Bush Wants U.N. to Deal With Syria Report

[deminks]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_syria

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - President Bush on Friday called on the United Nations to convene quickly to deal with a U.N. investigative report implicating Syrian officials in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

"The report strongly suggests that the politically motivated assassination could not have taken place without Syrian involvement," Bush said after helping dedicate a new pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Southern California.

The U.N. investigative report, which Bush called "deeply disturbing," established a link between high-ranking Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies in Hariri's murder Feb. 14 in Beirut.

Bush was not specific about what steps the international community should take to make sure Syria is held accountable. He said the United States has started talking with U.N. officials and with Arab governments about what steps to take.

[ThingsGottaChange]

1. Bush getting ready to invade Syria?!?!?

Calls for special meeting of U.N.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/21/us.syria.ap/index.html

[Captain Hilts]

2. This is so NOT cool. nt

[malaise]

3. I hope the rest of the world

stops these madmen. How much more of this must we tolerate.

[Seansky]

4. I got a feeling this time the rest of the world might just put some

brakes into the effort. At least w/regards to war/invasion.

[NoPasaran]

7. Bush and whose army?

Ours seems to be already busy.

[sarcasmo]

5. My guess is by Christmas.

Logic tells me after the 06 elections.

[Avalux]

6. Of course he is.

The PNAC plan's been in place for a long time - it'll continue regardless.

[deutsey]

9. "War is the health of the state." Randolph Bourne

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Arkansas Granny]

20. His poll numbers are really going down. Maybe he thinks

another war will give him a boost.

[Brundle_Fly]

26. seriously...

he could care less about the polls.

This is, and has always been part of the plan, syria, then Iran.

Pretty obvious the Brits and Kurds are already doing some covert-ops in Iran.

This shit is going to escalate, and there is no way that Team Bush will give up any power with Fitz's case.

[leftchick]

10. CNN: Bush calls for immediate U.N. session on Syria

I hope the UN tells him to fuck off...

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/21/us.syria.ap/index.html

"The report strongly suggests that the politically motivated assassination could not have taken place without Syrian involvement," Bush said after helping dedicate a new pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Southern California.

The U.N. investigative report, which Bush called "deeply disturbing," established a link between high-ranking Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies in Hariri's murder Feb. 14 in Beirut.

Earlier Friday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was deeply troubled by the U.N. report. She said the international community must find a way to hold Syrian authorities accountable.

Rice spoke to reporters in Birmingham, Alabama, after the release of a report by U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis that established a clear link between Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies to the

[lutefisk]

11. So, Rice is "deeply troubled " and Bush is "deeply disturbed"

Tell us something we don't know.

[leftchick]

13. no shit

deeply fucking troubled and disturbed the whole fucking lot of them.

[texpatriot2004]

12. Right. Me too. A big FU from the UN would be spot on. nm

[converted_democrat]

14. Shit, this is bad. This is sooooo bad. n/t

[sui generis]

15. Well, er, didn't we recently assassinate Hussein's sons?

just wondering if maybe we're a little out of line here.

In a purely rhetorical sense.

However, like a chess game, Bush just moved the Bishop with no apparent strategy. Sometimes when there's not an apparent strategy, the strategy is to divert your attention into wondering what the strategy is.

Diversion.

[enigma000]

17. Assassination by TOW missle

Mind you, they were firing back at the time.

My initial guess would be trade sanctions, but I'm unsure if Syria even has much of an economy. Maybe boy Assad will get a visit from the 101st Airborne. I'm told they are on their way to Iraq.

[sui generis]

22. GREAT another fucking war fought by idiots

We have no business in the internal affairs of Syria.

[Botany]

16. * is just moving the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Our military is over extended, the enlisted personal voted against
him (funny haliburton handles the vote), the UN hates him, some of the
repugs are turning on him, and Fitz is coming to get his staff.

This is just something to distract from Fitzmas.

[The Stranger]

18. Arrest that war criminal now, remove him from the White House.

[Gloria]

19. BBC World Service report this AM said that support in the U.N.

might not be there for any sort of resolution.

And, apparently, even in Lebanon, there is the attitude that this is political. Hariri's son owns a tv station and that one, of course, is pushing to get Lahoud out of office (the PM with Syrian ties).

The French are also involved in this with Bush, but I haven't heard a thing out of Germany or Britain.

Bushco really wants to destabilize the entire region. Syria is now a convenient distraction from Plame. Actually, I bet they'll use Syria to defend their actions vis a vis Iraq!!

Last week it was the infiltration of terrorists from Syria, this week it's this report. Months ago, I posted an article from the Daily Times of Lebanon that reported that the Syrian border guards were being shelled "accidentally" by US troops and were being killed, along with people in villages near the border. The result was that it was almost impossible for them to do their jobs. And remember, Syria provided intelligence post-911. I remember thinking, "You can't trust Bush, watch out!"

Many moons ago I also posted an article about Syria and how sanctions might not make much of a difference.

[pinniped]

21. The asshole's making a big deal of this, he must have ordered...

the assassination. It woudn't be the first time.

[Tempest]

23. Since when has the U.N. become relevant to Bush?

Inquiring minds would like to know.

[Jon8503]

24. Bush doesn't have enough political capital to make requests of

the UN.

[cassiepriam]

25. I am sure the UN will hop right on it Shrub.

Not.

[kurth]

27. Why should ANYONE care about Syria and Lebanon?

Of course the White House spokesman will dutifully inform us that... you know, Syria is a sponsor of terrorism... terror... terror... 9/11... 9/11... 9/11... 9/11

[pinniped]

28. Hey, WTF is this? When Rabin was assassinated Israel didn't get invaded.

We all know the student's origin.

F this S.

[Behind the Aegis]

32. What the hell is that supposed to mean? n/t

[tatertop]

33. Interesting point

[rodeodance]

29. Jr to UN--hey slave-do my bidding-then get lost!

[HuffleClaw]

30. suuuuuure

the UN is going to collectively yawn and laugh at this second attempt to bully them into a war. bolton is there for a REASON.

[Eugene]

31. That UN report isn't the smoking gun that BushCo claims.

A fight is apparently still going at the UN on over the content
of the report. The investigators concluded there was "probable cause"
to believe Syrian involvement, but could not establish it as a fact.

From AFP: UN investigator in controversy over names of Hariri murder suspects

If Shrubya wants to make a case for war, he'll have to do better.

[LynnTheDem]

34. "4 top Lebanon officials arrested..."

So bush, want LEBANON taken care of too?

No, I didn't think so.

bush; "blah blah blah I want blah blah blah..."

[ignatzmouse]

35. Cornered Neo-Cons are Stepping Up the Timetable

I've no illusions of Syria being a dirty dealer in the Middle East, but why is this being pressed now and in the way it is?

With the Neo-cons' great and long envisioned imperialist remaking of the Middle East now seemingly under indictment in Plame-gate and their very cabal of movers about to be evicted, they are cornered and at their most dangerous. They can see the grand vision slipping from them and are ready to take hasty measures to implode the region in a way in which we will not be able to extract ourselves.

Watch for saber rattling and provocations galore. The presidency is weak. The ideologues are about to be frog-marched. And hence we are all vulnerable to their fleeting grabs to capture the flag.