October 12, 2005

WELL, HE WON'T BE THE ONE REPLACING BABY ASSAD (via John Thatcher):

Syrian interior minister commits suicide (Suleiman al-Khalidi, Oct 12, 2005, Reuters)

Syrian Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan committed suicide in his office on Wednesday, the state news agency said, three weeks after he was questioned by a U.N. team probing the killing of a former Lebanese premier.

The U.N.'s chief investigator is expected to issue his report to the Security Council next week on the investigation into the February assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

"The minister of interior died in his office this afternoon after committing suicide and the authorities are investigating the incident," the SANA agency said in a report.


Posted by Orrin Judd at October 12, 2005 2:35 PM
Comments

Suicide. Riiiight.

Posted by: Timothy at October 12, 2005 2:48 PM

You know, putting out a message to the world that we are looking for a successor was a cold-blooded move. That's got to be sowing some serious paranoia among the Syrian inner-circle right now.

Posted by: Brandon at October 12, 2005 2:53 PM

I hear we cut a deal with Castro to move him there.

Posted by: oj at October 12, 2005 2:57 PM

Well Assad can't kill EVERYBODY in Syria......hmmmm well on the other hand it would solve both of our problems. Nahhh

Posted by: h-man at October 12, 2005 2:58 PM

Saw a snip of Baby Assad giving an interview in English to Christianne Ammampour. I normally do not read much into such appearances but he came across as very weak. He was spewing Democratic (large "D") talking points about how the war in Iraq caused terrorism, made things worse for Iraqis, etc., though his English vocabularly was not quite large enough for the word 'quagmire.' The look on his eyes when the reporter -who's about as sympathetic as one can get to Middle Eastern dictators - came back with 'but it removed a dictator' was priceless.

He's weak. Killing Kanaan was an act of weakness and panic. Those around him must smell the fear. He'll be gone soon.

Posted by: JAB at October 12, 2005 3:09 PM

Too bad old Hafez isn't still around. I'd love to see Condoleezza Rice walk right into his office and give him bloody hell, and then tell him that the Marines no longer recognize the Iraqi border.

Posted by: jim hamlen at October 12, 2005 3:54 PM


Is this another suicide with two bullets in the back of the skull?

Posted by: Mikey at October 12, 2005 4:03 PM

Suicide should be in scare quotes.

Posted by: David Cohen at October 12, 2005 4:17 PM

Yes, suicide by shooting himself with a rifle twice in the back of his head.

Posted by: fred at October 12, 2005 4:19 PM

Assisted suicide.

Posted by: jd watson [TypeKey Profile Page] at October 12, 2005 7:51 PM
« MY SIN GOOD, YOUR SIN BAD: | Main | THERE ARE NO BAD REASONS: »