My bet is that Syria before Iran

[liberal N proud]

U.S. recalls ambassador from Syria
BREAKING NEWS
NBC News and news services
Updated: 3:07 p.m. ET Feb. 15, 2005
BEIRUT, Lebanon - The United States recalled its ambassador to Syria on Tuesday, expressing "profound outrage" amid growing suspicion that Damascus was involved in a massive bombing in Lebanon a day earlier that killed Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

U.S. rebuke to Syria
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher, announcing the move to withdraw American ambassador to Damascus Margaret Scobey, said it reflected the Bush administration’s “profound outrage” over Hariri’s assassination.

Boucher did not accuse Syria of being involved in the bombing Monday in Beirut. “I have been careful to say we do not know who committed the murder at this time,” he said.

But he said the deadly attack illustrated that Syria’s strong military and political presence in Lebanon was a problem and had not provided security in the neighboring country.

“It reminds us even more starkly that the Syrian presence in Lebanon is not good,” Boucher said. “It has not brought anything to the Lebanese people.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6967302/

[yinkaafrica]

1. Someone needs to sell them nuclear bombs

russia would be crazy not to do so

[Sterling]

9. No russi need to keep it's nukes locked up.

Unless they want WW3/4.

[RawMaterials]

10. I don't know I'm starting

to think everyone needs to have nukes so no one will use them.
plus everyone relay should be able to use nuclear power if they want.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. What is the value of Syria?

The oil is in Saudi, Iraq, and Iran. My guess is it is all talk. Unless there is oil, the people who make those decisions aren't the least bit interested.

[Junkdrawer]

3. In 2003/2004, the argument was that Israel needed the water and oil...

and all roads (and pipelines) led through Syria.

All I'll say is that BushCo has enough trouble keeping the Iraqi pipelines running.

[RawMaterials]

8. Check out the Great silk road

http://www.orexca.com/silkroad.php



I posted this in another discussion but IMO it is relevant.

[K-W]

15. Nobody would stop us, and its in the middle east.

Didnt you get the memo, we are taking over the middle east.

Its also bible territory, so... apocalypse and stuff.

[hack89]

16. Iraqi Baathist are using Syria to funnel

money, weapons and fighters into Iraq. If I was a betting man, you will soon be seeing Iraqi special forces led by Americans conducting raids into Syria as a "message",

[newyawker99]

19. Hi hack89!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[CatholicEdHead]

17. Syia shares oil field with Israel

but nowhere as big as the Iranian supplies.

[Melynn]

4. I think Syria may be next too.

Syria is the last country with a strong military that is a enemy of Israel. Israel has to worry about the Palestinians and terrorism but Syria is the only country that can threaten them now. Invading Syria would remove a big threat to Israel.

Also, the Bush administration may believe that Saddam Hussein may have moved his WMDs to Syria, which is another reason to go to war for the neo-cons.

The whole escalating rhetoric about Iran may be a diversion and the real target may be Syria. The Bush administration has stated that they won't go to war with Iran while on the other hand they have said anything about Syria.

Notice how fast America pulled its Syrian ambassador even though there is no evidence that Syria was behind Hariri's assassination. Events are starting to come together. I wonder who did kill Hariri.

[Sterling]

11. they won't go to war with Iran

That is NOT what they said.

[detroitguy]

5. I tend to agree...

...see my post above.

The question to me is whether Syria will be hit with missiles or ground forces. But in any event, Bush could make an impassioned speech about the "liberation of Lebanon" with all kinds of comparisons to Kuwait and sly references to the Christian population there. The pro-Bush sheep would eat it up with a spoon.

[DrWeird]

6. I don't think it will be one or the other.

I doubt one's going to sit around and wait for the US to finish the other guy.

[Sterling]

12. You may be on to something.

This may actually end up being a IDF/US joint venture. If a fake crisis can be manufactured we may see the PNACers go for broke with the IDF's help IMO.

The IDF managed to take out all the Arab nations at one. Maybe the next phase is a broader war. They are running out of time to stop Iran from getting a nuke among other concerns.

They may be ready to turn up the heat fast.

[Inland]

7. On the theory Bush attacks countries that are weak rather than those that

are dangerous, sure.

[independentchristian]

13. When is Iran's new oil market going to open?

We'll attack Iran before then.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CLA410A.html

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=28176&NewsKind=Business%20%26%20Economy

[Ilsa]

14. So, did we have this PM assassinated to draw us into

another war on "terra"? I sort of doubt it, since it was a suicide bomber (wasn't it?). But if it wasn't, then I wouldn't put it past the Neocons to do this.

[PurityOfEssence]

18. There might be hits on Iranian nuclear facilities, but Syria will be first

The PNAC is dedicated to buttressing Israel. Syria is the immediate problem.

So many sabre rattlings against them have been made for so long, and the enmity from Israel and its supporters is enormous. We tried to pop them right after Baghdad fell, but we had to stop due to our mess in the rear.