....sometimes you just need to shake your head!
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Syria, land of terrorists, goverment hardliners and the region's/ worlds only other Baathist controlled nation.
Recently, Syria is getting more and more attention from both media and goverments around the world....all of it bad, but why?
Well, for starters, since before the war in Iraq, Syria has been accused of harboring former Iraqi regime elements as well as an access point for foreign fighters in Iraq, something Syrian President Bashar Assad's goverment has denied so much so that is makes keeping a proper count almost a headache in the making. To deflect the charge of aiding an abeting terrorists, Syria only acknowledges them as political wings and not actual operational cells....maybe Assad so have someone inform the various terrorist groups (at least 11 known groups so far operating with Damascus' full knowledge/support) of that info....hell maybe Assad should have a talk with his own security services since intelligence and evidence has leaked out over the decades showing the strong links...HEZBULLAH ANYONE?
Another sticky point, Syrian aid to the former Iraqi regime elements and foreign fighters...prior to the war, a large scale military convoy fled Iraq for greener pastures in Syria (by some accounts over a hundred heavy vehicals were involved)...the Coalition and Iraqi Goverments believe some of those we face in Iraq now were aboard as were materials of Iraq's WMD program and arms...but to Syria it was only just akin to a group tourist movement...(well it seems that way to me) business as usual...nothing to see here. Indeed documents and personnel have been uncovered and captured showing Syria may very well be involved in a larger way than previously discussed in public circles (most notably a recent video on Iraqi TV showing the confession of a reported Syrian Intelligence officer detailing his goverments involvement in the insurgency....but for the moment US officials are holding off on backing this new evidence...for the moment....Interestingly enough, Saddams half-brother and a leader in the insurgency, Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hasan (#36 in the deck of cards) was captured....and early reports have it that Syria was involved in his capture. So much for no former regime elements inside Syria(where he was reported to be)...go figure. But this "capture" may be more of a public face saving effort than anything else, wonder if any intel he has is worth it....probably...probably not...who knows....
As a face saving gesture, Saddams brother's capture isnt likely to deflect the growing spoghtlight Syria finds itself under...from announcing a recent alliance with Iran (what did Syria call the cooperation since the 80's) to the growing civil unrest inside Lebanon against the Syrian's, the Lebanese goverment(pro-Syria) the nearly 20,000 Syrian troops still inside Lebanon 15 years after the arab brokered peace agreement for that country's civil war to it's large support of Hezbulah (opps...theres that terrorist group again) to numerous murders of Lebanese politicians( amazing that any anti-Syrian/pro-Lebanon politician dies by "mystreious" hands). The recent murder of former Lebanon Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a very popular man whose growing stance on getting Syrian out of Lebanon chaffed at Syrians hardliners was done with a command detonated explosive it is believed...it seems that if your pro-Lebanon and anti-Syrian you chances of dying by unknown assasins rises. On Thursday, Syria offically announced a withdrawl of their military forces...probably because of the intense growing resentment of Syrian control of Lebanon......demonstraitions have begun spreading like wildfire calling for total Syrian withdrawl including the control on the goverment....too bad the 20,000 Syrian troops are only withdrawing to eastern Lebanon...not leaving. But to date no signs of movement or preparations for such an event have been spotted....either way...Syrian troops have violated a UN mandate that all foreign troops leave Lebanon...I guess they are exempt....dont you think. In an act that reminded me of "Baghdad Bob", a Lebanese goverment offical made the almost comical statement that Syria was not responsible for Hariri's death was done by Israel...course the official was a Hezbullah member of Lebanon goverment....shake your head everyone!
In a final act, the recent suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, is being linked to Syria as well...via SigInt(signals intelligence)....if proven true Syria may very well find that it's latest attempt as shifting blame and attention may backfire monumentally. In a somewhat shocking moment of clarity(or an effort to mend fences) France has joined the US in applying pressure (diplomatic and otherwise) to get Syrian hands out of the Lebanese cookie jar (granted 15 years late).
In the end I just have to shake my head at the length's Syria and their puppets in Lebanon will go....but then I have been shaking my head at quite alot of people/nations around the world....if this keeps up I may need to hire my own masseuse...preferbly blonde...preferbly looking for Mr. Right ( I may not be Mr. Right but I am Mr. Now).
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