February 24, 2005

RUDEBOYS CANNOT FAIL:

Tent city rises to pressure Syria (P. Mitchell Prothero, 2/23/05, THE WASHINGTON TIMES)

In a land where civil war is endemic but political protest is almost unknown, long-feuding Muslims, Christians and Druze are camping out just blocks from the parliament saying they will not leave until either Syrian troops leave their country or the government falls. [...]

In Mainz, Germany, President Bush -- who has called repeatedly for Syrian troops to leave Lebanon -- said Syrian intelligence services should get out of the country, as well. French President Jacques Chirac said Tuesday evening that Syrian "special service operatives controlling Lebanon are in fact more questionable than the military occupation."

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak also has taken interest in the situation, dispatching his intelligence chief to Damascus for talks with President Bashar Assad.

But regional analysts say Mr. Assad is most likely to be unnerved, not by foreign political pressure but by the unprecedented protest movement sparked by the Feb. 14 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 24, 2005 6:29 PM
Comments

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak also has taken interest in the situation, dispatching his intelligence chief to Damascus for talks with President Bashar Assad.

I'll bet, but what kind of interest, we hang together or we will surely hang separately???

Posted by: Sandy P at February 24, 2005 6:37 PM

I greatly admire the courage of the demonstrators, but fear they might get the Tiannamen-Budapest treatment from us. The muslim world isn't the only one watching how this plays.

Posted by: Luciferous at February 24, 2005 6:57 PM

If you're a dictator and you've lost France, you are truly hanging out in the breeze.

Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at February 24, 2005 7:39 PM

Mubarak, his fellow Ba'athist, sent his intelligence chief. This is starting to look like Baby Assad better have locked up that Lenscrafters franchise in downtown Cairo.

Posted by: Bart at February 24, 2005 8:01 PM

there won't be another tiannemen square in lebannon. if the syrians try it we will nail them in a heartbeat. you have to forget all the realpolitik of the gwhb and clinton years. a new day is dawning, believe it. i know the patience and mystery of the gwb way is unnerving, but that is where faith comes in.

aog: losing france is pretty serious, but its losing jimmy carter that signals the jig is up.

Posted by: cjm at February 24, 2005 8:01 PM

"But regional analysts say Mr. Assad is most likely to be unnerved, "

Wouldn't he be even more unnerved if we started bombing his troop positions in Lebanon.

Posted by: Robert Schwartz at February 25, 2005 1:18 AM
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