Backward Ass Bull: Rice Calls for Better U.S.-Syrian Relations

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story:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=arZrA1rvw4DQ&refer=top_world_news

Rice's doublespeak comes after Bush imposed new economic sanctions on Syria nine months ago. Now we withdraw our ambassador, all the while trying to say that we don't blame Syria for the killing of the former prime minister. Here we are, the invaders and occupiers of a sovereign nation, Iraq, claiming first to be threatened by Saddam's weapons, then when that proved to be a lie we fall back on the canard that we were serving the interests of the 'region' (Not Syria, not Turkey, not Iran, Saudis were cool to our invasion, Kuwait: perhaps).

Lebanon's interior ministry yesterday released a statement saying Ahmad Abu Abas, a Palestinian born in 1982, killed himself in the bombing or caused the attack on Hariri. Seized videos, documents and equipment from his house in Beirut showed Abas was a follower of the radical Wahabi fundamentalist sect of Islam, which is prevalent in Saudi Arabia.

"The U.S. isn't directly blaming Syria for Hariri's death," Rice said. ``When something happens in Lebanon, Syria needs to help to find accountability for what has happened there,'' she said. ``Syria is in interference in the affairs of Lebanon. There are Syrian forces in Lebanon.''

There are U.S. forces on the Syrian border and increased talk of U.S. incursions into Syria to chase and hunt for 'terrorists'. The cowed American public may fall for this but to anyone in the region who values their country's sovereignty this smells like an excuse for U.S. provocation and military meddling in yet another country with a large Muslim population (90% Muslim, 74% Sunni). If Bush does push into Syria with these weak justifications then it will be clear to all in the region that our true interest is our alliance with Israel.

Rafiq Hariri was mostly known as Lebanon's billionaire prime minister. Many Lebanese claim that he betrayed Lebanon by allowing Syria to dominate there. In fact, he shares the penchant of our president Bush in destroying to rebuild as he was both involved in the financing of reconstruction of Lebanon and also the financing of some of the very resistance groups that helped devastate Lebanon. Later he would ingratiate himself with Syria's Assad to broker peace with Lebanon, all the while spreading his money around. He tried to bribe the Lebanese president out of office and buy himself (unsuccessfully) into the prime minister-ship. He then used his money to get the Lebanese leadership to accept Syrian control over Lebanon. The Syrians eventually handed over the ministry to Hariri.

Syria would later bristle at Hariri's flouting of their interests and his increasing relationship with the U.S.. He openly opposed Hezbollah incursions into Israel and publicly rebuked Syria who authorized the attacks. There had long been speculation that Hariri would be replaced by Damascus, but there were few candidates that had the influence and ability to work with Damascus and still maintain the support of the Lebanese. He resigned as prime minister in October because of differences with Syrian-backed Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.

It's hard to imagine that Syria would want to execute such an influential broker with the few unifying prospects that would replace him. Besides, Hariri had already resigned. And it's harder still to imagine that our government gave a wit about Hariri outside of our ability to use him as a wedge against Syrian aggression toward Israel. Now his death is apparently being used by the Bush cabal to inflame the Lebanese populace against Syria, and as an excuse to blame leaders in Damascus as a regional danger.

Such a heavy hand by Washington may just end up creating sympathy in Lebanon for Syria as they resist U.S. meddling and opportunism. In fact, it seems that opposition to U.S. imperialism in the region has done more to unite disparate religious populations than any actions taken so far by the ambitious Syrians or any other erstwhile regime seeking to consolidate power there.

You can just imagine the orgasmic reaction throughout our corporatist administration to Hariri's death as they drooled over the prospect of destabilizing their nemesis, Syria by fueling the speculation of a government sanctioned assassination, or at minimum, a pointing up of Syrian indifference to his death. Divide and conquer. The mark of great imperialists. Our folly, however will be our ignorance and indifference to the growing hatred of the U.S. by the citizens of the region as we pursue our manufactured mandate for greed and power.

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1. "The U.S. isn't directly blaming Syria for Hariri's death," Rice said.

They never fail to slip a word in that totally negates what they're saying

"The U.S. isn't directly blaming Syria for Hariri's death," Rice said.

I guess they're indirectly blaming Syria so they don't hurt their feelings

[Ganja Ninja]

2. Syria should point the finger right back at the Bush administration.

Syria has no interest in destabilizing Lebanon but guess who does. Doesn't this assignation fit the Bush agenda more than Syria's?

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4. Right. They already put their man in the ministry

Syria needs Lebanon to boost their economy. Bush needs to gin up resistance to Syria to boost his ego, and also to lay the groundwork for future, planned incursions.

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3. No one will really believe that Syria would wait until he resigned

to kill him. No one there will believe that we actually give a shit about his killing either, outside of the opportunity for us to exploit it.

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5. Syria and Iran seize the moment to unite against outside aggression.

Syria and Iran Say to Build 'Common Front'

Feb 16, 2005 — TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran and Syria, both locked in rows with the United States, said on Wednesday they will form a common front to face challenges and threats.

"We are ready to help Syria on all grounds to confront threats," Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref said in Tehran after meeting Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otari.

Otari told reporters: "This meeting, which takes place at this sensitive time, is important, especially because Syria and Iran face several challenges and it is necessary to build a common front."

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=504316

American threats, no?

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6. Boucher reveals our true concern even as officials discount Syrian role

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that even if it turns out Syria did not plan the bombing, it was still responsible because of the 15,000-man security force it has kept there since the Lebanese Civil War.

"The incident is a horrible thing that happened that shows the distortions of Lebanese politics that are created by the Syrian presence," Boucher said. He repeated U.S. complaints that Syria had not been helpful in Iraq and had harbored anti-Israeli terrorists in Damascus, and he demanded that Syria withdraw from Lebanon.

Logic

"There's something just nagging me on this one," said an administration official familiar with U.S. intelligence on the assassination. "It's just too pat. You'd think with all the tools at their disposal and all the influence that they have in Lebanon, there would be many, many ways to do this . But the fact remains that at this stage it's just not known who did it."

Moshe Maoz, an Israeli expert on Syria based at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said he was "amazed" that the United States would withdraw its ambassador.

"It's not in the interests of Syria to ," said Maoz, who is currently doing research here. "They don't want to be associated with terrorism and upset Mr. Bush. They don't want to play into his hands."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-wobush164146785feb16,0,5446501.story?coll=ny-worldnews-headlines