Bush administration completes get-tough plan for Syria

[shraby]

Tuesday, September 28, 2004
The Bush administration has drafted contingency plans for bringing military and economic pressure against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Officials said the administration has determined that diplomacy has failed to resolve U.S. concerns that Syria has been working to destabilize the interim government in Iraq.

They said the Assad regime has been harboring senior operatives of Abu Mussib Al Zarqawi, regarded as the most lethal insurgent in Iraq, aides to Saddam Hussein as well as Iraqi nuclear scientists as part of a Syrian policy coordinated with Iran.

On Monday, the State Department reiterated its criticism of Syria for its harboring groups deemed as terrorists, Middle East Newsline reported. The department refused to condemn the Sept. 26 assassination of a Hamas leader in Damascus in a car-bombing attributed to Israel.

(more)
<http://216.26.163.62/2004/ss_syria_09_28.html>

Doesn't look good

[Disturbed]

1. Al Zarqawi

"The delegation argued that Syria has intensified its support of Al Zarqawi and pro-Saddam forces in an effort to torpedo Iraqi elections scheduled in January 2005."

To clarify: The Sunnis and Al Zarqawi are allies?

I still don't understand who is running for what in these Iraqi elections. Only three months away and no campaigns. Will Allawi run for PM? If so he would get less votes than Saddam who says that he is running for PM.