The despicable murder of Mr. Hariri benefits no one outside the rogue regime in Damascus -- and the world should respond accordingly. The crudeness of the killing and the denials by the government of Bashar Assad will cause some to wonder whether it has been framed for a crime it may have desired but did not commit. Yet crudeness has been a trademark of this callow dictator since he took over from his father in 2000. Mr. Assad once welcomed Pope John Paul II to Damascus by proclaiming that Jews "tried to kill the principles of all religions with the same mentality in which they betrayed Jesus Christ." He has brazenly harbored leaders of the Iraqi insurgency in his capital, along with the Palestinian terrorists who habitually reside there. Last August he exhibited no subtlety in forcing the Lebanese parliament to extend the term of the pro-Syrian president, in violation of Lebanon's constitution. That prompted the passage in September of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, which called for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon. Syria continues to flout that order.
Syria is in trouble. Its hard to say what will happen now, but if France turns against Syria, the pressure will be on Russia and Jordan to do the same. The US has of course squandered its bully pulpit in Iraq, so they can't lead the world.
But given the obvious fingerpointing this action would create, it seems unlikely Syria is behind the killing. An Al Qaeda affiliate has claimed responsibility.
2 comments:
Might be too early to tell if France would turn its back on Syria, but yesterday Chirac clearly and pointedly avoided the Lebanese goverment while visting Mrs Hariri. At his press conference, Chirac said, "It is a great loss for Lebanon and today's world ... Hariri embodied the democracy, sovereignty and independence of Lebanon." After visiting with Mrs Hariri he immediately returned to France.
Very interesting.
Indeed... France snubbing the pro-Syrian Lebanese government is a pretty clear message of disapproval.
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