Syria Said to Send Arms Again to Lebanon Guerrillas

[Carlie]

Syria has resumed weapons transfers to anti-Israel guerrillas based in Lebanon, including a covert shipment of weapons from Iran smuggled aboard a Syrian cargo plane that had delivered earthquake relief, American and Israeli officials say.

The officials said a Syrian government plane that carried aid to Iran in late December had loaded up with small arms and possibly explosives intended for Hezbollah and Hamas, militant groups carrying out armed attacks against Israel.

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The reports of the weapons shipment appear to derail hopes among some American officials and experts on Syria that the government of President Bashar al-Assad might take a cue from Libya and reach out to the United States and other Western nations. Except for Lebanon, which is controlled by Syrian proxies, Syria is surrounded by pro-American governments, with more than 130,000 allied troops across the border in Iraq.

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"I think before the war on Iraq, some thought about this," he said. "Most of them now think this is a bad example of bringing democracy."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/06/international/middleeast/06SYRI.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1076084798-Zh5VfWbUYJ3mnvGWDRzbKg