Regards, Ivan
Posted on 04/19/2003 4:10:59 PM PDT by MadIvan
AMERICAN military planners have been told to draw up options for possible retaliatory action against Hezbollah and other Middle Eastern terrorist groups in the event of suicide attacks on US forces in Iraq, according to official sources in Washington. Intelligence specialists have concluded that the greatest threat to US military bases in Iraq may come from groups operating out of Syria.
Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, is expected to warn Damascus that Washington will no longer tolerate the use of Syrian-controlled territory as a “safe haven” for terror groups. US officials said last week they had already acquired evidence that Hezbollah, a Shi’ite Muslim group based in southern Lebanon, plans to attack embassies and other American targets in the region.
Powell said he intended to visit Syria soon as part of a “very vigorous diplomatic exchange” that has so far focused on American complaints that Damascus has been harbouring high-ranking Iraqi fugitives and has been developing chemical weapons.
At least seven senior Iraqis were yesterday reported to be hiding in Syria, among them Kamal al-Tikriti, a senior Republican Guard commander who is number eight on the Pentagon’s most wanted list.
Amid speculation that President George W Bush was adding Syria to his “axis of evil” — making it a candidate for enforced regime change — there were signs of a climbdown in Damascus as Syrian officials welcomed Powell’s planned visit. Diplomatic talks were “much quieter and much more constructive” than public accusations, said the Syrian foreign ministry.
It was also reported that Syria had assisted in the arrest of Jaffar al-Jaffer, head of Iraq’s nuclear programme, who surrendered to US forces last week.
But Damascus has not yet responded to American demands that other Iraqi leaders be expelled. Iraqi fugitives in Syria are believed to include Farouk Hijazi, a former official in the Mukhabarat, the Iraqi intelligence service, and Saddam Hussein’s first wife, Sajida Khairallah Telfah.
Syrian officials made it clear they were not planning any radical action against Hezbollah or other terror groups such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which maintain offices in Damascus.
Israel has warned Washington that any of these groups may attempt to disrupt negotiations over a promised American “road map” that could ultimately lead to the creation of a Palestinian state. But Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, the son of Hafez al-Assad, the late Syrian president, appears to have a closer relationship with Hezbollah than his father.
Encouraged by their victory in Iraq, hawks close to the Bush administration are now pressing for a crackdown on Syria to isolate Islamic radicals.
The looming showdown is heightening concern that either side could provoke an incident that might spiral into war. If Hezbollah concludes that its days in Lebanon’s Beka’a valley are numbered, it might try to provoke an American military attack on Damascus as a means of igniting international outrage.
“The opportunities for mischief-making that might make a pretext for escalation have just multiplied enormously,” said John Pike, a military specialist with globalsecurity.org, a Washington think tank.
The influx of American troops had presented the region’s terrorists with “a target-rich environment”, Pike said. Anti-American operations might include border incursions by Hezbollah guerrillas or groups operating out of Iran, and car or truck bomb attacks on US targets in Baghdad. Other sources said that if Hezbollah went on the offensive, the Pentagon would respond in kind. o Israeli forces backed by dozens of tanks, armoured vehicles and attack helicopters pushed into the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza last night.
They entered the camp from three directions. Witnesses said two Palestinians were killed and 16 injured, including a security official who was taken to hospital with a head wound.
Earlier in the day Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian cameraman during clashes with stone throwers and gunmen in the West Bank town of Nablus.
Regards, Ivan
I wonder if these are among the crew that was turned over today. If so, it would be a positive sign.
The pressure on them is going to be enormous, as well it should. Part of their population, the radical Palistinians and others on the Arab "street" will demand some act ... some way to stand up to the U.S. ... which would of course invite the full weight of the 4th ID in on them.
The leaders will be caught between a rock and a hard place, as I believe the strategy is planned. Paint them right into a corner. Either they change for the good and get out of the terrorism business in a way that is both obvious and sincere ... or they come down.
The problem with Hezboallah is that they haven't really dealt with Americans up front, in their own backyard.
They've been running fiefdoms in Lebanon for thirty years. No one has ever seriously come into their backyard to play.
They'll start conducting operations in Lebanon. One of these days, a Marine Expeditionary Force will drop right into the Bekaa Valley and kill a lot of people.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
The scene goes along for about five minutes with each side exchanging formal communique's of the type with which modern diplomacy is rife, and then Mr. Powell pauses, realizing they're not going to get through the bullsh*t into the meat of the matter.
So he asks his guys to take a break and show their counterparts some of the artwork in the next room, but asks the Syrian Ambassador to remain.
When the door closes, Sec. of State Colin Powell, General, U.S. Army (Retired), looks the Syrian square in the eye, and with a voice barely containing his rage growls "now listen to me, you smarmy son of a *****! You will turn over all intelligence as to the whereabouts of these &&&&&&&&. You will instruct your government that they will keep corridors through your airspace to those locations open until further notice, and you will not interfere with whatever operation we have in store.
"If you do not, I ask you to consider this one question: Where is the former Iraqi Ambassador under Saddam Hussein right now?"
The Syrian Ambassador remains en tableau, his gaze frozen to that of Sec. Powell like a field mouse caught in the python's glare. He comes to himself, and offers his excuses, saying he must make some phone calls.
Fade out.
To me it doesn't seem to be in Hezbollah's interest to see the Assad regime fall into trouble since it is its second biggest donor. Just MO.
Regards, Ivan
Encouraged by their victory in Iraq, hawks close to the Bush administration are now pressing for a crackdown on Syria to isolate Islamic radicals.The looming showdown is heightening concern that either side could provoke an incident that might spiral into war. If Hezbollah concludes that its days in Lebanon’s Beka’a valley are numbered, it might try to provoke an American military attack on Damascus as a means of igniting international outrage.
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for I am the meanest Son of a B*tch in the valley
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