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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Syria hails 'a new Middle East' |
| 2006-08-15 |
| Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says a new Middle East has emerged as a result of what he called Hezbollah's victory over Israel in southern Lebanon. He said the vision of the region the US aspired to had become an illusion. His comments came as the truce between Israel and Hezbollah remains intact despite sporadic violence. Thousands of displaced Lebanese are returning home after a halt to the conflict, in which both sides claimed to have been successful. The defiant speech is the clearest sign of how US opponents in the Middle East have been emboldened by the outcome of the conflict, says the BBC's Jon Leyne in Damascus. Mr Assad said there was no more need for defeatism among Arabs - a feeling echoed across the Arab world, our correspondent adds. As Lebanese refugees continued to pour back to their homes on Tuesday, their government said it was ready to move forward with its part in securing the ceasefire. Defence Minister Elias Murr said that by the end of the week, the Lebanese army would deploy 15,000 troops on the boundaries of the southern Litani River, some 30km (19 miles) from the border with Israel. In the meantime, international troops currently in Lebanon would assume positions vacated by the Israeli army before handing them over to the Lebanese troops. He said it was not the job of the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah fighters but he was confident they would withdraw from areas in southern Lebanon as the troops moved in. Mr Assad, speaking in Damascus a day after the UN-brokered ceasefire took effect, was giving his first speech on the crisis since it began more than a month ago. He praised the "the glorious battle" he said had been waged by Hezbollah, and said peace in the Middle East was not possible with the Bush administration in power in Washington. "This is an administration that adopts the principle of pre-emptive war that is absolutely contradictory to the principle of peace," he said. "Consequently, we don't expect peace soon or in the foreseeable future." |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #6 I think at this point it has to be exocets and explosions. Loud noises only demonstrate that they are still alive to hear them. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-08-15 22:33 |
| #5 He's probably right. |
| Posted by: Clerert Uneamp2772 2006-08-15 18:12 |
| #4 EXTRA!!! Assad's Chin: An Illusion I've seen sock puppets with nicer chins than this clown. |
| Posted by: radrh8r 2006-08-15 17:58 |
| #3 Sounds like Zippy's feeling his oats. That could change...quickly. Maybe a low level supersonic pass over the summer house to start? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-08-15 17:10 |
| #2 Syria needs a hail of cruise missiles. There is zero hope of ever correcting the pathological behavior of these maggots. They've breathed their own exhaust for so long they think it's Shalimar. Kill them, now. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-08-15 16:58 |
| #1 Unfortunately, Baby Asshead believes this crap. I think he was scared for a while after Iraq was invaded and Libya gave up the bomb, but now he's struttin' like a |
| Posted by: Spot 2006-08-15 10:31 |