United States Pulls Ambassador from Syria After Beirut Car Bombing

[kcvl]

Per Fox News...

[Mears]

Oh my God, This is NOT good news!

[BladeLWS]

The **** is hitting the fan now!

[Dudoight]

I am all for THIS! But shouldn't they wait until they can prove Syria was actually behind the bombing?

[kcvl]

U.S. Ambassador in Syria Called Home for Consultation


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.

Last week the State Department called in Syria's ambassador and warned him Damascus must stop insurgents from crossing into Iraq and end support for Palestinian militants or risk fresh U.S. sanctions.

[Jay777]

Shouldn't this be in breaking news?

[elfman2]

Why? I don't get that at all.

[Rebelbase]

Thanks for posting this. I thought I heard this but wasn't sure.

The beginning of the end for a terrorist haven.

[SheLion]

Oh my God, This is NOT good news

I'm just holding on for the ride.

[NYer]

Per REUTERS ...

Jeffrey D. Feltman

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.

Last week the State Department called in Syria's ambassador and warned him Damascus must stop insurgents from crossing into Iraq and end support for Palestinian militants or risk fresh U.S. sanctions.

[thoughtomator]

Pulling an ambassador for "consultation" is often the prelude to military conflict.

[ken5050]

The best ay to topple the mullahs in Iran may be to take down the regime in Damascus..that could provide the oppositio forces in Iran enough impetus to move..then we could easily respond to a request for help..

[kcvl]

Thanks!

[veracious]

Actually, I think this is good news. I suspect it's time to fix the root of the problem in Lebanon/Iraq; they're related.

[Coop]

Keep an eye on this.

[armymarinemom]

This isn't going to help me quit smoking.

[NYer]

From Lebanon's newspaper: Daily Star

BEIRUT: In the latest veiled warning to Syria, U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman said Tuesday he hopes that foreign forces will not interfere with Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections. In a statement, following a visit by Feltman to President Emile Lahoud, the U.S. Embassy said: "The United States hopes that - consistent with the spirit of UN Security Council Resolution 1559 - the elections will be credible and free from foreign interference."

The statement added that Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections offered a superb opportunity for the people and the government to show the world that the country's historic democratic traditions remain strong.

In addition to meeting Lahoud, Feltman also paid a visit Tuesday to Prime Minister Omar Karami, Beirut's Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elias Aoude and Tripoli MP Mohammad Safadi - a traditional rival of Karami.

The ambassador's visit to the president was to inform him of the details of Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's visit to Damascus on Jan. 2, where Armitage emphasized that Washington and its international partners will watch Lebanon's spring parliamentary elections closely and with great interest.

Armitage's visit to Damascus also emphasized the importance of fully implementing 1559, along with a peaceful withdrawal of Syria's military and intelligence forces from Lebanon.

Lahoud in turn informed Feltman that the "elections would be held in a democratic manner, similar to the municipal elections of May 2004."

After a half hour meeting with Karami, Feltman refrained from delivering any statement.

But, following his visit to

Aoude, he said: "We exchanged views about the situation in Lebanon, I asked his eminence, based on experience, his views of current developments in Lebanon and I shared with him the U.S. policy toward Lebanon."

Feltman's visit to Aoude comes just days after the archbishop severely criticized the Syrian presence in Lebanon.

Aoude said on Saturday the Lebanese people refuse to be slaves to anyone, but have been made into children because Syria does not allow Lebanon to make its own political decisions. During Feltman's visit to Safadi, he discussed the parliamentary elections.

Safadi said: "The ambassador wanted to be informed about our parliamentary bloc's position regarding the next electoral law and the political future of Lebanon amid the regional developments." Washington has expressed concerns about political developments in Lebanon since last September's extension of Lahoud's term of office by an additional three years, and with France sponsored 1559.

[Erik Latranyi]

Hey Syria!!!!


Buh-bye!

[Howlin]

Watching...

One question: were Americans killed there?

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Oh my God, This is NOT good news!

Look at it as the beginning of the end for the other Baathist terrorist superstore.

[Frank_Discussion]

Funny, it just occurred to me that it won't help Syria stop smoking either...

[epluribus_2]

and occasionally for just consultation. Don't panic.

Well - it might be good for Bashir to sweat a little. Somehow I don't see a massive lebanese army incursion into syria any time soon and the US is not about to harm a flea without Condi getting in the face of all the EUrodhimmians.

[bill1952]

The White House said it was consulting with the U.N. Security Council about taking punitive measures against those

The UN?

Oh, gee, now that's serious...

[SheLion]

This isn't going to help me quit smoking.

Me either!

[epluribus_2]

Buh Bye Syria!

Hello Ayatollahs!

(krap)

[thoughtomator]

Not panicking - rather it's eagerness to see Syria get its comeuppance.

[Orange1998]

Hariri owned JPMorgan Chase Tower, Houston's tallest building
He also had a stake in the new Calpine Center skyscraper here
By NANCY SARNOFF
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Reuters file photo
Rafik Hariri was a billionaire and former prime minister of Lebanon.
Rafik Hariri, the Lebanese billionaire and former prime minister who was killed in a bomb explosion on Monday, owned Houston's tallest office tower and held a stake in another.


Hariri owned the JPMorgan Chase Tower at 600 Travis downtown through his U.S. business subsidiary Prime Asset Management.

Prime purchased the building in the late 1980s from Hines, the Houston-based realty firm that still manages the property.

Prime also holds an interest in the new Calpine Center at 717 Texas in a partnership with Hines, which developed the building.

Hariri, who resigned as Lebanese prime minister last fall, was riding in a motorcade on Monday when he was killed in an explosion in Beirut.

Hines and Hariri's business relationship dates back two decades, said George Lancaster, a spokesman for Hines.

"Mr. Hines and several people that have worked closely with him are saddened by the tragic news," he said.

It's too early to tell what will happen to Hariri's interests in the Houston properties, Lancaster added.

The 75-story JPMorgan Chase building opened in 1982. It was designed by the famous architect I.M. Pei.

At 33 stories tall, the Calpine building was completed in 2003. Helmuth, Obata & Kassabaum was the architect.

[cyberdasher]

i'm anxious to see how this plays out. . .who KNOWS what kind of maneuvering we've been doing in the last couple of weeks while the MSM has been preoccupied with Iran.

Syria's Baathists have WAY too much influence in the region relative to their size. . perhaps we've been waiting for an event such as yesterday's for a pretext for further sanctions.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

This isn't going to help me quit smoking.

That's what you get for trying to quit during the End Times.

[Drango]

Pulling an ambassador for "consultation" is often the prelude to military conflict.

Or not. But it is a very strong signal that we are PO'd. 9 out of 10 times countries can talk it out...Let's hope.

[Erik Latranyi]

Buh Bye Syria!

Hello Ayatollahs!

(krap)

I can't wait for the Dems to start screaming as loudly as the mullahs!

[NYer]

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lebanese supporters of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri hold aloft a flag and Hariri's portrait in Beirut c February 15, 2005. Lebanon shut down on Tuesday to mourn former Hariri, whose death in a huge car bomb cast a harsh spotlight on troubled relations with Syria and revived memories of the 1975-90 civil war.

BEIRUT, Lebanon - An angry mob attacked Syrian workers in southern Lebanon Tuesday and another group threw stones and set fires outside a Syrian government office in Beirut, blaming Damascus for the bomb that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Syria has denied any involvement in Hariri's assassination, which raised fears that Lebanon might revert to the political violence of the 1970s and '80s, and the U.S. Embassy in Beirut warned Americans in the Lebanese capital to exercise extreme caution.

Condemnation and expressions of shock came from around the Arab world and beyond. The United States called Monday's attack "a terrible reminder" that Lebanon still must shake free of occupation by Syria, which maintains 15,000 troops here since the civil war ended in 1990 and has the final say in internal Lebanese politics.

Before his assassination, Hariri had positioned himself in opposition to a faction more solidly backed by Syria.

In Hariri's hometown of Sidon on southern Lebanon's Mediterranean coast, dozens of demonstrators attacked Syrian workers Tuesday, slightly wounding five before police intervened. Hundreds of others marched in the streets. Black banners and pictures of the slain leader covered the streets as the country began three days of official mourning.

On Monday night, a mob attacked the offices of the Lebanese chapter of Syria's ruling Baath Party in Beirut with stones and set fire to shacks used to exchange money and sell cigarettes in front of it.

Police said the toll from the bombing was 14 dead and about 120 injured. A claim of responsibility by a previously unknown Islamic militant group — Support and Jihad in Syria and Lebanon — was not considered credible, with Justice Minister Adnan Addoum warning it could be an attempt "to mislead the investigation."

At the site of the bombing, cordoned off by troops, experts combed rooftops and the street for evidence. Security officials have not confirmed initial reports that said the blast was caused by a car bomb. Residents swept debris from their balconies; at the HSBC bank, workers cleared glass shards and blinds from shattered windows, throwing them down to the street.

Hariri's political allies are openly accusing Syria and its Lebanese government allies for the bombing, and Hariri's family on Tuesday also hinted at their possible role.

Asked by reporters the reason for the assassination, Hariri's son, Saadeddine, replied in his first public comment: "It's obvious. Isn't it?"

He did not elaborate, but on Monday evening he had sat next to a group of opposition politicians who held a symbolic meeting at Hariri's Beirut mansion, then came out with a statement blaming Syria and the Lebanese government for the assassination.

Saadeddine Hariri told reporters at the bombing scene Tuesday that he hoped justice will be served. "My father served Lebanon all his life, and we will keep serving Lebanon also, like him."

Syria is the main power broker in Lebanon, and Hariri, who was Lebanon's prime minister for 10 of the last 14 years, began moving in recent months closer to the opposition, which has waged an unprecedented political campaign to pressure Damascus into withdrawing its army.

Hariri, who resigned in October but whose party was competing in upcoming elections, had the wealth and prominence to maintain a degree of independence from Syria. His death at age 60 deprives the political scene of an influential voice of moderation and skillful builder of coalitions.

At Hariri's Beirut residence Tuesday, long lines of mourners offered condolences to the family. Dignitaries also arrived to pay their respects, including Syrian Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam, a longtime friend; Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos; and Hariri's political ally, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, head of the Maronite Catholic Church.

The assassination was expected to have a negative effect on the economy. Hariri, a billionaire construction tycoon, was credited with attracting Arab and foreign investment and with stabilizing the Lebanese currency.

The bomb that killed Hariri detonated in the downtown district he helped to rebuild after Lebanon's civil war. Just blocks from the blast site and its deep crater, tourists had returned in recent years to gather at sidewalk cafes under buildings rebuilt in warm yellow stone.

[jveritas]

Write on a piece of paper and take to the bank:

Syria did the assassination bombing.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Pulling out ambassadors for consultation is usually a sign of tension-it cannot be called a prelude to conflict.The US,Russia,Israel etc have all recalled ambassadors on various ocassions during periods of crisis(political/economic/military).For eg,the US,UK & India have all recalled their ambassadors in Nepal in this week-what do you think those countries intend to do??

[processing please hold]

What do you mean not good? Not good for Syria perhaps. Who gives a crap about Syria?

[hchutch]

We probably have the evidence already.

We just won't SAY that we have the evidence.

[Yehuda]

Pro-Syrian protest falls short of promised 1 million marchers
Thousands take to streets in Beirut to hear speakers denounce UN Resolution 1559 and U.S. regional policy By Nayla Assaf -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, December 01, 2004

BEIRUT: An estimated 200,000 pro-Syrian demonstrators marched in Beirut on Tuesday - well short of the government's promise to procure 1 million protestors - for the rally against the UN resolution demanding Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon. With banners condemning Resolution 1559 and pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad and his Lebanese ally, President Emile Lahoud -...

.... During the protest, a large poster of U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, shown with a Star of David drawn on his chest, was destroyed, while other posters showed U.S. President George Bush with his face scribbled on. The parties, politicians and event organizers hired an estimated 3,000 buses to transport citizens from impoverished areas in Akkar, near the Syrian frontier, the Bekaa Valley and the South. The main organizers of Tuesday's rally were the Syrian Baath Party, Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal Movement, the SSNP, Hizbullah, the pro-Syrian Lebanese Democratic and Phalange parties and the Armenian Tashnak Party....

[thoughtomator]

India, at least, has military options in Nepal, as do we in Lebanon and Syria.

[processing please hold]

That's what you get for trying to quit during the End Times.

As long as my smoking doesn't pick up....I'll be fine, end times and all....lolol

[sukhoi-30mki]

That's not the only way to look at it.In Nepal's case for instance,it could mean all 3 big players stopping military & economic aid to show their displeasure.In Syria's case(Lebanon being it's puppet),it could mean more sanctions or even snapping ties-which may progress to military action if the situation doesn't improve.Hence Im not saying that the US has no plans on using force,but it is further down the road(though Syria seems done for this time!!).

[Duaine]

Nuke Nepal...the mountains are too tall....and Richard Gere once traveled there....

[Tree of Liberty]

William F. Buckley, Col. William Higgins, and Peter Kilburn, for three.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Umm,nobody's at war with Nepal yet!!!the problem is with it's king & the maoists there.

[NYer]

Thanks for that story! It seems the violence is spreading.

Lebanese soldiers put out burning debris after protesters set fires in the streets in the port city of Sidon, Lebanon Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005. People had been protesting the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was killed in a massive bomb blast Monday. Sidon was Hariri's hometown.(

[NonValueAdded]

From Condi's press release (Death of Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri):

"The United States takes this opportunity to once again call for the immediate implementation of Resolution 1559, including the withdrawal of all Syrian forces, the disbanding and disarmament of all militias, and an end to foreign interference in the political independence of Lebanon. The Lebanese people must be free to exercise their political choices without intimidation or the threat of violence."

There is the basis for what comes next. Go, Condi, GO!

[BulletBobCo]

Isaiah 17:1,14

[BJClinton]

I suspect it's time to fix the root of the problem in Lebanon/Iraq; they're related

If you mean Iran is the root of the problem, yeah, they're related. This would be one more blow to the Mullahs. I wonder if we'll go all the way and remove the Baathists in Syria.

[elfman2]

"Pulling an ambassador for "consultation" is often the prelude to military conflict."

I understand, but greater use of military force against Syria is rarely considered, “Oh my God, This is NOT good news” around here.

[negril]

What difference does it make? Syria supports terrorism and has been instrumental in attempting to further destabilize Iraq. Take Syria out now!