Lebanese TV: Prime Minister Hariri submits resignation of government

Jerusalem Post ^ | Apr. 15, 2003 | THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAFF

[yonif]

Lebanese Television is reporting that Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik Al-Hariri, handed in his resignation Tuesday night to President Emile Lahoud.

Lahod reportedly accepted his Prime Minister's resignation and is expected to ask Hariri's replacement, as yet unknown, to establish a new government.

Lebanese TV did not provide a reason for Hariri's resignation.

Hariri submitted his Cabinet's resignation to President Emile Lahoud after a meeting at the presidential palace Tuesday night.

Lahoud asked Hariri to continue as caretaker until a new prime minister is appointed and a Cabinet formed.

Hariri is widely expected to be asked to form the next government.

Hariri, a dynamic 58-year-old billionaire businessman who made his fortune in Saudi Arabia, has served as prime minister since 1992 except for the years 1998-2000.

He is credited for launching a multibillion-dollar program to rebuild Lebanon's infrastructure from the ruins of the 1975-90 civil war. Critics, however, blame him for borrowing heavily on international markets.

(With The Associated Press)

[Revenge Of Daffy-Duck]

btt

[klute]

FIRST IRAQ AND NOW LEBANON----- FREE THE LEBANESE PEOPLE

I am still trying to decide which is better, Syrian occupation or anarchy and civil war. Have to get back to you on that one.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I said "through" Syria to the Med.

I thought a year ago that an alternative or supplement to Turkey should have been landing in Lebanon and Syria and going the other way. It's got to go anyway.

[10mm]

Lebanon has a government?

[hsmomx3]

Can you imagine Saddam and his cronies fleeing to another country only to take it over by creating a "ghost" government? Did I word that right?

[anniegetyourgun]

Your "idea rate" is better than mine!

[DannyTN]

Possibilities...

• Syria is pulling the ropes but why? And for better or worse?
• Syria is responding to US threats by either improving or weakening the Lebanon government.
• He resigned because something was going to happen he didn't want to be held accountable for.

[George W. Bush]

Meaningless. So what if they re-arrange some faces in a puppet show run by Syria's boy-president, Bashar?

[Amerigomag]

The "Syrian problem" is not related to Iraq. It is related to the "Palestiian problem".

To gain Blair's cooperation with the "Iraqi problem" Bush promised to work toward a solution of the "Palestinian problem". The "Palestinian problem" can't be resolved as long as Syria finances and imports terror into the West Bank and Gaza. Training for these terrorists occurs in Lebanon.

So ... with Damascus temporarily off limits what can Bush do? Cleans Lebanon. Al-Hariri is no fool. He saw what just happened in Iraq. He knows who and what is next.

He's taking his money and his reputation and getting out of Dodge.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[He is credited for launching a multibillion-dollar program to rebuild Lebanon's infrastructure from the ruins of the 1975-90 civil war. Critics, however, blame him for borrowing heavily on international markets.]

Translation: He is about to be busted BIG TIME for subterfuge and fraud. Getting outta Dodge.

[Grampa Dave]

Somebody's spec ops or clandistine ops have been working in Syria for at least a year. There were several explosions last year in key plants of war toys.

A dam just happened to burst. The flood waters were so vast and deep that they were seen by satellite. Hopefully Phil Dragroo will post that link for us.

Last but no least, the illegal pipe line for oil from Iraq to Syria has been stopped. Syria was getting up to 20 million barrels of oil per day (oil that was supposed to feed the poor and buy medicine for the sick Iraqis).

Their state owned oil company has warned its customers that 50% of its oil supplies for sale are no longer available.

When Iran has a revolt/implosion from within, Syria will really be in a world of hurt re lack oil and money to stay afloat.

[anniegetyourgun]

All fabulous news, as far as I'm concerned.

[Grampa Dave]

A lot of arm chair conservatives will now hate GW if we don't take our military directly into Syria.

It is obvious that things have been happening behind their boundaries. A lot more things will happen. Many we will never hear about.

Syria's $ loss re the cut off of the 20 million barrels of oil is tremendous. If Iran implodes, Syria will be alone with an immature thug in charge.

We could see massive changes in Lebannon in the next few months.

[jungleboy]

Yonif - Glad you posted. I agree with you whole-heartedly how Lebanon could QUICKLY become the center-piece of Freedom for the middle east. Keep the Faith.

[eleni121]

It's not that they are Arabs that prevents them from participation in a progressive humane world and lead them into destuction, murder, imperialism, and self delusion- it's that most Arabs (and others) are Muslims - the ideology which is their own worst enemy.

[justshutupandtakeit]

200,000 bpd.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the correction. FNC reported last night that sometimes the flow was 20,000,000. They probably haven't learned not to trust Reuters for news.

200,000 BPD is significant.

[PhilDragoo]

Blast destroys Syrian weapons plant, spares missile assembly line

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, April 24, 2002

A huge explosion in a Syrian weapons complex has spared the nation's missile and weapons of mass destruction production line.

Western intelligence sources said a blast in late March destroyed a major factory and damaged several other buildings in a military industrial complex south of Homs was believed to have left the strategic weapons production line unaffected.

They said the assessment is that a conventional weapons factory was destroyed, Middle East Newsline reported.

"We are talking about a huge complex that covers many miles," a U.S. intelligence analyst said. "The building that we saw destroyed did not turn out to be in the area where we assess is the production of ballistic missiles or WMD."

The sources said U.S. satellite photographs recorded after the blast showed one building destroyed and several others damaged. They said the United States remains uncertain of what that building had contained, but intelligence agencies have concluded that it was not a missile or a WMD facility.

The explosion was reported to have taken place on March 24 or March 25 in the northern Syrian city of Homs. Western diplomatic sources said a factory in a huge Syrian weapons complex exploded, killing many of the technicians in the building and causing widespread damage. The sources said 35 people were believed to have been killed.

The sources said they did not know the cause of the blast. The Homs complex produces Scud C and D missiles as well as nonconventional weapons. Homs, with a population of about 500,000 people, is located 160 kilometers north of Damascus. The city has an oil refinery and is a major railroad junction.

U.S. intelligence sources said Syria maintains a missile test site 15 kilometers south of Homs. They said Syria has tested missiles such as the Scud C and Scud D as well as chemical warheads.

Syria also constructed missile factories in nearby Hama, about 110 kilometers north of Damascus. One factory is meant to produce solid-fuel missiles and the other is for liquid-fuel missiles. The solid-fuel missile is being developed with the help of Iran.

The Homs explosion was the latest in a series of accidents connected to Syria's weapons programs. In 1991, the Syrian Health Ministry closed down five pharmaceuticals plants, including one in Homs, during what Western intelligence agencies determined were tests of chemical weapons.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks!

Things go boom and fall down in Syria!

Dams fall apart and flood massive areas.

Syria sounds like an unhealthy place to live or work in if one is a terrorist.

[PhilDragoo]

Zeyzoun Dam at Idlib, Syria breaks, floods June 2000

Water is black on the before and after nasa satphotos at link.