Bush again warns Syria not to harbor Iraqi leaders

Reuters | 4/13/03

[kattracks]

Bush again warns Syria not to harbor Iraqi leaders

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Sunday repeated warnings to Syria that it must cooperate with Washington and not harbor Iraqi leaders who may flee across their common border.

"Syria just needs to cooperate with the United States and our coalition partners, not harbor any (Iraqi) Baathists, any military officials, any people who need to be held to account," Bush told reporters.

04/13/03 13:16 ET

[Salvey]

Can't put it any clearer than that!

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[kattracks]

Bush Warns Syria Not to Harbor Iraqis

By SCOTT LINDLAW
.c The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush warned Syria on Sunday not to harbor fleeing Iraqi leaders and he rejoiced at the release of seven American soldiers captured in the war.

Bush did not say he was threatening military action against Iraq's western neighbor, but said of the Syrians: ``They just need to cooperate.''

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said earlier Sunday that some leading members of Saddam Hussein's government had taken refuge in Syria.

Bush, who spent the weekend at Camp David in Maryland, was informed at about 7 a.m. EDT by his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, that seven soldiers were released in Iraq. The president seemed especially upbeat as he returned Sunday afternoon to the White House.

``Today's a great day for the families, comrades and loved ones of the seven missing in action,'' Bush said. ``It's just a good way to start the morning.'' He noted that several soldiers are still missing in Iraq.

Bush was irritated by media reports that focused on the chaos and looting in Iraq after the fall of Saddam's government.

``The statue (of the Iraqi president) went down on Wednesday, and the headlines start to read 'disorder,''' Bush said. ``Well, no kidding!'' He blamed the mayhem on conditions created by Saddam.

``It'll take a while to restore order out of the chaos, but we will,'' Bush said.

Bush said he might contact Syrian leaders on Sunday to make clear his warning. He also charged that Syria has chemical weapons.

The Federation of American Scientists has said Syria is among 19 nations suspected of having or pursuing biological and chemical weapons. Syria has denied it.



04/13/03 13:30 EDT

[Az Joe]

Well, thinkng seriously about this, what would we do should we find out that they are granting them sanctuary?

Any chance for assasination teams?

[Gritty]

Bush did not say he was threatening military action

True. But he didn't say anything about the Israelis.

They would leap at the encouragement to take out Syria and the huge nests of terrorists that thrive and grow there!

[thoughtomator]

Israeli teams maybe? Or Turkish ones, perhaps - they sure as hell owe us a favor.

[Bonaparte]

Syria is extremely vulnerable. I don't think Bush will have to do much aside from application of steady pressure. But it's always possible that Syria will do the stupid thing and assume that George Bush makes idle threats and doesn't really mean what he says.

I also don't think assasination teams will be used, as you've suggested. It's important that the Iraqis be given the opportunity to put these men on trial, not only to showcase to the world the horrors they have suffered at their hands, but to also demonstrate the country's return to order through the judicial process. If Bush wants these men handed over, I'm betting that he'll have them soon.

[SCWard]

Lesson from Iraq:
Never underestimate the stubborn stupidity of
America-hating Arab "leadership".

I doubt if they will get the clue.

[Kay Soze]

The Scotsman
Sat 12 Apr 2003 show images

George Bush said he expects full co-operation from Damascus in helping to turn over the leaders of the Iraqi regime.

Bush warns Syria over Saddam
JAMES DOHERTY AND TIM RIPLEY IN KUWAIT

GEORGE Bush last night sent a stern message to the Arab world, by warning Syria not to harbour Saddam Hussein’s family, senior Baath Party figures or other members in the falling regime.

The US president said he expected full co-operation from Damascus in helping to turn over the leaders of the Iraqi regime to face justice.

His demand came as the US State Department revealed that Syria had closed its border with Iraq to all but humanitarian traffic. Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary, previously claimed that senior members of the Iraqi leadership had crossed into the country.

[Bonaparte]

"I doubt if they will get the clue."

If they don't then we will "re-open" their border for them and give them a hint they can't ignore. Finally, we have a President who means what he says and has no intention of coming off like the UN security council. We will not be dissed by Syria. They can give up criminal fugitives or face the consequences. In either event, we will get what we want.

[Kay Soze]

Shifting Shiite power to Iraq and ridding Syria of Assad will radically alter to political and spirtitual climate in the Middle East.

And to our favor. It will end terroisim around the world.

We have shifted Shiite power from Lebanon and the Hezbollah back to Najaf,Iraq widely regarded as the most sacred city in Shiite Islam.

75-year-old Ayatollah Sistani is already talking of restoring Najaf's position as "the heart of Shiism."

The only prominent Shiite cleric to have rejected that position in the context of Iraq is Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, the spiritual leader of the Lebanese branch of Hezbollah.

He has echoed calls by the Sunni Muslim center at Al-Azhar university in Cairo for a jihad against the coalition and in support of Saddam.

[Bonaparte]

From the article --

Allied forces are to flood the country with decks of playing cards showing Saddam and dozens of his henchmen who are wanted dead or alive.

The 55 cards, dubbed the "deck of death", are thought to show the toppled Iraqi dictator as the Ace of Spades and his son Qusay as the Ace of Clubs.

Wanted: Dead or Alive. There's a new marshall in town. Gotta love it!

[Bonaparte]

[jerseygirl]

How do we get the WMD's Iraq allegedly stashed in Syria? Every time they say "Iraq has no WMD's", I can't help but suspect that they are thinking to themselves- Syria has 'em!

[Frunabulax]

Can't put it any clearer than that!

Yes, but what does he really mean to say? ;)

[Bonaparte]

We will get any "transferred" WMDs the same way we get the fugitive Saddamites. By going in there and taking it. Syria had the option of staying out of this war. That would have been their best bet. But they chose instead to send guerillas across the border into the theatre of war, just as they apparently chose to render further direct assistance to the enemy by harboring fugitive war criminals along with their state documents and accepting their WMDs for "safe-keeping." All this makes Syria a belligerant, not a neutral.

They went to war against us.

[Nevermore]

"...the headlines start to read 'disorder,'" Bush said. "Well, no kidding!"

Really! How can anyone ignorant enough not to expect such chaos cast aspersions regarding Dubya's intellect? Just goes to show, the truly ignorant ones have no clue how dumb they are.

[Captain Shady]

Syria better behave or things could get SYRIOUS

[JDGreen123]

Look who is a major backer of Mr. Assad:

June 2001: State dinner honoring Syrian President Bachar El Assad & his wife Asma at the Elysee Palace, they are received by French President Jacques Chirac and his wife Bernadette