[jmc1969]

He could be in Lebanon or Syria directing activity toward the Gaza strip.

There is alot of different possibilities.

[Marine_Uncle]

"There is alot of different possibilities."
Good point. Why live in some hole in Gaza if he can operate out of a clean hotel. After all. He is the big general.
What will be a real riot is if this is all disinformation, and he is soon nabbed in another country, where one least would expect to find him.

[Southack]

He's *not* in Syria.

The Mujaheeden already lost one war in recent history trying to overthrow daddy Assad. The Alamites and Hasamites don't get along wit Al Qaeda.

If Zarqawi was in Syria, there'd be one heckofa shooting war going on there between Syria and Al Qaeda.

In the self-contradicting politics of the Middle East, Syria was Iran's ally against Iraq under Hussein, but Hussein's ally in the Ba'athist wars against Islamic fundamentalism.

Or more simply, the Assads and Husseins were in it for themselves, not for the greater glory of Islam. This was actually *possible* due to cultures in the region that were accustomed to being ruled by a king/dictator as easily as by a Mullah.

We've also got to keep in mind that Boy Junior Assad is a bit slow-minded compared to his father. More mistakes are a given (against Al Qaeda, against the West, etc.).

Syria also has a significant Kurdish rebellion that periodically threatens to break out into the open.

Keep in mind that even Boy Assad could discern that Syria was over-extended in Lebanonl hence, Syria quickly and fully withdrew its army from there as soon as President Bush said "Boo!"