Posted on 09/30/2005 5:42:52 PM PDT by jmc1969
WASHINGTON - President Bush and his top aides are weighing new steps against Syria, according to U.S. officials involved in Middle East policy.
Bush's national security team is due to meet Saturday to review policy toward Syria, the officials said. Options range from tougher economic sanctions to limited military action.
The meeting comes as a United Nations investigator nears completion of a report that's expected to provide evidence that Syrian security agencies were involved in the February assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The investigator, German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis, is drawing on debriefings from one or more defectors from the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The defectors have provided evidence of Syrian government complicity in Hariri's death, according to two U.S. officials.
Syria represents a complex challenge for Bush and his national security team as they wrestle with the war in Iraq.
The Bush administration, he said, calculates that the Mehlis investigation is putting significant pressure on Assad and is helping to build an international consensus to isolate Syria. "We don't want to blow that," he said, in explaining why military action isn't likely now.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
... There's disagreement within the Bush administration over the extent of the Syrian regime's backing of the Iraqi insurgency, support that Syria denies. The CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency have reported that the evidence is inconclusive, one official said.
D'UH!!
Then a nice invite to the US to come in from the new leader and help with a few friends with tanks would be great.
"The problem is if we collapse the Assad regime with airstrikes you end up having several Baathist generals in Syria fighting for power along with Abu Musab al-Suri (a relative of Zarqawi) and the leader of al-Qaeda in Syria vying for power. A failed state in Syria would be pretty bad, if we could free up a few divisions we could deal with the problem."
You got my vote. However. I don't think the new Iraq is going to want to be seen as a aggressor. It could undo all we have been trying to accomplish. After all we are there to stablize the region, not promote more aggression. Syria is going to remain a sticky problem. As for those terrorist training camps known to be in the Aleppo (modern Halab) city ,far NW area of Syria. It think the article does not go far enough. What does the CIA mean they are not sure. Yea right. Guess things are being held low key for the discusseed reasons. Who knows. Perhaps Asad is having those camps and others dismantled for all we know. To much news about them being broadcasted for the past few months.
Sorry to say, but your MOAB drawing isn’t correct. It has moveable, ventilated, tail fins that look like air breaks (better performance than the older designs) and a set of stub wings about half way down the aluminum body.
MOAB was an interesting engineering project that produced some interesting data. There is something out there (either on drawing boards or elsewhere) that is even larger than the MOAB!
Unfortunately, when dealing with the Middle East you have to remember that your “target” audience is not fully civilized; so the presence or use of a MOAB class weapon doesn’t mean anything to them. Now, a collection of bodies near the border, each with parts missing (the .50-cal bullet is very destructive even at long ranges) is something they do understand!
Excellent points. I'm just sitting here nervously eyeing 2008. We don't have too much longer to get a handle on this, then we run the risk of having a democrat in office, which will be a disaster for the WOT and everything Dubya has accomplished thus far.
The info when it comes to if Assad is helping the insurgents is mixed. It is clear foreign fighters are being allowed to come into the country, but from what I have heard there are signs some elements within Assad's regime are not supporting the insurgency and some that are. And, that most of those getting into Iraq are using routes that keep them under the protection of fundimentalist anti-Assad tribes, the picture is mixed.
One think I would like to find out is what was on Zarqawi's laptop. I have been told it had a massive hard drive and it was full of info about possible plans, where they get money, and alot of other crap. I also heard from one person that there were many more pictures of Zarqawi on his laptop (other then the 5 they released to CNN) and the pictures that haven't been released show he is a total "master of disguise" according to one article.
"And, that most of those getting into Iraq are using routes that keep them under the protection of fundimentalist anti-Assad tribes, the picture is mixed."
With you. Asad has nothing to gain by openly supporting the insurgency. To many paper and mouth trails if his regime was to be taken out. Everyone would say. Aha so he did what the Americans have been accusing him of for two years. What you suggest simply makes sense. And they easily can get help from Syrian police and military folks who have latitude in now they operate.
As for Abu. I can easily see him dress as a women, face made up to look like some old hag, with the black bag over him.
Surely he has not walked about freely for a very long time. After he had to run his ass off from his car under the bridge and take off leaving his last laptop, weapons etc., he must be scared shitless to move about except under heavy guard and in the dark. That is the only way a snake like that is going to not have an extra hole in his head. For all we know he may live in prearranged spider holes like the Butcher did. Not so easy to locate under the best conditions. And since his protectors are probably few in number and loyal, it is going to be hard to locate him. He could be sitting in some swank hotel in Yemen for all we know. A short hop via. southern Iran by a private plane.
With you. Asad has nothing to gain by openly supporting the insurgency. To many paper and mouth trails if his regime was to be taken out.
Watch how quick the IED problem comes to end if MOAB pays a visit to Syria and Iran.
I can't find any fault with your thinking because I hold the same views. As I write about Z-man I have a lot of stuff flying through the head. We both have made mention on other posts as to his intentions in EU. And he is on the record as to saying soon he shall "start soon protecting muslims in EU",
so clearly their org has schedules in place for the future.
And surely France, Britian, Spain, Italy, Germany, Neaterlands, etc., know only to well he will strike. They read the same intercepts we see published by Z-man. So it continues to be a bit strange why they are not softneing up and joining in the fray. Of course Italy and Britain still have their troops in Iraq and will keep them there until agreement is meet when they should pull out. The only thing I would take a little exception with in your analysis and I realize you could adjust it with no problem without denigritaing your over all viewpoint(s) is that EU now is not so hostile toward us. They have after all been sending non-military folks in different capacities. And most probably starting in 2005 range we simply would rather they not send contingnets, where they hell are you going to put them all. The logistics, having to rapidly build up new bases to house their people etc., how they fit in from the ground view etc.. Logistics. Notice we have not demanded for NATO troops lead under a US commander to be implemented. It is real shame the Spanish had to pull their 3000 out. Because we really have a good mix, and enough. We are not fighting a conventional war. So at this point I don't think our relations with EU as a whole is that bad in respects to Iraq. They see what has been happening. And surely they know that the terrorist are in their country for years before we invaded Iraq. It is all political and posturing in my opinion. There is not one country in EU including all the border line countries that do not know perfectly well what the muslim terrorist groups have been up to for a number of years. They just did not want to get involved. Figured let the US take em out, and stabilize the country and we can play the political game. Hell Saddam had France basically blackmailed during the late 70's and 80's regarding oil. That is one reason why the French continued to give him nuclear support and built the Osirik nuclear facilities. They even folded and finally gave in and provided him with highly enriched fuel rods far in access of the acceptable level they needed to produce maximum power from that reactor. The list go on how he played with them and Italy etc., in exchange for getting low cost oil. At any rate, can't find anything wrong with your over all analysis.
Gotta hit the rack once again, do have a great Saturday.
I am not saying the EU wants us to leave Iraq, in fact I strongly think they don't given the current sitution a civil war and a failed state in the heart of the Middle East would prove an incredible training ground in which they can use to attack Europe and the leaders of Europe know this.
But, I am saying that most Europeans have enough active Bush hatred and support for the Sunni Arab community in the Middle East thanks to years of buisness dealings with them that the mass European public is not willing to actively and openly support the coalition effort in Iraq. The governments of Europe are doing about as much as they can given the political opinion Europeans have about Iraq. If a 911 occured in Europe that would change.
And, have a good evening.
Not my drawing and as you can plainly see, it is not meant to be precise.
"The governments of Europe are doing about as much as they can given the political opinion Europeans have about Iraq."
Same opinion on this matter. And as the French work with us on the the Syrian issues relative to Lebanon and perhaps beyond as situation dictates, Syria and Iran see a more cohesive unified contingent apposing their game playing. Shame the Russians can't ease up a bit but money talks, and pride and balance in regional power shifts always will be the case.
No response required unless add on is felt.
MOAB is pretty. I choose MOAB.
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