Syria 'to come clean' on al-Qaeda cells

[sabra]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19889664-23109,00.html

Syria 'to come clean' on al-Qaeda cells

SYRIA is prepared to tell the US the whereabouts of al-Qaeda cells in Lebanon, Britain's Sky News television reported today.

Sky News said they had spoken to Syrian cabinet minister Amr Salem.
"Syria has real hard knowledge," the channel quoted him as saying.

A Sky News correspondent said the Syrians were offering to tell the US where many fundamentalists were.

He said the channel was told specifically there were cells of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network in Lebanon, and Syria knew of their whereabouts.

...

The channel also quoted Mr Salem as saying "Syria offers to be an intermediary between Iran and the United States" and "Syria can play an important role in Iraq".

[EFerrari]

1. Why is this the scariest thing I've read in weeks?

:scared:

[Freedom_from_Chains]

11. I don't know, but I'm with you on this.

Something is really strange here.

[EFerrari]

13. It looks like this means Syria is afraid of Junior and his Thuggery.

And THAT is frightening.

These guys will stop at nothing. I'm going to have to replace the cigarettes in our emergency supply.

Evil bastards.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

16. I know they sure scare the hell out of me. n/t

[EFerrari]

21. And that's what they've got. Fear.

I really hate these guys. Which is not a great defense against the fear they want to produce in us, but I'll use it until I have finer tools.

They ain't so bad. Cheney is a bad battery away from a much better world and no matter how rabid he is, he really can't take it with him.

[bennywhale]

35. Naaa. This is Syria playing for a global role. I heard

an analyst on BBC saying a few weeks ago he predicted Syria would step in (Assad not being a fundy religous lunatic like junior and Amadenijad, just a nasty dictator) and offer assistance, but would get out of it in return, international recognition rather tha n pariah status, assurances and trade deals (in secret) from the US etc and strangthen their position. They don't give a shit about Al Qaeda.

[knowbody0]

17. it's the scorpion and the frog thing me thinks

[Freedom_from_Chains]

19. Ok, I'll bite, what is the scorpion and frog thing.

I'm familiar with the frog in slowing rising temperature water, but this is a new one on me.

[Mandate My Ass]

23. a frog and a scorpion are standing at the edge of the water

the scorpion says he wants to get to the other side and asks the frog to carry him. After some debate, the skeptical frog relents and says OK and the scorpion hops on his back. Halfway across, the scorpion stings the frog. The frog says, "Hey I just did you a favor. Why did you sting me?" The scorpion says, "You should have known. It's what a scorpion does."

There's more details and nuance that I forget, but that's the crux of the story. :hi:

[Freedom_from_Chains]

24. LOL, Yeah I have heard a similar story involving a rattlesnake

where the point was it was the snakes nature to bit.

[knowbody0]

25. scorpion needs to cross the water or drown

begs frog for a ride. frog cannot turn him down. just as they reach the other side to safety, scorpion bites frog. frog says why did you bite me? I saved your life. now you kill me. scorpion says "because i am a scorpion"

[xchrom]

2. i see the words -- i don't know{yet} what

any of that means.

[rodeodance]

3. "Syria offers to be an intermediary between Iran and the United States"

[DireStrike]

4. Well, sky is fox's sister station

Still, they probably wouldn't directly misquote the guy. I wonder what the hell Syria is doing?

[Monkeyman]

10. Protecting herself from Bush's War on the world

[Chulanowa]

5. Assad: "We will make them an offer that they can't refuse"

Welcome to the beginings of the resurgent Persian Empire, folks.

[xultar]

6. ...

:rofl:

[rodeodance]

7. was it a secret?

.......SYRIA is prepared to tell the US the whereabouts of al-Qaeda cells in Lebanon, Britain's Sky News television reported today.

[Master Mahon]

8. This must be

from the Syrian 'Amed Chalabi'!!
Guess who wants to be the American Puppet in Syria?

[mr_hat]

9. They'll hand over a bunch a hapless political dissidents, >

along with one or two "name" boogymen.

Even those dopes know how to play the Booshies.

[Master Mahon]

12. Or a couple of fake Al Queda

cells that are really Mossad..
And we DO know that they've existed!!

[Freedom_from_Chains]

14. Really, since we are now known worldwide for running torture

chambers, this would be one way for Syria to get rid of their "undesirables".

[allemand]

15. Totally misleading headline

It sounds as if they were supporting al-Qaeda, in reality they are fighting them.

Here is what the minister really said:

"On the subject of militants, the country has claimed al Qaeda cells are operating in Lebanon and Syria can offer the US "real, hard knowledge" on their whereabouts."

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13534363,00.html

This echos earlier comments by the Syrian president:

Al-Hayat: Does it bother Syria if it turns out that al-Qaida has found a foothold in Lebanon?

President al-Assad: This is something that has become a reality.

Al-Hayat: Does al-Qaida have a presence in Lebanon?

President al-Assad: When Syria was present in Lebanon, al-Qaida was there, but in a restricted scope. The Dinnieh events of 2000 were a clear sign of this.

Al-Hayat: Does Syria have information about the growth of al-Qaida's influence in Lebanon following the Syrian withdrawal?

President al-Assad: Of course. It's natural for us to make this connection, and today there are many groups that we are pursuing; some of them flee from Syria to Lebanon, because it's closest, and easiest, and there are mountain roads. Certainly, some of the information that we have confirms this.

Al-Hayat - 29/06/06
http://english.daralhayat.com/Spec/06-2006/Article-20060629-1fed73cf-c0a8-10ed-0186-f41e9808fa39/story.html

On edit

Why the security cooperation with the US stopped:

REESE ERLICH: You mentioned that in the past Syria has helped provide intelligence about terrorist groups, al-Qaeda and so on. Explain that. And when did that cooperation end?

PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASAD: Actually, we started cooperating with the United States -- we took the initiative to cooperate with the United States intelligence after 11th of September. And we succeeded in preventing more than seven plots made by al-Qaeda against the United States. The cooperation stopped last March 2005, because of mistakes were made by the United States, first; second, because of their political position or stand against Syria.

REESE ERLICH: What were the mistakes made by the United States?

PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASAD: Technical mistakes that led to losing many opportunities to go forward in fighting terrorism in the region.

REESE ERLICH: That was also around the time in which the U.S. was pressuring Lebanon to demand the return of Syrian troops and the charges about Hariri, and so on and so forth. So, did that, in general, sour the political atmosphere?

PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASAD: Definitely, definitely.

July 18th, 2006
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/18/1442253

[Minnesota Libra]

18. What is Syria asking for?? I doubt they just want to be friends...........

....all of a sudden. I wouldn't trust Syria as far as I could throw any one of them. Mark my work, there is a trap involved in all this. Syria may well provide accurate intel on any number of subject up to and including Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda BUT Syria will also spring a trap eventually.

[unblock]

20. whatever. if it's in the news, they were gone within hours.

nothing like a public promise to reveal secret information.

if there ever was any substance to this, this was a way to tell the "fundamentalists" to flee.

[EFerrari]

22. I really dislike the word "clusterfuck" as I love the English language.

But, seriously, do you trust our government to be eating at the grown up's table?

I have this nagging sense that Syria believes they are responding to an American president when in reality, they are talking to a crime syndicate.

In other words, this gesture will yield them zilch if These Felons already have a plan.

And that's where that word comes into play.

/spelling

[Jim__]

26. Sounds like an easy way for Syria ...

... to get rid of some of its Lebanese enemies.

The idiot-in-chief will, of course, act on whatever they tell him and then claim it as "another" victory in the war on terror.

[Spazito]

28. Bingo! n/t

[sandnsea]

27. Ah, like the Saudi's condemning Hizbollah

I don't know what this "terrorist cooperation" scam is either, but neither we nor the Israelies are in control of it, that's for sure.

[Biernuts]

29. Are they going to come clean about any Iraqi weapons

hidden there?

[shadowknows69]

30. Is this a green light for the US to "help" Israel in Lebanon?

Then when Iran freaks out we get to use Syria as a staging area?

[mom cat]

31. Sky News is not very reputable.

[Pepper32]

32. ...

Oh goody, the terrorist responsible for 9-11 are hiding out in Lebanon (Syria is going tell us there location) now we must go smoke them out.

This is just another way to link this to the "war on terra", so that we can become directly involved.

[agincourt]

33. It might also mean,

Junior and his fellow trolls and children will have to work with Syria for stability like previous presidents knew how to do.

[shadowknows69]

34. That's optimistic

I think we'd probably see the Keystone Cops solve the Jack the Ripper case first.

[htuttle]

36. There's more than two sides to the coin here

Syria is not allied with Al Queda anymore than Iraq was. Both secular regimes had long fought "Islamic extremists" of the Al Queda variety (ie., the Saudi-backed ones).

Before and for a short time after 9/11, Syria was cooperating with our CIA against Al Queda affiliated groups. It only stopped after Bush started ramping up hostilities against Iraq.