From CNN Breaking News E-mail Alerts:
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warns Syria that the U.S. considers military shipments to Iraq a 'hostile act.'
Hmmm, Russia was also involved, but I'd chance that if they get a warning (A BIG IF), it will be drastically toned down and much less pointed. After all, there's no use picking a fight with someone who has the means to really fight back.
I agree about Syria.
The White House has begun laying the groundwork for an upcoming war against it. Some thought this would take a few months, but the White House sees no reason to waste any time — Americans have no memories or attention spans anyway.
War within six months is likely. Sure, this is all pure conjecture on my part, but consider this:
Robert Novak wrote an interesting opinion piece in the Chicago Sun-Times recently (“Colin Powell’s burden”). Regarding Syria, Novak stated that Paul Wolfowitz (US Deputy Defense Secretary) said that the Syrians “are doing some things they shouldn’t be doing, and the sooner they stop the better it will be for them. …Wolfowitz’s bottom line: There’s got to be change in Syria.”
Syria, the US’s next target, has been identified by a lesser US official. If this doesn’t raise any eyebrows, higher-profile US officials will follow.
Time will tell.
Novak went on to say that “Israeli intelligence contends Anglo-American [interesting choice of words] forces have not found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq because they have been transported to Syria.”
Is THAT what happened to the enormous stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons in Iraq that President Bush detailed in his 2003 State of the Union Address? They all went to Syria, right under our noses?
Well, that’s the Israeli version. Take it for what it’s worth.
CNN bit on a piece of government-supplied propaganda, too. The bottom of its screen today (4-10-03) read, “Syria may be aiding Saddam supporters.”
Again, it all starts as a mere trickle of information.
But don’t be alarmed, readers: Novak reassures us that Colin Powell is not ready to go to war. He supposedly “wants to modify Syrian behavior without sending in the Marines.”
We are supposed to believe that if Powell has misgivings about a war initially, his eventual acquiescense gives it legitimacy. This blatant sales strategy worked with Iraq.
At the very least: Let’s all keep an eye the so-called concerns about Syria. We musn’t be duped again.
4/10/2003 1:05:00