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

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Tuesday, May 27, 2003

Syria expresses skepticism of Israel's acceptance of road map
Ha'aretz via Virtual Jerusalem News -- May 27


DAMASCUS, Syria - Syria's official media expressed skepticism Tuesday of Israel's acceptance of the road map plan for peace with the Palestinians, saying the Israeli aim is to gain time and smash the Palestinian opposition.

The Israeli Cabinet gave its conditional approval to the plan on Sunday, adding demands that the Palestinians have previously rejected. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had earlier declared his reluctant support for the plan, subject to assurances from Washington that Israel's reservations would be taken into account in the plan's implementation.

- mark 5-27-2003 7:55 pm [link]

SYRIA PREZ: WHAT QAEDA?
New York Post -- May 26


Syrian President Bashar Assad - who has promised Washington that he would help in the war on terror - said yesterday that al Qaeda does not exist and that Arab countries should not deal directly with Israel

"Is there really an entity called al Qaeda? Was it in Afghanistan? Does it exist now?" Assad asked in a wide-ranging interview published yesterday by the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anba.

- mark 5-27-2003 7:51 pm [link]

Syria Denies Existence of Al Qaeda
Talon News via GOPUSA -- May 26


By Jimmy Moore
KUWAIT CITY -- Syrian President Bashar Assad revealed in a newspaper interview on Sunday that he does not believe there is a terrorist group called al Qaeda, the organization widely believed to be the perpetrators of the hijackings on September 11, 2001 as well as the recent attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
"Is there really an entity called al Qaeda? It was in Afghanistan, but is it there anymore?" Assad asked.

- mark 5-27-2003 7:48 pm [link]

Is there really an Al-Qaeda group?
The Strait Times -- May 27


KUWAIT CITY - Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published on Sunday that he doubts the existence of Al-Qaeda, the terror group the US blames for the Sept 11, 2001 attacks and suspects of involvement in more recent strikes in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

'Is there really an entity called Al-Qaeda? Was it in Afghanistan? Does it exist now?' Mr Assad told Al- Anba, a Kuwaiti daily.

- mark 5-27-2003 7:42 pm [link]

Syria says ''roadmap'' should include Lebanese, Syrian tracks
Al Bawaba -- May 27


The US-backed Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, known as "road map" should be expanded and its guidelines should also be implemented in Syria and Lebanon, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa said Tuesday.

"The roadmap... has to address the Lebanese and Syrian tracks," Shara was quoted as saying.

Al-Sharaa spoke on the sidelines of a meeting of the European Union and Mediterranean nations held in Crete, Greece. "The two tracks are united and they will be a part of the whole solution in the Middle East," he told reporters.

Israel's Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom speaking at the event Monday, said that Israel was prepared to ink a peace agreement with Syria if Damascus abandons its support for "terrorism."

In his Monday's address to the conference, Shara underlined that the explosive situation in the Middle East was a result of the absence of peace, the developments in Iraq and the continuation of the Israeli occupation of Arab territories, SANA reported.

He pointed out that the Israeli rejection of peace is hindering the establishment of a Euro- Mediterranean region that enjoy peace, stability and welfare.

Shara pointed out that for peace to be comprehensive it should include disarming the region of weapons of mass destruction.

- mark 5-27-2003 7:32 pm [link]

Syria blames Israel for U.S. "differences" -paper
Reuters -- May 25


KUWAIT - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in remarks published on Sunday, blamed Israel for the tense ties between his country and the United States.

"The only problem between us and the United States is the issue of Israel. There is no bilateral problem," Assad told Kuwait's al-Anbaa daily.


via Pulp Non Fiction
- mark 5-27-2003 7:26 pm [link]

Friday, May 23, 2003

Lebanese army to be redeployed along Lebanese-Israeli border
Jerusalem Post -- May 22


By THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAFF
Lebanese leading newspaper Annahar reported today that 5000 Syrian soldiers will withdraw from Lebanon in the near future. Lebanese President Emile Lahoud announced the move during his meeting with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir in the presidential residency in Ba'abda suburb of Beirut.

An article about the meeting in Annahar stated that Lahoud also told the Patriarch that a new Lebanese Army Battalion will be soon sent to south Lebanon.

Israel radio reported that Hizballah issued a statement saying that the Lebanese Army will not be allowed to control the Lebanese-Israeli border and protect "settlers" in northern Israel.

- mark 5-23-2003 7:22 am [link]

Hezbollah fires on Israeli warplanes violating Lebanon airspace
AFP via Space War -- May 22


TYRE, Lebanon -- The radical Shiite Muslim Hezbollah movement said Thursday it had opened fire with anti-aircraft guns from southern Lebanon on Israeli warplanes overflying the area.
- mark 5-23-2003 6:57 am [link]

Syria, Hours Late, Backs Ending UN Iraq Sanctions
Reuters -- May 22


Syria, Hours Late, Backs Ending UN Iraq Sanctions By Irwin Arieff
UNITED NATIONS - Syria, the U.N. Security Council's only Arab member, left its seat empty on Thursday as the council overwhelmingly adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution ending sanctions on Iraq but later said it would have voted "Yes."


UPI article linked also ...

Syria instructs pro-Iraq vote
UPI -- May 22

By Thanaa Imam
DAMASCUS -- Syria said Thursday it instructed its delegate at the U.N. Security Council to record a "yes" vote for the resolution to end sanctions in Iraq, several hours after the 15-member panel unanimously endorsed the coalition-sponsored motion without the Arab state.

- mark 5-23-2003 6:50 am [link]

Thursday, May 22, 2003

[I caught this story at the Jerusalem Post web site, but don't have an account set up there.]

Israel claims to intercept Palestinian arms shipment at sea
Al Bawaba -- May 22


22-05-2003, 14:04 Israeli naval commandos intercepted on Wednesday a fishing boat, dubbed "Abu Hassan", loaded with weapons directed from Lebanon to Palestinian fighters. The boat was seized some 160 kilometers off the northern Israeli coast, Israeli military sources claimed Thursday, according to Israel Radio.

Five more articles linked ...

Israel 'seizes Hezbollah boat'
BBC -- May 22


The Israelis say they have seized a ship carrying weapons for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The raid took place on Wednesday in international waters off the Lebanese and Israeli coast, it is reported.

Nine people are said to have been arrested, including a member of Hezbollah, and the boat was towed back to the Israeli port of Haifa.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said the arms were being transported from Lebanon to Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

He added that the incident showed that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was behind terror operations.

"There is no doubt that those involved in the affair are very close to Arafat," he told Israeli television.

"This is not the first time."

Last year, Israel intercepted a 50-tonne shipment of Iranian weapons, which was destined for Palestinian militants, in the Red Sea.

Israeli sources say the current cache is much smaller than that.

Hezbollah officials in Beirut declined to comment.


Israeli navy intercepts suspicious vessel
AP via Helena Independent Record -- May 22


TEL AVIV, Israel - The Israeli military said Thursday it intercepted a suspicious vessel in the Mediterranean, west of its port city of Haifa, and media reports said a member of the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah was on board.

The military said "suspicious objects" were found on board, including "evidence of transfer of know-how and directives for carrying out terror attacks."

Israel's Channel One television reported the Israeli navy intercepted the boat Wednesday night on its way from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip. The boat was carrying a Hezbollah operative and the operation was planned by the Palestinian Authority, the television reported.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said the incident was another example that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was behind terror operations.

"There is no doubt that those involved in the affair are very close to Arafat," he told Channel One. "This is not the first time."

Last year, Israel intercepted a ship, the Karine A, carrying 50 tons of weapons through the Red Sea, reportedly destined for the Palestinian Authority. The weapons included machine guns, rockets, mortars and explosives, all banned under interim peace deals with Israel.

Describing the new ship, Shalom said: "We are talking about another attempt to smuggle weapons from Lebanon to the coasts of Gaza."

He said he was uncertain whether new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas was involved.


Israel arrests Hezbollah man aboard boat headed for Gaza
Ha'aretz -- May 22


By Amos Harel and Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies
Israel's navy seized a fishing boat Tuesday carrying a Hezbollah activist and weaponry and weapon-making equipment, believed to be heading for the Gaza Strip.


Hezbollah terror-supply boat seized
Israeli navy finds rocket fuses, bombmaking devices on board

WorldNetDaily -- May 22


Israeli naval commandos seized a fishing boat from Lebanon carrying Hezbollah operatives and loaded with rocket fuses, electronic bombmaking devices and instructions on putting together explosives belts for suicide bombings, according to Israeli newspapers.

'Bomb expert' seized on fishing boat off Israel
The Independent -- May 23


By Eric Silver in Jerusalem
The Israeli navy arrested an alleged Hizbollah bomb-making expert on a fishing boat sailing down the coast from Lebanon to Gaza, a military spokesman said yesterday.

- mark 5-22-2003 11:16 pm [link]