said on Tuesday that he had the backing of Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, despite U.S. demands and pressure.
- mark 5-14-2003 12:32 am [link]

Syrians Worry About Their Baath Party
AP via Austin-American Statesman -- May 13


BEIRUT, Lebanon --Despite three decades of hostility between the rival Baath parties of Syria and Iraq, the Syrian Baathists are watching with concern how the party that ruled neighboring Iraq under Saddam Hussein has been crushed and dissolved by the U.S. forces in Iraq.
- mark 5-14-2003 12:25 am [link]

[Harsh words for Christians? Any form of criticism is "bashing"?]

State Dept. Duped by Syria, State Official Bashes Christians
Christian Broadcast Network -- May 13


By Chris Mitchell

Some observers feel Syria is dancing circles around the State Department with public assurances but little concrete action.

CBN.com – JERUSALEM — Syria recently promised Colin Powell that it would take action against terrorists inside its borders, but it hasn't fulfilled those promises. And in a separate story, a State Department official has some harsh words for conservatives and Christians.

Syrian President Bashar Assad assured Powell that Syria would close the offices of Palestinian terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. But Assad told The Washington Post that there are differences of opinion about what was meant by "closures" of the offices.

So the offices remain open, and other actions like cutting aid to Hezbollah have not been implemented. Some observers feel Syria is dancing circles around the State Department with public assurances but little concrete action.

In another State Department issue, The Jerusalem Post reported Monday that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns criticized U.S. groups that support Israel. The groups include conservatives, Christians and representatives of AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby in Washington.

Burns met with left-wing Knesset members, Peace Now activists and Palestinian representatives on May 4th about the new peace proposal called the "road map." According to the minutes of the meeting, Burns stated that "the common sense of all peoples will override the conservative and Christian viewpoints once they see the road map's potential."

- mark 5-13-2003 11:07 pm [link] [2 refs]

SYRIA: AN OK FOR PRIVATE RADIO STATIONS
Monday Morning (Beirut) -- May 12


The Syrian authorities have approved the creation of four private radio stations, but they will be limited to broadcasting music and advertisements, according to the official SANA news agency.

The stations are expected to begin broadcasting on FM wavelength in the coming months to Syria and neighboring countries, SANA said.

Syria’s two government-run radio stations, Radio Damascus and the Voice of the People, are the only ones authorized to broadcast programs on political issues.

A parliamentary bill on setting up private radio stations was approved by the Syrian government in January 2002. In 2001, Syria authorized the creation of two private newspapers, the satirical Al-Dumari paper and an economic paper, Al-Iqtissadiya.

- mark 5-13-2003 11:02 pm [link]

Iran, Syria, Lebanon all shun confrontation: Lebanese PM
AFP via IranMania -- May 13


BEIRUT - Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri said after talks Monday with Iran's President Mohammad Khatami that Beirut, Tehran and Damascus all shunned confrontation in the Middle East and sought a global settlement

"And I think that cooperation among the moderate countries will lead towards a better situation in the region," he said. "Khatami represents moderation in the Muslim world."

On the issue of US pressure on Lebanon and its ally Syria to disarm the Lebanese Shiite Muslim fundamentalist militia Hezbollah, Hariri said the focus should be on finding a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East.

- mark 5-13-2003 10:49 pm [link]

U.S. troops reopen Iraqi border crossing with Syria, general says
AP via San Jose Mercury News -- May 13


MATT KELLEY
WASHINGTON - U.S. forces on Tuesday reopened a border crossing between Iraq and Syria, the commander of the Army's 101st Airborne Division said.

Maj. Gen. David Petraeus said his forces, based in Fort Campbell, Ky., reopened a crossing near the northern city of Mosul "to trade in accordance with United Nations regulations." He was referring to remaining sanctions that ban shipments of weapons and other restricted material to Iraq.

- mark 5-13-2003 10:42 pm [link]