Egypt: Syria thwarting cease-fire talks

[Phx_Dem]

Syria may be attempting to deflect international scrutiny of its actions in Lebanon by thwarting Egyptian attempts to moderate a cease-fire between Palestinian factions and Israel, the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat reported on Saturday.

According to the report, a senior Egyptian official told the paper that "Syria may be interested in focusing international attention on the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, instead of the situation in Lebanon."

"The current escalation on the Palestinian front is in the interest of the Syrians," the official added. "Indeed the continuation of this situation may embarrass leaders in the Arab world, and force them to go back on their decision to send low-level officials to the Arab Summit, which is set to take place in Damscus."

Asked whether Hizbullah was responsible for the Jerusalem shooting spree, the official responded that "there was not enough evidence, but that an investigation was ongoing."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1204546429586&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

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1. Syria controls to focus of international attention?

Who knew?

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2. Arab Leaders, Angry at Syrian President, Threaten Boycott of Summit Meeting

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Several Arab leaders say they may boycott the annual Arab summit meeting scheduled for this month in Damascus, the Syrian capital, because of anger at Syria over its role in Lebanon and its continuing links to Iran.

The measures are part of an intensified campaign against Syria that comes alongside similar moves by the United States, which recently added several new financial sanctions against Syria and sent warships to cruise off the Lebanese coast — a gesture aimed directly at the Syrian government.

“There’s a new initiative to completely isolate Syria and weaken its destructive influence in Lebanon,” said an adviser to the Saudi government, who requested anonymity because of the delicacy of the issue. “We’re not going to pull them away from Iran by talking to them. We’re going to take them away from Iran by making them feel the pressure and making them understand that this time it’s as real as it can get.”

In the past week, Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador from Damascus, and urged all its citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible — indicating that it believes any Saudi here is now a target for Syria or its allies. Last month the Saudi government deposited $1 billion into Lebanon’s central bank in a show of support for Lebanon’s government.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/world/middleeast/08syria.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

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3. Yeah, I know about that.

That's been out there for some time, the agonizing over the meeting in Damascus. That is another thing entirely from speculating at length on the false premise that Syria controls the focus of international attention or is manipulating events in I/P to distract from the situation in Lebanon.

[oberliner]

7. Sources: Israel attack linked to Hezbollah

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The deadly attack on a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem Thursday was planned by an operation with purported ties to Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group in Lebanon, Palestinian militant sources in Gaza said.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/07/mideast/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

It does seem possible that Hezbollah (and by extension, Syria) was behind the attack in Jerusalem.

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8. Yeah, I've seen that too. It might even be true.

The guy sounds like he acted on his own, that's likely why they didn't know about him. But likely he got a little assistance, he got the weapons somewhere. We'll probably never know where for sure, and there will be the usual depraved dissembling and claiming credit without actually claiming to have had a part in it. But that has nothing directly to do with Syria, as such.

I'm not defending Hizbullah, or Hamas, or Damascus, or Israel, or anybody, and I'm not saying that Damascus may not benefit from the mess in Israel and the OPT. It seems likely, actually, since Damascus strategy is to stall, and distractions and worse examples forward that strategy. I'm just saying that if that is so, it is a matter of luck, not planning or control of the focus of international attention, or any similar drivel.

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9. Police nab 8 in connection to Jerusalem terror attack

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Meanwhile, an initial police investigation has revealed that the shooting was not a spontaneous attack, but in fact had been planned in advance.

Police also learnt that Abu Dhaim had personally chosen the location and time for the shooting. To this end, the 25-year-old had carried out extensive reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering work on the yeshiva.

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Abu Dhaim did not meet the typical profile of Palestinian attackers, police said. Major General Ilan Franco, the commander of Jerusalem district police, told Channel 2 that the attacker was "not known to the security forces."

"He was a normal man, who worked as a driver, who was going to wed soon," Franco said.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/962014.html

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4. Lebanese PM says willing to go to Damascus if "convenient"

BEIRUT, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora has said that he is willing to visit Damascus and participate in the upcoming Arab summit "if all circumstances were convenient," local As-Safir daily reported Saturday.

"The visit, (however) does not mean any change in our convictions," Seniora was quoted as noting on Friday.

The ruling coalition has accused Syria of being behind the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri on Feb. 14, 2005.Seniora said that as a Arab League member, Lebanon will be naturally invited to the upcoming Arab summit scheduled for March 29-30 in Damascus.

Invitations to Arab summit are usually addressed to heads of states. But in the case of Lebanon, which has been without a president since former president Emil Lahoud ended his term on Nov. 24, 2007, with the presidential election being postponed for 15 times, things can be different.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/08/content_7746650.htm

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5. Iranian FM arrives in Syria for talks on regional affairs

Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki arrived in the Syrian capital on Saturday for talks with local officials on regional and international issues of common concern, it was officially reported.

Officials said Mottaki would hold talks with President Bashar Al-Assad and Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mu'allem on the Lebanese political question and conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories in light of stepped-up Israeli aggression on the Palestinian enclaves.

Mottaki's visit came three days ahead of a scheduled session of the Lebanese Parliament to try elect a new president for the country where the senior post has been vacant for months as a result of bickering among the local factions, with which both Tehran and Damascus have links. It also followed a recent meeting between Mottaki and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, at Cairo Airport.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1890027&Language=en

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6. Syrian, Qatari, Omani, Iranian FMs discuss in Damascus Lebanon, Arab summit

DAMASCUS, March 8 (KUNA) -- Foreign ministers of Syria, Qatar, Oman and Iran held a meeting in Damascus Saturday to discuss the political standoff in Lebanon, situations in occupied Palestinian territories and upcoming Arab summit, an Arab diplomatic source said.

Syria's Walid Al-Mu'allem, Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani, Oman's Yusuf bin Alawi and Iran's Manouchehr Mottaki held a working lunch in a restaurant close to Damascus airport, The source, requesting anonymity, told KUNA.

He said the top diplomats discussed the political problems in Lebanon and the March 11 session of the Lebanese parliament to elect a president, the situations in the occupied Palestinian territories amidst rising tension between Israelis and Palestinians and the Arab summit, due in Syria late this month.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1890074&Language=en