Look what I found at Angry Arab:

“So as I was driving from Berkeley today, I was listening to Fox News on satellite radio. They had a report on the assassination of Hajj. Fox’s correspondent in Beirut identified Al-Hajj as “a life-long opponent of Syrian occupation” in Lebanon. I kid you not. He then introduced a sound bite by Marwan Hamadah in which he blamed the “Syrian-Iranian axis.” Hamadah has not updated his rhetoric to match that of master, Walid Jumblat. A month ago, Walid Jumblat was describing Hizbullah as a terrorist organization; in the last week, he talks about the “need to protect the resistance.” Don’t pin hope on anybody in Lebanon: you will surely be disappointed.”

No wonder Alex:

“Like the many victims before him, General al-Hajj was a supporter of Lebanon’s independence and an opponent of Syria’s interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs,” Bush said.

Who’s feeding the horse this crap.

I am beginning to appreciate all the kind words Karl Kraus had for the press.

Robert Fisk can’t even get right what Marwan Hamadeh said:

“… Walid Jumblatt, who has constantly blamed the Syrians for attacks on democratic politicians in Lebanon did not do so. Nor did Marwan Hamadi (sic) …”
(“Robert Fisk: Syria denies killing General in car-bomb attack”, The Independent, 13 December 2007)

“Marwan Hamadeh … accused the “Syrian-Iranian axis” of hitting “the only body in Lebanon who can balance the power of Hizbullah and other militias”.”
(“Murder of general deepens crisis in Lebanon”, The Guardian, December 13, 2007)

As you know, the Western media often likes to include General Aoun in the “pro-Syrian” camp. General al-Hajj was a close friend of Aoun, so following this silly logic he would also have to be considered as “pro-Syrian”. Yet the same media will blame Syria for the assassination without even noticing the contradiction.

The media loves to describe Fatah al-Islam as “al-Qaeda inspired”, yet there are indications that at least some of its members were not just “inspired” by al-Qa’ida but rather directly linked to its Saudi and Iraqi branches. General Suleiman himself confirmed this, but it was ignored and he will eventually become president and they will still ignore it, endlessly repeating this “al-Qaeda inspired” nonsense…

And I think that it is dangerously naive to assume that al-Qa’ida would not hit back and take revenge for such a terrible defeat as Nahr al-Bared.

Is it just my imagination or wasn’t the phenomenon named “al-Qaeda”, until very recently, the object of much in-the-know cynicism in these parts (i.e. Syria Comment’s comment boards).

I seem to recall a lot of (apt) disdain, curled lips, raised eyebrows, knowing chuckles, and world-weary realpolitiking with respect to the nature of “Al-Qaeda” and what kind of actual organized group and threat it represents. I thought that we were all on the same page, more or less, when it came to Bush’s blustering war on terror, and the great phantom menace that he has been gesturing madly at since 2001… weren’t we?

But now it seems that al-Qaeda is a real group, with superior logistics, incredible technical know-how, astounding political acumen, and a goddamn cherry on top. After all, it now seems that they should be held responsible for the assassinations of Rafiq al-Hariri, Samir Kassir, George Hawi, Gebran Tueni, Pierre Gemayel, Walid Eido, Antoine Ghanem, and Francois el-Hajj, a bewildering list of high-profile murders that have somehow been totally untraceable to “al-Qa’ida”, despite Bush’s determination to net some kind of moral victory for the trillions of dollars and thousands of American troops that he has squandered, not to mention the devastation that his policies have wrought.

I’m sorry, but something doesn’t add up.

If it’s al-Qa’ida, it’s al-Qa’ida. But then y’all need to start reneging on some of that earlier cynicism.

Just my two cents.

Not me : )

I never talked about Al-whatever before.

But seriously … I think there is more that one party behind the different political assassinations in Lebanon.

Remember that George Hawi’s people accused Israel this year … after having accused Syria at the beginning.

Fisk in the Independent does the usual. He says that al-Hajj’s role in the attack on Nahr el-Bared makes him an obvious target for Syria, thereby relying on his earlier assumption that the Nahr el-Bared nihilists were sent by Syria. Assumption based on assumption based on … I suspect too many dinners with March 14th people. When Fisk stops describing Junblatt’s wife as ‘glorious’ I might take him seriously on Lebanon again. This is a shame, because he used to be a great reporter.
I expect that about ten people know who is behind the assassinations in Lebanon, and I of course am not one of them. But it seems more and more likely to me that it isn’t Syria.
Here is what I wrote on Fisk and Nahr el-Bared in May:
http://qunfuz.blogspot.com/2007/05/blaming-syria-fisk-and-others.html

T-Desco,

As I said in an earlier thread, a revenge killing by the Nahr al-Barid Islamists (whether linked to Al-Qa’ida or Syria or Santa Claus) is a very plausible explanation.

As for Robert Fisk … he used to be really good, but it seems that fame has gone to his head (we can call it the Thomas-Friedman-Syndrome).

But about George Hawi’s people … a lot of people say a lot of things here. These ones didn’t know who did it when he was killed and they don’t know it now either. It’s not like the CPL has a great intelligence apparatus that could uncover anything …

–MSK*

Fisk seems totally confused… He claims that Marwan Hamade did not accuse Syria. We all heard Hamade accusing Iran and Syria. Is Fisk not hearing that because he is trying to make some sense or maybe starting to shift his own perpective on Syria’s responsibilities in Nahr el Bared and other crimes?

Reuter: “In the latest report on the U.N. investigative commission presented last month, Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz warned that those who carried out the Hariri attack still had the ability and resources to strike again in Beirut”
Who are those, Mr Brammertz? What are you doing to prevent more killings?

Notwithstanding any “official” declarations and political games, Lebanon is to Assad what Kuwait was to Saddam.

http://www.forbes.com/reuters/feeds/reuters/2007/12/14/2007-12-14T104842Z_01_L14337342_RTRIDST_0_SYRIA-SUBSIDIES-ANALYSIS.html

The article in Norman’s link puts the finger on Syria’s most serious economic problem (corruption may be # 2). No wonder Syria has to go to other countries for capital investments. It will take a decade to wean Syria off this and other subsidies that sap the national budget.
Therefore, Syria will do better if it normalizes relations with its neighbors, stops being Iran’s banker to terrorists groups and devotes full energy to improving the Syrian economy. World economies have become very dynamic. Syria can only look to itself if it feels left behind.
Those on this site who wish the best for Syria, including myself, can put aside political differences and together urge Damascus to make economic reform the government’s number 1 goal.

But now it seems that al-Qaeda is a real group, with superior logistics, incredible technical know-how, astounding political acumen, and a goddamn cherry on top.

Qifa –

You’re just figuring this out? We Americans figured this out about 6 yeas ago, and already that was too late.

As far as your account of al-Queda’s assets, please remember to subtract: Afghan terror training camps, Taliban protection, and a few thousand of their best “marytrs”.

They didn’t start with Bush and they won’t end with him either.

Akbar,

Maybe I need to put the [/sarcasm] flag out there more authoritatively so that everyone detects the irony … I thought it was patent.

I don’t buy the al-Qa’ida bit, to explain the happenings in Lebanon. I agree with Alex that there could be many groups, and perhaps among them are extremists with some links to what was once known as al-Qa’ida, but for all the reasons mentioned earlier (technical know-how, political acumen, logistical prowess, etc.) I think that these jobs could only have been performed by (or with help from) major mukhabarat agencies. Some say Syria, some say Israel, and others (including many members of my own family) suspect the U.S.

I will continue to subscribe to the spade-calling school until proven otherwise, at which point I’m happy to recant.

Assad: Syrian Iranian relations will not be shaken for any reason and under any circumstances.

Sarkozy would visit Damascus after Lebanese elections take place.

Austrian president Heinz Fischer, Slovak president Ivan Gašparovič, and Senator Arlen Specter will Visit Damascus within the next two weeks.

الأسد عن العلاقات مع طهران: لن تهتز … وستبقى استراتيجية
دمشق – ابراهيم حميدي الحياة – 14/12/07//

قال الرئيس بشار الأسد أمس إن العلاقات بين سورية وايران «لن تهتز لأي سبب وتحت أي ظرف»، مشيراً الى ان كل يوم يوضع «حجر جديد في العلاقات الاستراتيجية» بين البلدين.

وكان الأسد يتحدث بعد تدشين مشروعين اقتصاديين ايرانيين في سورية. ونقلت «الوكالة السورية للانباء» (سانا) عن الاسد قوله ان افتتاح مصنع السيارات، وهو الثاني خلال شهور «عبارة عن حجر جديد يوضع في البناء الكبير للعلاقات الاستراتيجية بين سورية وايران». واضاف الرئيس السوري ان حضوره تدشين المشروعين «بمشاركة الاخوة المسؤولين الايرانيين رد على كل ما حاول البعض ان يروجه في مراحل مختلفة حول اهتزاز العلاقات بين البلدين»، في اشارة الى ما تردد عن توتر بين دمشق وطهران بعد مشاركة سورية في المؤتمر الدولي للسلام في أنابوليس.

الى ذلك، قالت مصادر ديبلوماسية غربية لـ «الحياة» امس انها «ليست متأكدة» من مشاركة وزير الخارجية السوري وليد المعلم في مؤتمر الدول المانحة في باريس الاثنين المقبل، مشيرة الى ان دمشق «تريد اجراء محادثات ثنائية والإفادة من حضور مؤتمر المانحين لعقد جلسة محادثات رسمية بين الوزير المعلم ونظيره الفرنسي برنارد كوشنير باعتبار انها الزيارة الاولى لوزير خارجية سورية منذ القطيعة قبل أربع سنوات، كما ان دمشق لا تبدي اهتماما كبيراً بمؤتمر المانحين، في حين تربط باريس ذلك بحصول الانتخابات الرئاسية في لبنان وتعتبر ان الدعوة الى مؤتمر الدول المانحة اشارة فرنسية ايجابية».

ورأت مصادر سورية في تصريحات الرئيس نيكولا ساركوزي إزاء استعداده زيارة دمشق «في حال» جرت الانتخابات الرئاسية في لبنان «مؤشرات ايجابية وادراك لدور دمشق بعد قطيعة ومحاولات لفرض العزلة».

وقالت المصادر لـ «الحياة» ان الرئيس النمسوي هانز فيشر سيزور دمشق يوم الاثنين المقبل على ان يلحق به الرئيس السلوفاكي ايفان جازباروفيتش في اليوم التالي. وأوضحت مصادر ديبلوماسية ان الرئيسين النمسوي والسلوفاكي سيزوران قوات بلديهما العاملة في «القوات الدولية لفك الاشتباك» بين سورية واسرائيل (اندوف) لمناسبة الاعياد، وسيجريان جلسة محادثات رسمية مع الرئيس الاسد. وأوضحت المصادر ان سلوفاكيا ستسحب في حزيران (يوينو) المقبل وحدتها التي تضم 120 جندياً من «اندوف». واشارت الى ان السيناتور الاميركي أرلن سبكتر سيزور دمشق في نهاية الشهر الجاري

I think this the following article from a times should be added to the news. Although it is not directly related to Syria it goes along the previous posts that I put here indicating that Iran will emerge if not already as the dominant player in the region. My predictions is that for the next president in the US, the Iraq front will heat up if the new administration is not cooperative with Iran.
http://atimes.com/atimes/China/IL15Ad01.html