Posted on 10/05/2010 11:12:00 AM PDT by nuconvert
Syria is on the move and throwing its weight around in the Middle East and beyond.
On Sunday, a Damascus court issued more than 30 arrest warrants against high-ranking Lebanese and international political and judicial officials in connection with alleged false testimony given in the United Nations-backed inquiry into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, killed in a 2005 car bomb attack at the Beirut seaside, along with 21 others.
Among those named were German prosecutor Detrev Melis, who led the initial stages of the investigation, and his aide, Gerhard Lehmann; Lebanese police chief Ashraf Rifi; top Lebanese prosecutor Saeed Mirza and Syria's exiled former vice president, Abdel Halim Khaddam.
The Syrian arrest warrants triggered new tensions in Lebanon's volatile political arena and upped the rhetoric between rival political factions. Politicians from the pro-Syria, Hezbollah-led March 8 bloc came out hailing the move, while the current Lebanese prime minister, Saad Hariri, the son of the slain premier, and his supporters are chafing as they feel Syria and its local allies breathing down their necks.
Hariri's Sunni Arab allies, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, came out stressing their support for the U.N.-backed tribunal on Monday, but Arab analysts suggest that they are losing the battle to Iran, Syria and their ally, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.
"Lebanon is once again going through a highly tense period of uncertainty as a result of what appears to be a well-coordinated Syrian-Iranian offensive to torpedo the international tribunal," wrote Riad Kahwaji, head of the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, in a paper.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
This is getting interesting! Obviously goes right to the top in Syria.
Oh but we can be friends with Syria. So glad Obama re-opened the US embassy with these wonderful friends of ours, people who are such an influence for good in the region they opened their country up as a way-station for Al Qaeda terrorists to infiltrate into Iraq killing thousands of American soldiers, and 10s of thousands of Iraqi civilians, there. Obama seems to have impaired character judgments in his choice of friends. But then he always did buddy up with terrorists, i.e. Bill Ayers.
Start in Damascus, then go East about 875 miles. That’s the top.
“Hezbollah’s looming Coup Scenario ”
http://blogs.albawaba.com/bejjani
This might be the reason. We shall see.
On Sunday, a Damascus court issued more than 30 arrest warrants against high-ranking Lebanese and international political and judicial officials in connection with alleged false testimony given in the United Nations-backed inquiry into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, killed in a 2005 car bomb attack at the Beirut seaside, along with 21 others. Among those named were German prosecutor Detrev Melis, who led the initial stages of the investigation, and his aide, Gerhard Lehmann; Lebanese police chief Ashraf Rifi; top Lebanese prosecutor Saeed Mirza and Syria's exiled former vice president, Abdel Halim Khaddam... Politicians from the pro-Syria, Hezbollah-led March 8 bloc came out hailing the move... Hariri's Sunni Arab allies, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, came out stressing their support for the U.N.-backed tribunal on Monday, but Arab analysts suggest that they are losing the battle to Iran, Syria and their ally, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.
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