Article

2005-02-21 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

xinhua: Syria plans to withdraw from Lebanon: Moussa

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Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-02-21 10:46:37 AM|| || Front Page|| [8 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Yes, and our cat Padishah plans to become vegetarian.

Posted by gromgoru 2005-02-21 11:41:26 AM|| 2005-02-21 11:41:26 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Actually, the Syrians are in a bad way. 13,000 troops can't do much in Lebanon. They can't be reinforced from Syria, because the US could then conquer Damascus with two privates and a butter knife. So what the Syrians are probably planning to do is withdraw, while heavily arming the pro-government forces, and the Hizbullah, and their own 1.4 million citizens, with instructions to return Lebanon to civil war chaos. This would accomplish the following, they hope: Chaotic Lebanon would still be a conduit for trouble to Israel from Syria and Iran; the Hizbullah could continue to operate in the chaos; Lebanon would remain a failed state that would be no threat to Syria, and no foreign power would station in Lebanon; the unpopular de jure government would still have more "legitimacy" than the opposition, internationally; there would be no real democracy as a "bad" influence to them and the Palestinians; and there wouldn't be any pressure by the Lebanese for the Palestinians living in Lebanon to go home to the Gaza Strip or West Bank.

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-02-21 11:55:25 AM|| 2005-02-21 11:55:25 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 moose - letting the steam out of the kettle without but still keeping it at a boil...so to speak.

Posted by 2b 2005-02-21 12:18:27 PM|| 2005-02-21 12:18:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Sounds like an invitation for the French to repeat their success in the Ivory Coast, perhaps with American support, this time.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-02-21 3:06:49 PM|| 2005-02-21 3:06:49 PM|| Front Page Top

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