President Bush is upping the stakes in the Levant:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush plans to call home the U.S. ambassador in Syria, Margaret Scobey, for consultations following the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in Beirut, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
The move was a further sign of U.S. displeasure over Syria's military presence in Lebanon, which the White House cited on Monday in condemning the assassination of Hariri.
The White House said it was consulting with the U.N. Security Council about taking punitive measures against those responsible for the killing in Beirut.
"We are constantly reviewing all our diplomatic options across the board, including further sanctions under the Syria Accountability Act," a senior administration official said.
I'm always amused when anyone claims an amsbassador is being recalled for "consultations." C'mon now. We've got the internet, secure phones, teleconferencing, fiber optics, etc. Withdrawing an ambassador for "consultations" is just a way to publically humiliate another country without them losing face. Except everyone knows that's what it is, so no face is actually saved.
Anyway, Syria just lost a little face -- but it's not like the assassins, occupiers, and thugs who make up the government in Damascus had any face to lose, anyway.
Silly, silly games.
It's an "Arab peace-keeping force" in Lebanon...
Funny how the world reacts when the U.S. or Israel occupies a country/territory, Vs. when Syria does the same thing.
It's long past time for a few mysterious explosions at some Syrian military bases and ammo dumps....
Maybe it's a fake-out?
Get everyone looking at Syria... then cause some explosions in Iran.
The Israelis take the credit, of course.
Hmmm....
Heh, you gotta hand it to the Israelis ... they are the wise-guys of our dirty tricks department. No wonder they have a load of spies running about DC. If I were in their position, I would want to know what my 'boss' had in mind for my next 'rub-out' job.
Oh, no- it'd be a US operation- the Israelis don't really have the range to hit scattered, hardened targets in Iran- but the Arabs have convinced themselves that the Israelis are black-ops uberninjas, and the Israelis aren't about to tell them otherwise. So unless the Iranians get lucky and shoot down a B-2... (which would be difficult, as they've turned off most of their radars to keep our drones from gathering intel on their position and type).
I'll bet the DU is in a froth over this. I'm sure (I don't even have to look) they are convincing themselves as we speak that this was actually a U.S. op, to create an excuse to bomb Syria.
Anyone have the courage to go look? I'd go, but I'm afraid I'd drown in the cesspool....
