War (of Words) with Syria
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Thursday, May 08, 2003
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
[Commentary from Turkey.]
The U.S. Has Already Made Up Its Mind On Turkey
Radikal via Turkish Press -- May 7
Columnist Ismet Berkan writes on the shifting sands of Turkish-US relations. A summary of his column is as follows:
[snip]
Reading between the lines, here is Wolfowitz’s plain meaning: Turkey must do whatever the US wants it to do. For those familiar with Wolfowitz’s past remarks and statements, you already know that he has never before directed such harsh remarks towards Turkey nor employed such a negative tone. Yesterday, he overtly stressed that Turkey cannot pursue independent policies on certain sensitive issues.
FBI Focus Increases On Hamas, Hezbollah
Ruling Enables Intensified Probes
Washington Post -- May 8
By John Mintz
Wielding new powers granted by a six-month-old federal court decision, the FBI has greatly intensified decade-old investigations of alleged U.S. supporters of the Islamic Resistance Movement [Hamas] and Hezbollah terrorist groups, according to government officials.
[Another tangent ... And by the way, thanks Israel! We appreciate the guidance. Perhaps Mofaz can emulate Wolfowitz's performance in Turkey, by coming on 60 Minutes to explain what Israel would like the US to do about Iran.]
U.S.: Iran violating nuclear treaty
Wants global denouncement
New York Times viaThe Charlotte Observer -- May 8
STEVEN R. WEISMAN
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is concerned that Iran has accelerated its covert nuclear program and is now seeking broad international support for an official finding that Tehran has violated its commitment not to produce nuclear weapons, administration officials said Wednesday.
"It's not just that Iran is speeding up its nuclear plans," said an administration official. "It's also that we've only recently learned some things about their program that have been going on for two years. There's also a lot of hammering from the Israelis for us to take this problem seriously."
Commentary
My experiences with the disappearing story about "Rice blocked plan for raids on Syria", I've been acutely aware of the tactic of "the reaction becomes the story." The lead of the Rice story was no longer about a radical hawk v. moderate hawk showdown. The lead was the White House busting on the press.
With the story on Wolfowitz v. Turkey, I am concerned that twist on this technique will occur. Rather than the story being about Wolfowitz's radical and dangerous call for the Turkish military to show more leadership in the political arena, the story is about Turkey's defiance.
See NTV-MSNBC and AP stories below.
Weblog: Convert Killed in Attack on Missionary's Lebanon Home
Plus: Dobson and other conservatives reportedly thinking about leaving Republican Party, YWAM missionaries hospitalized with SARS, and other stories from online sources around the world.
Christianity Today -- May 7
Compiled by Ted Olsen
Dutch missionary Jakob Griffioen (alternate but apparently incorrect spellings: Jacob Gerifon, Grifion) and his German wife woke up around midnight last night to the sound of someone at the front door of their ground floor apartment in the northern Lebanon town of Tripoli. When they checked to see what was happening, all they saw was someone running away down the street—and a package at their door.
"They called for help from a Jordanian and an Egyptian, two of their followers, who live in the adjacent apartment," a police officer told the AFP news service. "The Jordanian, who was the first to arrive, was killed instantly by the explosion of the device."
[This will be the first visit by a president of Iran to Lebanon since 1979.]
Iran, Lebanon to ink agreements during Khatami's upcoming Beirut
visit
IRNA -- May 8
Beirut -- Iran and Lebanon reviewed draft agreements
that are to be finalized shortly, it was announced Wednesday.
In a meeting Wednesday, Iran's Minister of Housing and Urban
Development Ali Abdolalizadeh and head of the Iran-Lebanon Joint
Economic Commission and the Lebanese Minster of Commerce Marwan
Hemadah, Minister of Finance Fowad Siniorah and Head of the central
Bank Riaz Salamah reviewed the draft bilateral agreements.
Heads of several key organizations of Lebanon as well as Iran's
envoy to Beirut Masoud Edrisi were also present in the meeting.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Hemadah said the talks
between the Iranian and Lebanese officials were in fact intended to
prepare documents and agreements that would be inked during the
upcoming visit to Lebanon by the Iranian President Seyed Mohammad
Khatami.
He said the plan by the Iranian president to visit Lebanon is an
indication of the Iran-Lebanon brotherly links.
He said agreements on the sports, youth affairs, energy, customs
and trade transactions are to be signed during the residential visit.
He thanked the Iranian authorities for opening credit line for
Lebanon adding that the credit documents are to be inked during the
visit too.
Abdolalizadeh also termed as positive the results of his talks
with the Lebanese officials and said talks on the preparations of the
presidential visits were pretty fruitful.
The Iranian minister said Iran is to provide a 50-million dlrs
loan to Lebanon adding that the loan is to be spent to implement four
major developmental projects in Lebanon.
Construction of some slaughterhouses, roads and implementation of
energy and water supply systems projects are among these developmental
plans, he said.
He said the Khatami trip would be a turning point in the
political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
He thanked the Lebanese officials for making proper preparations
for Khatami's visit.
President Khatami is to visit Lebanon shortly to discuss the
all-out Tehran-Beirut bilateral ties as well issues of mutual
interest.
During his visit that will be performed at the official invitation
by Lebanese President General Emile Lahoud, Khatami will ink several
bilateral agreements with Lebanese authorities.
This is the first visit to Lebanon by an Iranian President since
the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Khatami who is to lead a ranking delegation to Beirut will discuss
the developments in the region and in particular the Iraqi issue.
The two sides are expected to exchange views on a wide spectrum of
issues including the Middle East current situation, the latest
developments in Iraq and Palestine and the actions by the Zionist
regime in the wake of the collapse of the Iraqi regime.
Commenting on the presidential visit to Lebanon, Iranian
Ambassador to Beirut Masoud Edrisi earlier told IRNA that during his
three-day stay in Lebanon, the Iranian president will receive Iranian
scholars, top clerics, politicians and academics living in Lebanon.
The ambassador said the Lebanese have a strong interest in the
Islamic Republic of Iran since they are quite aware that among the
Muslim and regional states it was Iran which has stood beside Lebanon
in tough times.
They are also quite aware that Iran has played a key role in the
construction of the infrastructures of Lebanon, the envoy added.