Syria Hands Saddam's Half-Brother to Iraq

PhiPsiRuss · #1 02-27-2005, 04:14 PM

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...am_s_brother_3

By SALAH NASRAWI, Associated Press Writer

CAIRO, Egypt - Iraqi officials said Sunday that Syrian authorities captured Saddam Hussein's half-brother in Syria and handed him over to Iraq in an apparent goodwill gesture.

Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, who was also a former adviser suspected of financing insurgents after U.S. troops ousted the former dictator, was captured in Hasakah in northeastern Syria near the Iraqi border, two senior Iraqi officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The officials did not specify when al-Hassan was captured, only saying he was detained following the Feb. 14 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut, Lebanon, in a blast that killed 16 others.

Syria has come under intense scrutiny following Hariri's death, with many in Lebanon blaming Damascus and Beirut's pro-Syrian government for the killing. The United States and France also have called on Damascus to withdraw 15,000 Syrian troops from Lebanon.

Washington has long accused Syria of harboring and aiding former members of Saddam's toppled Baathist regime suspected of involvement in the deadly insurgency against U.S.-led forces in Iraq.

"The capture appeared to be a goodwill gesture by the Syrians to show that they are cooperating," one Iraqi official told the AP.

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I think that President Bush needs to publicly praise the Syrians for this move, while reminding them that they are still being held accountable for their actions in Lebanon.

IowaStatePhiPsi · #2 02-27-2005, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PhiPsiRuss
I think that President Bush needs to publicly praise the Syrians for this move, while reminding them that they are still being held accountable for their actions in Lebanon.

Mostlikely he'll claim Syria is harboring terrorists and we'll be threatening to invade next week.

Rudey · #3 02-27-2005, 04:51 PM

This will make us forget how they support terrorists and kill Lebanese politicians that peacefully oppose the Syrian occupation.

-Rudey

IowaStatePhiPsi · #4 02-27-2005, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rudey
This will make us forget how they support terrorists and kill Lebanese politicians that peacefully oppose the Syrian occupation.

-Rudey

if by "us" you mean "the average American dolt", then yes.

Rudey · #5 02-27-2005, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by IowaStatePhiPsi
if by "us" you mean "the average American dolt", then yes.

No, I mean the world. Please do not think you're not a dolt.

-Rudey

PhiPsiRuss · #6 02-27-2005, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by IowaStatePhiPsi
Mostlikely he'll claim Syria is harboring terrorists and we'll be threatening to invade next week.

Syria is harboring terrorists, and they've been doing so since before you were born.

Kevin · #7 02-27-2005, 06:51 PM

Amazing that they were able to pull this guy out of their butts at such a politically opportune time. What a great coincidence for them! My feeling is that they were absolutely harboring this fellow, and likely many more of his type. They knew where he is, and when it became more costly for him to be in Syria than in the custody of Iraqi police, they turned him over.

I wonder how many of these guys they amazingly capture in the next few weeks to try and get the pressure off?

Rudey · #8 02-27-2005, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ktsnake
Amazing that they were able to pull this guy out of their butts at such a politically opportune time. What a great coincidence for them! My feeling is that they were absolutely harboring this fellow, and likely many more of his type. They knew where he is, and when it became more costly for him to be in Syria than in the custody of Iraqi police, they turned him over.

I wonder how many of these guys they amazingly capture in the next few weeks to try and get the pressure off?

There is a super-star professor (Drezner) at my school who has recently been speaking about Syria. Their stronghold on Lebanon and their support for Hizbullah are considered its last 2 gems. He is predicting once there is a pullout that there will be a major shift for the region and its government.

-Rudey

KSigkid · #9 02-27-2005, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ktsnake
Amazing that they were able to pull this guy out of their butts at such a politically opportune time. What a great coincidence for them! My feeling is that they were absolutely harboring this fellow, and likely many more of his type. They knew where he is, and when it became more costly for him to be in Syria than in the custody of Iraqi police, they turned him over.

I wonder how many of these guys they amazingly capture in the next few weeks to try and get the pressure off?

I'm thinking the same thing...there will be some more "surprises" from Syria coming up.

PhiPsiRuss · #10 02-28-2005, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rudey
There is a super-star professor (Drezner) at my school who has recently been speaking about Syria. Their stronghold on Lebanon and their support for Hizbullah are considered its last 2 gems. He is predicting once there is a pullout that there will be a major shift for the region and its government.

-Rudey

I hope he's right, and I hope that it begins to happen this year.

IowaStatePhiPsi · #11 02-28-2005, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KSigkid
I'm thinking the same thing...there will be some more "surprises" from Syria coming up.

Maybe the resignation of the Lebanese PM & gov't will move some of these surprises forward to the near-future.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4305927.stm

PhiPsiRuss · #12 02-28-2005, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by IowaStatePhiPsi
Maybe the resignation of the Lebanese PM & gov't will move some of these surprises forward to the near-future.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4305927.stm

That's great news. Now lets see if Syria is willing to listen to a democratically elected government, and leave.

Optimist Prime · #13 03-01-2005, 02:40 AM

Vote Ba'athist

KSigkid · #14 03-01-2005, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by IowaStatePhiPsi
Maybe the resignation of the Lebanese PM & gov't will move some of these surprises forward to the near-future.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4305927.stm

Hopefully this is the start of something good...we shall see.

IowaStatePhiPsi · #15 03-05-2005, 03:19 PM

I'm sure you see the irony in this statement. If you don't, please go bash your head against some cement and try again.

Quote:

Lebanese troops circle Syria's Beirut intelligence offices
Syrian president expected to pull back some troops from Lebanon
Saturday, March 5, 2005 Posted: 8:24 AM EST (1324 GMT)

DAMASCUS, Syria (CNN) -- Lebanese army troops and armored vehicles took up positions Saturday around the Syrian intelligence headquarters in Beirut.

The move comes ahead of an expected announcement from Syrian President Bashar Assad, within a few hours, that he will withdraw some troops from Lebanon and redeploy others within the country.

Assad is to make the announcement to the Syria's People's Assembly, the Syrian news agency SANA reported Friday.

Lebanon's defense minister Abdul-Rahim Murad said he expected Assad to announce a pullback of troops to the Bekaa region in eastern Lebanon, near the Syrian border, but not a full withdrawal from the country, The Associated Press reported.

When asked whether the redeployment meant a full withdrawal, Murad answered, "No."

Massive Lebanese protests and mounting international concern is pressuring Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.

U.S. President Bush added to the pressure Friday, saying, "The world is beginning to speak with one voice. We want that democracy in Lebanon to succeed, and we know it cannot succeed so long as she is occupied by a foreign power."