What are the American Political Ramifications Of The Beirut Bombing?

[DistressedAmerican]

The more I read about this assassination, the more concerned I am that it is the first step in a return to hostilities over there. I get the impression that there are numerous groups vying for power and at least one is willing to go as far as killing a 5 time PM.

It doesn't bode well. Will his supporters retaliate? What is the assassin's next move? Hard to say at this point.

With Syria already denying involvement and BushCo. pointing their fingers in their general direction, I wonder to what degree this will play into the "growing tensions" between Washington and Beirut.

Will the administration use this incident as a pretext for some sort of action against Syria?

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Here's the BBC version of things. As always, there are plenty of others. If you see a better one let me know:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4263893.stm

-snip-
Explosion kills former Lebanon PM

Hariri was travelling in a motorcade when the blast happened
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has been killed in an apparent assassination in west Beirut.
The blast, which reports say killed about nine people and injured 100 others, may have been a car bomb.

It went off beside the derelict St Georges Hotel on the seafront, causing widespread damage.

The killing comes at a time of rising tension between Syria, Lebanon's political master, and members of the opposition, a BBC correspondent says.
-end snip-

[htuttle]

1. My guess

I think it was done by a group claiming affiliation with that rather amorphous collection of independents called 'al Queda'. Whether it was directed from 'on high' or not matters little. I think the point is to destabilize Lebanon (again).

I don't see Syria doing it, even though he 'opposed' them in a sense, because it was so blatant, and so public, that it is begging for a retaliatory 'revenge' attack (which will bring a retaliation for that, and so on, back to where they were in the '80's).

I think Syria has enough influence in Lebanon to work against Hariri in a less obvious manner if they wished. A destabilization of the Government of Lebanon would require that Syria send military back in if they want to preserve their influence there. I think it's obviously a bad time to do that. So I don't think it was Syria that did this.

[DistressedAmerican]

4. Just the "Al Qaeda" video alone could be all the ammo they need

to link them mto Syria if they spin it right. Scary!

[wuushew]

2. I had been thinking along the exact same lines when I heard this

What puzzles me is that Hariri was described as a moderate politician who's positions were favored by the U.S. Did the fact that he retired from his post serve as a green light for a PNAC inspired plot to frame Syria? Especially given the fact that the only group claiming responsibility is a formely unknown terrorist group.

These events along with recent threads about state orchestrated terrorism make you wonder about things.

[jdj]

3. I think it was Bush, since it's called "Victory for Jihad". that

smacks of Murikan jingoism. So pics of Gannon with his dick hanging out hit the blogs, and things start going boom. Coincidence? I don't think so.

[DistressedAmerican]

5. Dan Bergen Just Reported That We Have Withdrawn Our Syrian Ambassador!

Got anyone's attention yet? Pulling out our ambassador clearly indicates that we plan on asserting a Syrian link to this assassination.

With the "Al Qaeda" video and a dead Prime Minister in their pockets, how long it it before bombs start dropping?

Am I shouting into the wind here or are others starting to see a trend?