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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (41215)	4/28/2004 4:20:22 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 793931

Here is a blog reflecting my initial response. Terror in Syria? - Profiles in terror blog The instinctive first response to yesterday's strange attacks on an abandoned UN building in Damascus is that it was a set-up by the Syrian regime. This suspicion was reinforced by this report from the Israeli daily Ha'aretz which cites Dr. Fawzi al-Shueibi, head of the Institute for Strategic Studies in Damascus and a confident of Syrian President Bashar Assad. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, according to the article, "Al-Shueibi said they were planning a terrorist attack but that they had no specific target." A random, poorly planned attack on an empty building - sounds just like al-Qaeda doesn't it? Certainly, al-Qaeda has some cause to attack Syria which has brutally oppressed the Muslim Brotherhood - most notably at Hama where at least 10,000 people were killed in 1982 by the Syrian military. But according to many reports Syria is at least allowing, if not actively supporting, the transfer of money and personnel to support jihadist activity in Iraq. The people and funds for the recent attempted mega-attack in Jordan passed through Syria. Wouldn't annoying the Syrian regime be a bit counter-productive for al-Qaeda when the real fight is in Iraq? It would be in Syria's interest to portray itself as a victim of terrorism. It might reduce some of the scrutiny of Syria's own activity supporting terror. Then Syria could engage in its best diplomatic tactic - obfuscate, obfuscate, obfuscate. Logically, it should not matter. So Syria is a victim of terror. That does not change the fact that they are one of the lead sponsors of terror. When Syria completely rolls up Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and all of the Fronts for the Liberation of Palestine (there are at least 4) then they can apply for sympathy and aid in fighting terror. Not before.

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (41215)	4/28/2004 10:36:28 PM
From: KLP	Respond to of 793931

In view of the news from Spain today, and the comment from Rubin, wonder if Europeans will wake up at all, or if it's just easier to bury their head in the sand.... Rubin: The Spanish model shows appeasement in the ascendancy, arising from a prevalent European view that if it leaves terrorists alone they will leave it alone. In Britain and Italy, however, support for government policies seem to be increasing as people conclude that the terrorists really are out to get them. News today: Spanish judge links Madrid bombings suspect with 9/11 suspect Time is GMT + 8 hours Posted: 29 April 2004 0731 hrs MADRID : A Spanish anti-terrorist judge charged a fugitive linked to Al-Qaeda with involvement in the September 11 attacks, and tied him to a Moroccan sought in connection with the deadly Madrid railway bombings. Amer Aziz was one of 40 people -- including in his absence Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden himself -- charged by Judge Baltazar Garzon as part of investigations into the Al-Qaeda network in Spain. Advertisement But Garzon Wednesday added new charges to those he had made in September last year, accusing Amer Aziz of involvement in the September 11, 2001 airline suicide attacks in New York and Washington. Garzon also noted the arrest on October 10, 2000 in Istanbul of Amer Aziz and three other people, including Said Berraj, with whom he shared an apartment. Said Berraj, a Moroccan, is the subject of an international arrest warrant as part of investigations into the March 11 bombings of commuter trains, in which 191 people were killed. Officials believe the multiple bombings were the work of Moroccan Islamic extremists. Spanish press reports have said that either Aziz or Berraj could have been among those killed when seven suspects in the March 11 bombings blew themselves up in a collective suicide on April 3 following a police raid on an apartment in Leganes near Madrid. channelnewsasia.com