| Battering at the weakest link... |
 Syria should have adopted a firm stance regarding the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and collaborated with the UN investigation into the murder headed by German judge Detlev Mehlis who is excepted to present his conclusions later this month, according to informed US sources. Speaking to Asharq al Awsat, US officials indicated that, âSyrian President Bashar Assad should have announced he wanted the truth to emerge immediately after doubts rose on possible Syrian involvement and affirmed his readiness to punish all those who planned or took part in the planning of Haririâs murder or those who carried out the assassination.â This readiness, the sources added, âwould have strengthened Assadâs position and enabled Syria to take part in the search for the truth instead of being an isolated party in the probe.â
| On the other hand, the course they took was compatible with having something to hide, wasn't it? |
According to these sources, when officials speaks of possible Syrian involvement âthey do not necessarily mean the highest echelons of power in Damascus and do not dispute that the responsibility may lie with the lower levelsâ, giving the president room for maneuver and breathing space in the international arena.
| Probably Baby Assad isn't bright enough to recognize when he's being given an out. |
In spite of this, the US administration appeared to have already decided to depose the current leadership, âbut has yet to find the way to do so or a suitable alternative,â to hand power to in Damascus, the sources added.
| So we're out of the standing-under-the-tree-waiting-for-the-fruit-to-drop stage... |
Accordingly, the current US government, under President George W. Bush, was examining âthree different scenarios for the next stage after the UN report is published, including Damascus agrees to surrender one or two officials in the hope of saving the regime. A number of subterfuges might be used by the US government prior to its involvement in Syria , such as a stray bomb on Syrian territory or a missile by US forces in Iraq which âaccidentallyâ hits its neighbor.
| Or we could just drive up to Damascus and announce we're taking over, but I doubt that'll happen. Bush is trying to do this without a shot being fired... |
For their part, informed French sources revealed that the US has already opted for regime change in Syria, with âa faction in the US administration ready to gamble to induce this chance as it believes that any development in Syria is better for US interests, including chaos as it might turn out positive.â
| This is called going for a possible bad outcome in preference to a demonstrated current certainty. |
So far, the French have continue to affirm that âthey are not interested in developments in Damascus as they focus firmly on Lebanon and the application of UN security council resolutions 1559 and 1595, as well as insisting on discovering the truth behind Haririâs murder.â
| The Frenchies don't say they're opposed, notice. Only that they're more concerned with the Lebs. |
In the last week, Paris, Washington, and London have held a series of meetings to coordinate their actions after the UN report is published, included the role of the security council in a trial for the accused and the type and powers of this court. Paris has called on the US administration to âpractice restraint and moderationâ regarding Syria and warned Washington from the consequences of âviolent regime changeâ on the region and Lebanon especially. French sources said their government had âsucceededâ until now in reining in the US government but protested that Syria was ânot helpingâ in this regard.
| See, Jean-Pierre? Don't things work better when you can do the good cop-bad cop thing? |
|