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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| White House Escalates Its Campaign to Isolate Syria |
| 2005-06-23 |
| Nope. No spin or symps or terminal BDS here, lol! Bush administration officials asserted today that an international consensus had emerged that Syria had been stoking the violence in Lebanon and Iraq and against Israelis, and they said they are now certain that Syrian agents have been operating in Lebanon. Implied: It's really just the US. The comments represented an escalation of the campaign by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to isolate Syria diplomatically as the administration has faced mounting violence against its interests throughout the Middle East. Ms. Rice has not said what other forms of pressure might be applied. Calling a spade a spade is always characterized as an "escalation" - never just stating the truth, obvious or not. A senior State Department official, briefing reporters under ground rules that he not be identified, said there was "widespread agreement" at a meeting of leading foreign ministers in London, and among the delegates at a conference on Iraq in Brussels on Wednesday, that Syria bore major responsibility for instability in the region. Sounds like he just might keep his State job. A non-idiot, more please. Ms. Rice, speaking at the conclusion of the foreign ministers' meeting, accused Syria of supporting the Iraq insurgency. "Let's not have more words about what they are prepared to do" she said, regarding Syrian promises to help Iraq with security on their mutual border. "Let's have action. If they're prepared to do it, they should just do it." How, um, unnuanced. Cowgirl. In a separate development, the foreign ministers also heard a briefing from James D. Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank, on his three-year $3 billion proposal for the economic reconstruction of Palestinian areas, contingent on Israel's planned pullout from Gaza and the northern part of the West Bank. The $3 billion package, which would effectively double current levels of outside assistance for the Palestinians, is tied to a variety of projects, including building facilities to help move goods and people into and out of Palestinian areas. $3B. Sigh. Mebbe about $1.95 will make it to Yagouv Paleo. The renewed pressure on Syria comes at a time when an anti-Syrian majority in the Lebanese Parliament is set to form a government in Beirut and a series of assassinations have been carried out in Lebanon against anti-Syrian political and journalism figures. Yeah, that's a fact. In the past, administration officials have said that there was a Syrian "hit list" for assassination in Lebanon and they have recently suggested strongly that despite the withdrawal of 14,000 Syrian troops from Lebanon, it appeared that intelligence operatives remained behind. Yeah, another fact - despite the sneer. A Western diplomat close to the Syrian situation, but asking not to be identified because he did not want to be seen characterizing the positions of other countries, said the emerging consensus about Syria was propelled by European concerns about Lebanon and American concerns about Iraq. "There's a lot of international pressure on the Syrians to cease and desist, and that's just not the United States," a senior State Department official said. The official contended that there is intelligence information that makes it clear that Syrian intelligence operatives remained in Lebanon. Classic F**kin' Duh. News only to The NYT, I guess. That conclusion was not fully endorsed by the French foreign minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy. "The withdrawal of Syrian troops has been observed," he said, but he added that there was concern that Syrian intelligence agents may still be active in Lebanon. "The international community will not accept a situation where attacks on civilian individuals continue," he said. Ah, saved by The French! Their specialty: massive nuance. An NYT requirement for credbility - equalled only by the requirement that any credible source must be non-American and, for a higher degree, anti-American. The meeting in London was of foreign ministers of the Group of Eight, which will hold a summit meeting to be attended by President Bush in early July at Gleneagles, Scotland. The foreign envoys usually hold a preparatory meeting ahead of the summit meeting. Wow, another obvious unspun fact. They're on a roll! A final statement by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw of Britain said they also discussed Iran, the Balkans, the war and genocide in Sudan, the efforts to resume talks with North Korea over its nuclear program and the status of negotiations over China. Okay... Um, 'scuse me? "Negotiations" over China? You mean lifting the arms embargo, I presume? Why not say so, NYT? It's the only fuzzy bit in the bunch. So much for the truth streak. Another senior State Department official said that the Europeans reported that they would await the results of the presidential election runoff on Friday before assessing the prospects for a negotiated deal with the Tehran government and fashioning some "new ideas" to break the impasse on its nuclear program. *snicker* Implied: NYT legitimizing the Iranian Presidential Wankoff. Lessee, choose between totally frickin' insane and congenitally and unbelievably insane. Yep, the Persians have a fine "democratic" system, there. But the focus on Syria appeared to be the most intense part of the meetings here and in Brussels, suggesting that international pressure could increase, especially if the government that emerges in Beirut is decided anti-Syrian. Oooh, "international pressure" - how skeery! I see stern letters and harsh statements. Both Syria and Iran sent delegates to the Brussels conference, but Ms. Rice declined to meet with either of them. Implied: Bad. Bad Condi. Bad Dog. The Syrian foreign minister, Farouq al-Sharaa, told the Brussels conference that his government gave its "full support to the unity of Iraq and the achievement of its security and complete independence," and that Syria would "fully cooperate" with Iraq to enhance security on its border in a "practical and tangible way." He contended, though, that the United States had blocked Syria from obtaining "the equipment necessary to protect its long borders round the clock." Lol! What a closer and what a surprise: It's our fault! NYT. Dizzy News. |
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