http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/fr/fr050303_1_n.shtml
People power in Lebanon - Are the Syrians running for cover? The murder of such a larger-than-life figure - and several other people - has only galvanised Syria's opponents in Lebanon who, with increasing boldness against a regime as ruthless as the one in Damascus, have been demanding that Syria withdraw its military forces from Lebanon and stop interfering in the country's political life. Several days after Hariri's assassination, opposition leaders called for an intifada (an uprising) against Syrian domination. But they called for one based on protests and civil disobedience, rather than the violent variety that has been continuing between Palestine and Israel for more than four years. Clearly emboldened by Hariri's murder and the anger it had aroused in many Lebanese, Prime Minister Omar Karameh huffed - while dodging a barrage of denunciation for being seen as Syria's puppet - that the opposition had finally "crossed the red line". (Karameh's father, Rashid, was assassinated by a bomb in his helicopter in 1987 when he was Prime Minister, but that was wartime and Maronite extremists were blamed for the incident.) Damascus strenuously denies any involvement in the Hariri assassination, instead pointing the finger at Israel. Syria had also denied complicity in the attempted murder of one of Hariri's key political allies, Marwan Hamade, in another bomb ambush in Beirut in October 2004. Hamade is a leading figure in the Druse Muslim community that is headed by the increasingly outspoken Walid Jumblatt. Hamade was badly wounded but survived what may have been the genesis for the Hariri hit. Several days earlier Jumblatt, one of Hariri's closest allies, had ordered the four Druse members of Hariri's cabinet, including Economy Minister Hamade, to walk out of the government after parliament bowed to intense Syrian pressure to extend the six-year term of President Emile Lahoud by three years. Lahoud, a Maronite former army commander with little political following, was handpicked by the Syrian regime of the late President Hafez al-Assad in 1999. But demonstrators were celebrating in Beirut on 28 February as the cabinet announced it was resigning. Prime Minister Karameh said in his announcement: "May God preserve Lebanon." All options are open. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. A simple way to provide underprivileged children resources often lacking in public schools. Fund a student project in NYC/NC today! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EHLuJD/.WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
