Powell: Syria still doesn't get it

[Blitz]

"Syria still doesn't get it that they have to abandon support of terrorist activity," US Secretary of State Colin Powell said at his home suburban Virginia where he is recuperating from prostate cancer surgery.

And, he said, Syria must return funds it held for deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Syria, like Libya, is designated by the State Department as a sponsor of terrorism. The listing bans U.S. arms-related exports and sales and U.S. economic assistance to Syria.

Syria is channeling Iranian weapons to Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon for a sporadic cross-border war with Israel.

more . . .

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1072239537419&p=1008596981749

[La_Serpiente]

1. Somewhat troublesome

Powell now has less credibility than before the Iraq war. Why? Because there was a serious intelligence failure in regards to the WMD's that the administration claimed Iraq had.

So why has Powell brought up the issue of Syria? Is it because Syria is next on PNAC's list or is it because they are a possible supporter of terrorism in the region? Are they "still" a major supporter of terrorism in the region? Or is just the Saudis?

And what would be the ramifications of the US invading Syria without a UN mandate? Would it be interpreted as a war of liberation by Muslims or a war of Imperialism by the world? And would it piss off even more people in the region, like the Saudis, Jordanians, Turks, and Kuwaitis because not only do they see it as a Western Power coming in to their region and taking their fellow neighbors out, but destablizing their region as well?

And how does the whole Israel/Palestine issue play into this? Muslims in the region are getting their ass kicked by some Western Power, but they see the Palestinians still living under occupation by a Western supported government that is building settlements on land that is supposed to be theirs? How would they view the US? A country that supports the liberation of people or the a country that is only hellbent on imperialism?

I think the War on Iraq just limited us.

Just a whole bunch of questions that popped into my mind. :-)

[Cry Freedom]

2. Take a look (from Foreign Relations)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=116&topic_id=2963

[MikeGalos]

3. Yep

When the Israeli government was saying, "skip Iraq, it's Syria we're nervous about", Powell did nothing. When Syria doesn't feel like paying tribute funds to Bush, NOW Syria's a bad guy.

[Aidoneus]

4. How dare they disobey orders!

The nerve of these people.. :eyes: