Australians hunted over Hariri death (AP)

[allemand]

February 18, 2005 - 10:00PM

Twelve people wanted over the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri are believed to be in Australia.

Lebanon's Justice Minister Adnan Addoum said authorities had contacted Interpol in Sydney over the departure from Beirut to Australia of 12 men - most bearded - on Monday, the day of the bombing that killed Hariri and 16 others.

Addoum said the 12 were among 14 men with Australian citizenship who tried to leave Lebanon, but two missed the flight for unknown reasons. Their whereabouts are unknown.

Interpol has agreed to interrogate the 12 in relation to the killing, Addoum said, adding that three have agreed to come forward.

More:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Breaking-News/Australians-hunted-over-Hariri-death/2005/02/18/1108709436870.html?oneclick=true

[leveymg]

1. We begin bombing Sydney in five minutes.

Recall the Ambassador.

[SweetLeftFoot]

2. Sydney

You'd be doing the rest of Australia a major favour. Then we could all just play a proper sport that we actually invented ourselves without them insisiting on stupid rugby.

On topic: Sydney does have very large Lebanese population. That's where they'd be if this story is true.

[leveymg]

4. If we were going for the Lebanese, we'd have to bomb New Jersey.

What's that proper national sport? I'd guess road rage.

[SweetLeftFoot]

6. Proper sport

Australian Rules football. Everything else is just pretend.

[Violet_Crumble]

23. Aerial ping-pong is NOT the national sport...

It's moronic and boring. Just because something's created here and only played here doesn't make it worthy of being called a national anything...

Violet...

[SweetLeftFoot]

26. Aussie Rules

Is the sport more Australians attend in person and watch on TV than any other. It's only behind cricket and netball in terms of participation. It's played in all states and is the dominant sport in every major city except Sydney and Brisbane. We play internationals against Ireland too. Please god don't say you think Aussies should play a stupid Lancashire miners game like rugby league?

In addition, Aussie Rules is a good reflection of our nations history, being as it is a combination of an Aboriginal game mixed with Gaelic by convicts and then codified by a rich English squatter.

[Violet_Crumble]

27. It's the game of morons...

I detest all sport, but Aussie Rules is top of the pile for being a waste of time and followed by yokel twits who think it's a thing of great worth and something that clumsy attempts at class distinction can be made. It's not the dominant sport in this capital city, btw. I don't much like Rugby Union or League, but both of them make way much more sense than that other game. If that sport is a reflection of our national history, then our history is far sadder and sorrier than I previously thought...

Violet...

[IndianaGreen]

3. It was probably Al-Qaeda and not the Syrians or the Israelis

that are behind this terrorist attack. It is obscene the way Bush and his whore Condi Rice have exploited this horrific incident in order to advance their imperialist agenda for the Middle East. I wouldn't put it pass them that they would ally themselves with Osama bin Laden if that were to give the PNAC crowd a strategic advantage.

[allemand]

5. Jihadists are also in favor of a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon -

a possible motive for the killing?

"Do Not Defend the Presence of the Syrian Forces in Lebanon — By Sheikh Abu Baseer al-Tartusi

By SITE Institute

February 17, 2005

A message posted today, February 17, 2005, to a leading al-Qaeda-frequented Jihadist message board, in the name of Sheikh Abu Baseer al-Tartusi , discusses why, “espite all international and local voices demanding Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon… Syria is still determined to maintain its presence in Lebanon.”

The message maintains “that Syria’s determination not to leave Lebanon is a strategic option for the sectarian Baathi regime” for a number of reasons, including “o keep providing support and protection to the Shiite elements , especially the Shiite Hezbollah party…, o protect the Christians’ presence in the Lebanese villages throughout the Bekaa and other areas…, o prevent the Syrian Islamic opposition from Lebanese land adjacent to the Syrian borders…, o strike the Lebanese Sunni groups and organizations regardless of their orientation, for the fact that they could provide support to the Syrian Sunni entities opposed to the ruling sectarian Baathi regime…, to keep Lebanon as a trump card in its hand, to control and do with it as it wishes.”

The message concludes that “sooner or later, the Syrian Forces will be driven out of Lebanon,” and advises readers to see this as a positive development:

“Everyone will benefit from the withdrawal of the Syrian Forces and Intelligence from Lebanon, but the only losers will be the sectarian Christian Baathi ruling regime, and the Christian denomination in Northern Lebanon, and their Shiite collaborators inside and outside Lebanon. Hence, I recommend that you do not defend the presence of the Syrian Forces in Lebanon, and not be saddened by their withdrawal from it.”

http://siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications20305&Category=publications&Subcategory=0

This doesn't mean, of course, that a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon would be a bad thing, but the US and France have to make sure that it doesn't create new opportunities for Islamists.

[Igel]

15. I thought Hariri was also for Syria troop withdrawal. n/t

[allemand]

18. Yes, but his death most probably created a dynamic which will lead to an

accelerated Syrian withdrawal.

[Igel]

21. Bravo. n/t

[Don1]

7. Actually

It is still a viable hypothesis that it was the Israelis.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/aug2004/moss-a10.shtml

The New Zealand government last month protested to Israel after two Israeli citizens, believed to be acting on behalf of the secret service agency Mossad, were convicted of passport fraud. Elisha Cara, 50, and Uriel Kelman, 31, were jailed for six months—far less than the maximum possible sentence of five years—after an Auckland court found them guilty of seeking to obtain a New Zealand passport through illegal means and participating in an organised crime group for that purpose.
...
New Zealand passports attract far less attention than Israeli ones, particularly in the Middle East, where Mossad has extensive covert operations ranging from spying and political intervention to assassinations.
...
Further suspicions of Mossad’s role in the case arose with the discovery that Cara, a former member of the Israeli air force who claimed to be a tourist agent based in Australia, had entered New Zealand 24 times during the past three-and-a-half years.
...
The operation followed a well-established Mossad modus operandi. In 1997, Canada expelled the Israeli ambassador until receiving a promise that Mossad would stop using Canada’s passports for covert operations.
...
The Australian government has been able to remain silent on the matter, despite the fact that both Cara and Kelman used Australia as their base of operations, at least since 2001. At that time, Cara moved to Sydney where he established a branch of an organisation called Eastward Bound, purportedly to bring Israeli tourists to Australia and New Zealand. Investigations by the New Zealand Herald revealed that the travel agency Cara claimed to operate either does not exist, or is operating illegally.

[Monkie]

14. thxs! you saved me alot of typing with your observation

who stands to gain?
only israel and the usa..seems pretty straightforward

[Igel]

16. I'll say it again.

We can't know everybody that stood to gain.

Israel: a weak Lebanon provides more bloodsport (if you like that belief)
Syria: Hariri out of the way produces a momentary shitstorm, but prevents long-term composting of their imperialism
USA: a beleaguered Syria provides more bloodsport
Iran: Syria & Iran support Hizbullah, remove Syria as Hariri wanted, Hizbullah's weakened
Islamists who hate Sa'udi Arabia's government: Hariri apparently was an ally of the government there.

The perps don't even have to have their facts straight. They could have killed him because they secretly thought he was plotting to paint the black rock white.

So many could benefit. So little evidence. So much bauxite going to waste.

[Monkie]

17. if syria/iran did this its political suicide,especially now

considering the anti-terror climate and that syria/iran are under huge international scrutiny.
it just doesnt compute

[Igel]

20. Depends on what they think, not what we think.

That's why I always find the "cui bono" arguments a bit specious. They're almost always posed from the point of view of the observer, never of all the possible perpetrators.

If Syria thought there's no real chance of us invading (and I seriously doubt it would be more than a single 500 lb bomb, which would hurt us more than them), or that they'd do such a bang-up job of ducking blame, they might think it worthwhile. Please note the "if". (If they did it, I don't think they thought out France's reaction very well, though.)

Personally, I'm sitting back for some facts.

[Monkie]

22. israel and usa have geopolitical reasons as much as iran or syria

"Depends on what they think, not what we think."
"Personally, I'm sitting back for some facts"
both posts of your offer only conjecture as to why iran and syria would have a reason for this attack while dismissing any suggestion that that israel or the usa could have a hand in this.
i dont believe the leaders of iran and syria are completely stupid.
to to kill a popular politician in lebanon at a time of already heightened tension IS stupid.
it is a fact that neither israel nor usa benefit from a stable lebanon under syrian influence?
the timing of this attack coincides too perfectly with israeli/american pressure on syria and iran.
it is a fact that both israel and the usa have the capability and past history of these kinds of attacks?
if syria/iran/hizballah wanted to kill this man on territory in which they have relative freedom would they do it in a way the finger would be pointing straight at them?
i dont think so..

[Igel]

24. I suspect you didn't get my point.

The point isn't whether or not I think Syria did it (or didn't do it). I can say all kinds of things that I believe indicate Syria didn't have sufficient reason and certainly couldn't have done it. Or I could argue the other side. It's a waste of time.

The question isn't whether Israel (or the US, Syria, or Tahiti) benefits from Hariri's death. The question is really whether Israel's (etc.) decision makers thought they would benefit from Hariri's death. These are entirely different questions. In common crimes, the assumption isn't unwarranted. But given the ME witch's brew I could make a reasonable case for at least half a dozen actors being behind Hariri's murder; if I tweak the assumptions ... yikes.

"Cui bono?" also assumes that the perpetrator was clairvoyant and correctly predicted the consequences of Hariri's murder, and that the current state of affairs is the final one. Like blowback never happens and plans never go off the rails. I can't predict with any confidence what's going to happen next week with this mess, much less what the semi-final steady state's going to be.

[allemand]

8. 10 cleared over Beiruit bomb

February 18, 2005

THE Australian Federal Police (AFP) said tonight it had cleared 10 men who were investigated as part of its inquiries into the Beirut bombing that killed former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri on Tuesday.

Lebanon's Justice Minister Adnan Addoum said today authorities had contacted Interpol in Sydney over the departure from Beirut to Australia of 12 men on Monday, the day of the bombing that killed Hariri and 16 others.

(...)

Only 10 of the men had arrived in Australia.

(...)

But Mr Cunningham said while sniffer dogs had at first picked up suspicious scents in the aircraft seats occupied by the men, forensic tests had proved negative.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12299515%255E1702,00.html


So also no relation to Ahmed Abu Adas?


"Separately, Lebanese judicial sources revealed that investigators were expected to receive the results of DNA tests of people who had left Lebanon for Saudi Arabia and Australia after Monday's attack, from Australian and Saudi Interpol.

The results will be compared to DNA tests taken of the parents of Ahmed Abu Adass, the Palestinian who claimed responsibility for Hariri's assassination in a video broadcast on Al-Jazeera television.

(...)

Neighbors of Adass in Beirut refuted the possibility of his involvement in the crime, saying the suspect suffered from drug problems and psychological disorders so pronounced that he had been interned repeatedly.

Others said he was not a fundamentalist, only having started to go to the mosque recently, and that he was not a seasoned driver, thus incapable of driving a van loaded with explosives.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=12743

"On Jan. 15, according to a neighbor who spoke on condition of anonymity, Mr. Adas left his home in Tareek al Jadid, a neighborhood where Mr. Hariri was popular, and never returned. He left behind a note addressed to his mother telling her that he intended to fight "the infidels," the neighbor said.

Mr. Adas had a troubled upbringing that included several run-ins with the law, neighbors said, but he grew more religious in recent years. The family tended to keep to itself, they said, having limited contact with neighbors. But neighbors noted that Mr. Adas's father reported his disappearance to the police.

After the tape of Mr. Adas appeared on Al Jazeera, the police raided his family's house and took DNA samples.

"We thought that he was probably going to Iraq or Palestine to fight," the neighbor said. "He was not a very clever kid to do something like this on his own, though. If he did the bombing he had to have someone behind him."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/18/international/middleeast/18lebanon.html

[allemand]

13. ASIO clears Aussies of Hariri killing

Trudy Harris
February 19, 2005

SIX Australians accused by Lebanese authorities of being suspects in the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri have been cleared by ASIO of any involvement.

One of the men said last night the group of Sufi pilgrims had been met by ASIO agents at Sydney airport on Tuesday night as they stepped off their Gulf Air flight from Beirut. (...)

The man said they were allowed to leave the airport and ASIO has not contacted them since. He said they had all been on the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, returning to Sydney via northern Lebanon so that they could visit their families for about three weeks. (...)

The men are aged between 20 and 30 and have lived in Australia all their lives, except one who came to Australia as a child. Most are from southwestern Sydney and are married with children.

More:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12299127%255E601,00.html

[neweurope]

9. BEARDED men?!!!! They MUST be guilty!

I'm willing to bet that it was either the Israelis or the US. At least that's the answer when I ask the most important question: Who's to gain the most by this?

--------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[jmcgowanjm]

10. Lebanon and Syria are next

A few months before PNAC's prophetic 2000 report, an
allied group with an overlapping membership published
a similar document outlining steps to be taken against
Syria --first "tightening the screws" with denunciations
and economic sanctions, then escalating to military action, as Jim Lobe of Inter-Press Agency reports. The architects of this document included Elliot Abrams, the convicted perjurer now running Bush's Middle East policy; Douglas Feith, one of Rumsfeld.s top aides; Paula Dobriansky, undersecretary to Colin Powell, and influential Pentagon advisors such as David Wurmser, Michael Leeden and everyone's sweetheart, Richard "Influence-Peddler" Perle.

Recent developments in Lebanon suggest that this US
military intervention is a distinct possibility. The
underlying consequences are farreaching since they would
also imply a more direct role of Israel in military
operations.

http://globalresearch.ca/articles/FLO502A.html

Does anyone doubt that Sharon doesn't remember
his defeat in Lebanon? Greater Israel
cannot come into being unless Lebanon becomes
a satrapy of Israel.

[underpants]

11. Not being a conspiracy theorist my initial reaction surprised even me

CIA this reeks of CIA. I could find the quote but on ABC WNT that night a Lebanese military official was already saying that they didn't think they would EVER find out who did it. This is within 10 hours of it happening. Sorry it smells from here.

[jmcgowanjm]

12. "The likelihood that Syria was involved in the assassination is zilch.

"The powers that most clearly stood to advance their
strategic aims by having Hariri assassinated and blaming
the crime on Syria are the US and Israel. Among those who
play the game of speculating who organized the car bombing
in Beirut, the smart money is undoubtedly on Washington
and Tel Aviv."

It is quite possible that any limited concessions the
Israeli regime may agree to make as part of the 'peace
process' with the Palestinians will be repaid by
Washington giving the green light for Israeli provocations
and military actions against
Syria."

http://xymphora.blogspot.com/2005/02/rafiq-hariri-and-cui-bono.html

Peace in the ME is the death of Israel.

[allemand]

19. Assad replaces chief of military intelligence with his brother-in-law

16:32 Syrian sources: President Assad replaces chief of military intelligence with his brother-in-law
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/ShTickers.html

Interesting...

Assad names brother-in-law Syria intelligence chief
18 Feb 2005 14:42:25 GMT
Source: Reuters

DAMASCUS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has appointed his brother-in-law military intelligence chief after the former head retired, Syrian sources said on Friday.

They said Major General Asef Shawkat took over his new post on Monday, the day his predecessor Major General Hassan Khalil reached the retirement age of 60.

Assad had in August issued a decree which barred extending the service terms of all armed forces officers.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L18679258.htm

There was speculation, of course, that "rogue elements" in the Syrian security services were behind the attack.

[daleo]

25. Main reason why CIA seems probable:

Bush pulled the ambassador within a day of the event, with no proof of Syrian involvement offered. That smells of a setup.

[hector459]

28. Hmmm.. I remember something about Israeli agents using fake Aussie

passports or something like that. Anyone else know what I am talking about? doning a Google.

[hector459]

29. Found one link that leads to others. I was slammed here for even

opining that Israel might be involved in this because they have much to gain if they can bait the US into a war with Syria. But history and some very strange recent events make me wonder even more about this.

http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=Israeli+passports+australia&page=1&offset=1&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3Da131f6214740705c%26clickedItemRank%3D3%26userQuery%3DIsraeli%2Bpassports%2Baustralia%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.smh.com.au%252Fnews%252FMiddle-East-Conflict%252FExpulsion-of-Israeli-envoy-covered-up%252F2005%252F02%252F04%252F1107476807834.html%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSCPToolbarNS%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fnews%2FMiddle-East-Conflict%2FExpulsion-of-Israeli-envoy-covered-up%2F2005%2F02%2F04%2F1107476807834.html

[ausiedownunderground]

30. This was not a "suicide bombing"!

The bomb used was 10 times bigger than Bali!!!!! Somebody wanted this man DEAD. A mercedes armoured car was blown into the third story of a nearby building!!!!!
The Bekaa valley is the home of "Hashish" manufacture.
The Syrian's need Lebanon as a "Tripwire" just like the US needs South Korea as a "Tripwire"!!!!!