Opinion
Assassination will hurt Syrians
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Also by Fayyad Sbaihat:
- Two-state option not viable for Palestine (April 7, 2005)
- American media is in need of reform (April 21, 2005)
- Alliance of misinformed, morally bankrupt supporting Israel (May 5, 2005)
- John Bolton-wrong man for UN ambassador job (March 17, 2005)
- Board of Regents must support divestment (March 3, 2005)
While Lebanon lost one of the greatest leaders in its history on Monday, Lebanon’s neighbor Syria is perhaps the party set to lose the most out of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Prime Minister Hariri was assassinated by a car bomb in the heart of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Monday that also killed 13 others, including his bodyguards. Mr. Hariri is widely regarded as the “rebuilder” of a country destroyed by a civil war that lasted from 1975 to 1990. As he was instrumental in reaching the peace agreement that ended the war, he led the country for many of the years following. His large network in the business world and diplomatic arenas encouraged significant investments and construction in the war-torn country.
While Lebanon has witnessed numerous political assassinations over the years, some using car bombs and others less gruesome methods, Hariri’s assassination stands out on many different levels. Not only was it particularly violent — a large bomb in the heart of the crowded capital at a least expected time, but also it targeted Lebanon’s most beloved politician and businessman, “Mr. Lebanon,” as he is often referred to. The significantly destabilizing effect the assassination is likely to have on Lebanon leads to the belief that the attacker(s) are a party least concerned with Lebanon’s well-being, perhaps even seeking to destabilize it.
Shortly after the assassination took place, many rushed to blame Syria for it. Syria has many interests in Lebanon and very close relations with the Lebanese administration, including some 15,000 troops in the country — the U.S. has 117,000 troops in Europe — and significant cooperation between the two countries’ intelligence establishments.
A few weeks ago, the UN Security Council passed resolution 1559, advocated by the U.S. and France, which called for a withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Syria, and many in Lebanon, including the president and several prominent politicians, rejected the resolution which they viewed as unwelcome meddling in their internal affairs. Mr. Hariri, however, has recently become a vocal critic of Syria’s influence over Lebanon, including the military presence, though he enjoyed special relations with Syrian officials and businessmen alike that serviced his large business network.
Those who blamed Syria for the assassination surely have several, however naively transparent, justifications.
Irrespective of who actually committed the crime, it appears Syria will suffer as a result, particularly its relations with the West, namely the U.S. and France. However, the simplicity of the connections to Syria and the spontaneity in which fingers were pointed should have another indication: the Syrians are not behind Hariri’s assassination, even if they had a reason to, as such a blatant move is political suicide.
Syria has a vested interest in a stable Lebanon, even more so nowadays as the relationship between the two countries has been put under the microscope with the passage of UNSCR 1559. It is not in Syria’s interest that this relationship is put under scrutiny, let alone international investigation.
The hawks in the Bush administration, particularly those with strong ties to the Israeli security establishment such as David Wurmser and Douglas Feith, have long advocated a regime change in Syria, a toppling of the government along the lines of the Iraq invasion. Though their assessment often contradicted that of the CIA and the State Department, who viewed Syria as an essential partner in the fight against Al Qaeda, their hawkish policies have so far remained on paper, the latest events likely to bolster their position.
As it is abundantly clear that the U.S.-Syrian relations are the most likely candidates to suffer in the aftermath of Hariri’s assassination, it becomes hard to believe that Syria has any involvement in the incident, especially given its tradition in avoiding confrontation, particularly with the U.S. Indeed, it is most probable that a third party, one who has a primary interest in harming the U.S.-Syria relation, stand covertly behind the attack. It is also unlikely that the perpetrators are Lebanese, given the harm such an attack inflicts on their country.
Fayyad Sbaihat (frsbaihat@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in chemical engineering.
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Fayyad, thathas got to ber one of the nerdiest-looking shirts you have ever worn. Shop somewhere else besides the Salvation Army Thrift Store. You'll never get any dates dressing like a dork!
Sbaihat specializes in deception on behalf of terrorists, and today's article is no exception. Here are a few of the vital facts he left out:
1) Syria has a history of assassinating Lebanese politicians who fail to be Syrian puppets. The most famous was Bashir Gemayel, whose murder touched off a few reprisals by Lebanese Christians. As a Palestinian, Sbaihat may have heard of these.
2) Hariri had recently resigned from the government, to protest Syria's blatant meddling in Lebanese affairs. Syria had ordered that the Lebanese constitution be changed so that Lahoud, Syria's puppet president, could stay in office.
3) Far from maintaining stability in Lebanon, Syria actively undermines that stability. Its direct acts of terrorism are one way. But it also supports the terrorist group Hezbollah, which keeps much of Lebanon in chaos with its own terrorism and the inevitable Israeli counterstrikes.
But Hezbollah kills Jews, which is of course the whole point for Sbaihat.
W.W.R.C.D-
What would Ryan Corcoran do?
Again, Fayyad goes on with his half truths, simple lies and conspiracy theories... Of course it couldn't have been the Syrians, or the Lebanese. It must of been the Jews, right, Fayyad?
" -- the U.S. has 117,000 troops in Europe -- "
I don't think that they are there to support puppet dictatorships run by foreign countries. At least it dosen't seem that the Germans dance to the USA tune.
"While Lebanon lost one of the greatest leaders in its history on Monday" but the big worry is how much Syria loses? By the death of its biggest, loudest, most powerful critic?
Pssst, it was the Jews who were behind Hitler - don't let anybody tell you different!
hey Fayad,
don't listen to that comment about your shirt. With what you have underneath, who cares what you're wearing! I'd prefer it if you were butt naked in that picture, although that might cause a riot on campus, what with all the girls (and boys) climbing over each other to get a copy of this crappy newspaper! Wanna increase your circulation 10 fold Badger Herald?
"Pssst, it was the Jews who were behind Hitler - don't let anybody tell you different!"
And the Jews also control all the pussy in the world. Ya wanna get laid? Talk to us. We'll hook ya up, stud muffin!
So the article says it's probably not Syria, for that it has too much at steak.
Why do so many people, at hte same time, jump to defend Israel? I think we found ourselves a suspect here.
"And the Jews also control all the pussy in the world."
Jewish foreplay = 3 hours of begging
"Why do so many people, at hte same time, jump to defend Israel? I think we found ourselves a suspect here."
If you were at all familiar with Fayyad's collected works, you would know that by saying it wasn't Syria, he overtly claims that Israel did it. In this case, he wasn't even so overt about it. He probably also thinks that Israel was behind the 9/11 attacks, the shortage of flu vaccine a few months ago, and the December tsunami in Southeast Asia.
Also, given the fact that Hariri was a very popular politician and a definite threat to the government of Emile Lahoud, Fayyad's claim that "It is also unlikely that the perpetrators are Lebanese" also doesn't make much sense. It actually makes perfect sense.
"Jewish foreplay = 3 hours of begging"
If by begging, you mean "oral sex", you might be right.
The sweet young thing asks her friend what to do. "My boy friend asked me to come over for oral sex, but how do I maintain my maidenhead if he get gets too excited by all that talking?"
"So the article says it's probably not Syria, for that it has too much at steak."
Steak? Hungry? AHA!! It was those damn crafty Hungarians who did him in! Thanks for the clue!
"Jewish foreplay = 3 hours of begging"
Unless you are a gynecologist, in which case you are ALREADY THERE, SO SLIDE HOME!!!!!! SCORE THAT WINNING RUN!!!!
Anybody notice that the only claim of responsibility for the bomb that killed Hariri was from a Palestinian? A video of Ahmed Abu Adas was aired on al-Jazeera, in which Adas claimed that he planted the bomb. Authorities raided Adas's house, but he was already gone, and lots of people are speculating that he fled to Syria. Hey Fayyad, doesn't that suggest that Syria had something to do with it?
Fayyad looks kinda like Jafar, the evil sorcerer in Aladdin.
"Fayyad looks kinda like Jafar, the evil sorcerer in Aladdin."
No, I think he looks more like that homely little bellboy in Atlantic City that I almost fell head over heels for. What a cute little fart!
Fayyad looks like a busboy or a grocery bagger.
He write pretty well for a busboy I must say.
I'm really loving all these pathetic posts that are all about disliking Fayyad regardless of what he writes about. Anything he says here stirrs up a lot of emotions. I think we have the future world leader.
Fayyad is a future leader of Arafatastan fer shure.
"I think we have the future world leader."
Of the world of anti-semitism, you mean?
"I'm really loving all these pathetic posts that are all about disliking Fayyad regardless of what he writes about. Anything he says here stirrs up a lot of emotions."
Are you kidding? Fayyad is a one-trick pony. He only ever writes about how "evil" Israel is.
+ On September 20, 2004 masked members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades publicly murdered two Palestinians suspected of working for the Israeli security service. Fadel Odeh and Amjad Ajaj, both in their early 20s were killed in front of a large crowd, including school children in Tulkarm. The pair were seized about two weeks ago in their village of Saida.
+ On August 29, 2004, Hasan Abu Safiyeh, 19, was executed in the center of
Ramallah by masked members of the Fatah Tanzim terrorist organization. A
spokesman for the terrorists told reporters that Abu Safiyeh had been providing intelligence information to the Israeli security services.
+ On August 2, 2004, a Palestinian Authority policeman threw a hand grenade
into the jail cell of an accused Israeli agent in Gaza. Walid Hamadiya, was
seriously injured along with six other suspected Israeli agents.
+ On July 2, 2004, Fatah Tanzim terrorist carried out the execution style murder of Qabatiya resident Muhammad Rafiq Abdel Razek, before a cheering crowd. Abdel Rzaek was suspected of providing intelligence to the Israeli security services.
+ In April 2004, Fatah terrorist in Gaza City displayed two captives, a father and son, accused of having assisted Israel in the targeted killing of Hamas leader Abdel aziz Rantisi at a press conference. It is not known if the pair have been murdered.
+ In February 2004, Fatah terrorists in Ramallah shot to death Palestinian
taxi driver Tahseen Abu Arkub, 50, an al-Bira area resident. A masked spokesman for the organization alleged that Abu Arkub had assisted the Israel Defense Forces in identifying and arresting fugitive Palestinians.
"We shot him dead with four bullets to the head and chest in Ramallah because he was a collaborator who has helped Israel kill and detain many Palestinians," an unidentified Palestinian told the Reuters news agency. Abu Arkub's son had also been killed by Al-Aqsa Brigade terrorists last year.
+ On January 25, 2004, Fatah Tanzim murdered another suspected Israeli
agent, Nidal al-Dabbik, 27, in Nablus.
+ In October 2003, Palestinian gunmen killed Nasser Kalawleh, 25, in Ramallah, alleging he was also working for Israel.
+ In September 2003, terrorist claimed responsibility for the murder of an
accused operative in Tulkarm. Fida Tirawi, 27, was shot to death in a hospital ward as he was recovering from surgery.
+ In July 2003, Al-Aqsa Brigade assassins murdered Qaad Abu Shalbayah in Ramallah after accusing him of working for Israel's General Security Service. Abu Shalbayah had been in Palestinian police custody and on his way to court when three masked men ambushed and killed him. The police officers
escorting Abu Shalbayah made no effort to protect him nor did they seek to capture the masked assailants as they fled. Eyewitnesses to the shooting in Ramallah have told Shurat HaDin that the "hit" on Abu Shalbayah was "quite obviously arranged by his police guards."
Since the signing of the Oslo agreements between Israel and the PLO in 1993,
several hundred suspected Israeli agents have been murdered by Palestinian
terrorist groups. To date, the PA police have never conducted any investigation into the killings nor have they made any arrests of suspects.
Hariri's assasination was not a naive act by a radical organization and neither was Syria behind this operation. One only has to read what the CIA did in countries like Iran, Chile etc to know that this was clearly the work of the CIA and Mossad. The Bush Administration led by Neo Cons and Israel have set up the perfect plot/opportunity to go after Syria and have a regime change.
This is all about American (and Israeli)INTERESTS.
Interesting Fayyad, a whole week later, Patrick Seale comes up with the same conclusion you do. See Herald, Fayyad is giving you Guardian-quality articles.
Who killed Rafik Hariri?
Patrick Seale
Wednesday February 23, 2005
Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5133056-103677,00.htm
If Syria killed Rafik Hariri, Lebanon's former prime minister and mastermind of its revival after the civil war, it must be judged an act of political suicide. Syria is already under great international pressure from the US, France and Israel. To kill Hariri at this critical moment would be to destroy Syria's reputation once and for all and hand its enemies a weapon with which to deliver the blow that could finally destabilise the Damascus regime, and even possibly bring it down.
So attributing responsibility for the murder to Syria is implausible. The murder is more likely to be the work of one of its many enemies. This is not to deny that Syria has made grave mistakes in Lebanon. Its military intelligence apparatus has interfered far too much in Lebanese affairs. A big mistake was to insist on changing the Lebanese constitution to extend the mandate of President Emile Lahoud - known for his absolute allegiance to Syria - for a further three years. Syria's military intelligence chief in Lebanon, General Rustum Ghazalah, was reported to have threatened and insulted Hariri to force him to accept the extension. This caused great exasperation among all communities in Lebanon. Hariri resigned as prime minister in protest.
Syria appears to have recognised its mistake. President Bashar al-Assad last week sacked General Hassan Khalil, head of military intelligence, and replaced him with his own brother-in-law, General Asaf Shawkat. A purge of the military intelligence apparatus in Lebanon is expected to follow.
It remains to be seen whether this will calm Syria's opponents in Lebanon, who have declared a "democratic and peaceful intifada for independence" - in other words, a campaign of passive resistance to drive Syria out.
Hariri was not a diehard enemy of Syria. For 10 of the past 12 years he served as Lebanon's prime minister under Syria's aegis. A few days before his murder on February 14 he held a meeting with Syria's deputy foreign minister, Walid Muallim. They were reported to have discussed a forthcoming visit by Hariri to Damascus. Hariri had not officially joined the opposition in Lebanon, but was thought to be attempting to mediate between Syria and the opposition.
If Syria did not kill Hariri, who could have? There is no shortage of potential candidates, including far-right Christians, anxious to rouse opinion against Syria and expel it from Lebanon; Islamist extremists who have not forgiven Syria its repression of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 80s; and, of course, Israel.
Israel's ambition has long been to weaken Syria, sever its strategic alliance with Iran and destroy Hizbullah. Israel has great experience at "targeted assassinations" - not only in the Palestinian territories but across the Middle East. Over the years, it has sent hit teams to kill opponents in Beirut, Tunis, Malta, Amman and Damascus.
Syria, Hizbullah and Iran have stood up against US and Israeli hegemony over the region. Syria continues to demand that Israel return the Golan Heights, seized in 1967. Damascus will not allow Lebanon to conclude a separate peace with Israel unless its own claim is also addressed.
Hizbullah, in turn, is possibly the only Arab force to have inflicted a defeat on Israel. Its guerrillas forced Israel out of south Lebanon after a 22-year occupation. Hizbullah continues to be a big irritant to Israel because it has acquired a deterrent capability. Israel can no longer attack Lebanon with impunity - as it did for decades - without risking a riposte from Hizbullah rockets.
Iran's nuclear programme threatens to break Israel's regional monopoly of weapons of mass destruction, which is the main reason it is under immense pressure to abandon uranium enrichment.
The US and Israel have been trying to rally international support against Iran, Syria and Hizbullah. The US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, has condemned Iran as a prime sponsor of international terror. Syria has been condemned as a "destabilising" force in the region, and is in the dock because of Hariri's assassination.
The US and Israel have also been urging European governments to declare Hizbullah a "terrorist organisation". France has its own quarrel with Syria, and President Jacques Chirac is outraged at the murder of his close friend Hariri, but Paris does not consider Hizbullah a terrorist organisation. For France, and for the vast majority of Arabs, Hizbullah is a national liberation movement as well as a big political actor in Lebanon.
There is far more to this crisis than a struggle between rival clans in Lebanon.
Very smart, Fayyad.
You don't exactly blame Israel, you just raise the question of "who benefits?" which seems to point every body towards Israel, even those who jump to defend Israel.
Now, reading your article, and seeing Seals' article I'm almost convinced of your argument, and that Israel is behind it. You shoudl write for the Guardian or the Times.