War (of Words) with Syria
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Thursday, May 15, 2003
[A tangent into Iran-al-Qaida connection.]
U.S. checking whether Saudi bombings were planned in Iran
Knight Ridder Newspapers via Miami Herald -- May 14
By JOHN WALCOTT
WASHINGTON - U.S. intelligence agencies are investigating whether senior al-Qaida leaders hiding in Iran may have helped to plan or coordinate the terrorist bombings that killed 34 people, including eight Americans, late Monday in Saudi Arabia.
Intelligence officials said several al-Qaida leaders, including Saif al Adel, who's wanted in connection with the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa and may now be the terrorist group's third-ranking official, and Osama bin Laden's son Saad have found refuge in Iran, where they remain active.
Khatami opposes escalation, destabilizing the region
Arabic News -- May 14
The Iranian President Muhammad Khatami yesterday in Beirut expressed his opposition to any escalation in the Middle East and anything that destabilize the region.
In a speech he delivered in Arabic before a large audience of 50,000 at the sport stadium in Beirut, Khatami said "we do not want to take part in escalating tension in the region or getting involved in destabilizing events."
Has Iran bartered Hizbullah with US for Iraq-based Iranian opposition group?
Al Bawaba -- May 14
14-05-2003
Analysts speaking to Al Bawaba assessed that the main reason behind the recent Lebanese visit of Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami, was to pressure and curb the Lebanese Hizbullah in its struggle with Israel. The visit was also believed to have come following a deal Iran has struck with the US under which the latter will rein in the Iranian rebel group, Mujahideen Khalq, which useed Iraq as a base for its attacks against Iran.
According to analysts, Khatami was in Lebanon to deliver a message to Hizbullah using diplomacy, effectively communicating to them that the era of ‘armed struggle’ has now passed, and that they should be prepared for the anticipated and drastic changes the region will undergo.
Israeli overflights draw fire from Hizbullah
The Daily Star -- May 15
Israeli warplanes flew over southern Lebanon on Wednesday, drawing fire from Hizbullah fighters, Lebanese security officials said.
The fighters fired anti-aircraft guns at two Israeli fighters that flew over the western sector of South Lebanon but they missed, the officials said.
In Jerusalem, Israeli military officials said Hizbullah had fired anti-aircraft shells at “the western sector of the Israeli-Lebanese border,” but declined to comment on the alleged flights by Israeli jets.
“No injuries were reported,” an Israeli Army spokesman said.
Hizbullah ‘not dependent on any foreign force’
‘What we have is solidarity’
The Daily Star -- May 14
by Alia Ibrahim and Nafez Kawas
Hizbullah is a Lebanese reality, and it doesn’t receive instructions from any country, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said during his press conference at the Phoenicia Inter-Continental Hotel Wednesday.
“Hizbullah is not receiving instructions from any country and it does not depend on any foreign force,” Khatami said, adding that Iran also enjoys good relations with Syria and Lebanon, but “that doesn’t mean the three countries interfere in each other’s internal affairs.”
Powell Says U.S. Won't Use Force on Iran, Syria, North Korea
Bloomberg -- May 14
Moscow -- The U.S. plans to use diplomacy rather than military force to persuade Iran, Syria and North Korea to abandon terrorism and shut down nuclear programs, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said, Itar-Tass news service reported.
The U.S. ``don't intend to use the Iraqi model on Iran, Syria or North Korea,'' Powell said, according to the news service. ``We don't plan to use this model to solve other problems. The U.S. isn't studying the world map to start a war.''
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.
[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.
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.
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.