Lebanon's Information Minister Ghazi Aridi says Fateh Al Islam are to blame for the murder of 6 UN peacekeepers.

"There is a link between the attack which targeted the Spanish contingent of UNIFIL and the combat between the Lebanese army and the terrorists of Fatah al-Islam in Nahr al-Bared,"

On Sunday, Fateh Al Islam spread their fight outside the Nahr Al Bared camp for the first time - killing a dozen people in Tripoli. Just hours later, they killed 6 UN peacekeepers miles away, in the south of Lebanon.

Labels: Fateh Al Islam, UN

A bomb has killed 5 UN peacekeepers near the Israeli border.

3 of the victims were Colombian, 2 were Spanish.

Fateh Al Islam have been threatening to target UN troops, and the Lebanese government says members who have been arrested have confessed to a plan to kill peacekeepers.

It happened in the south, in a clear attempt to frame Hizbollah - arch enemies of Fateh Al Islam. It comes just days after rockets were fired from south Lebanon into Israel - a Hizbollah tactic in last summer's war. But Israel and Hizbollah both say a Palestinian group was behind this attack.

Fateh Al Islam was created last year, after breaking away from a pro-Syrian group. It was funded by Hariri to act as a counterbalance to Hizbollah.

Labels: Fateh Al Islam, Hariri Militia, Hizbollah, Israel, UN

The UN has voted to create a tribunal to investigate the Hariri murder.

It will be established under Chapter 7, which refers to threats to international peace and security. It is the first time an inquiry into an assassination has been set up under Chapter 7.

It comes after the Lebanese parliament failed to support the Tribunal. The UN didn't like what Lebanon's elected representatives had to say, so they did it anyway.

An agreement between the UN and Beirut must be in place by June 10.

Labels: Hariri inquiry, Lebanon, UN

UN investigators looking into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri are focussing on a suspect in Turkey.

The man's name is Louai Sakka, a Syrian who worked closely with Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. It was Zarqawi followers who have been behind bombings in Syria in recent years, and they are also blamed by Lebanese and Syrian officials for smuggling weapons from Lebanon into Syria.

Sakka has been given life in prison in Turkey for masterminding attacks in Istanbul which killed 63 people in 2003.

In 2005, Sakka's lawyer said that unidentified men tried to force Sakka to testify against Syria in relation to the Hariri killing. He was threatened with death if he didn't comply.

We have seen similar death threats from Hariri thugs before. In 2006, they allegedly threatened to kill a key witness in the UN investigation unless he testified against Syria. That witness was later discredited.

UN chief investigator Serge Brammertz has praised Syria's full-cooperation, but hit out at a number of other countries for obstructing him.

Labels: Hariri inquiry, Hariri Militia, Lebanon, Turkey, UN

John Bolton, America's former ambassador to the UN has admitted he did obstruct a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and that he was "damned proud" of it.

During the war, he, and other Bush regime officials said they were waiting for the right time, because an immediate ceasefire wouldn't be "lasting".

Now the truth has come out - they wanted Israel to damage Lebanon as much as possible, before calling for an end to the war. They didn't care about Lebanon one bit, despite Fouad Siniora's tears.

Bolton says he only agreed to the ceasefire once it became clear that Israel wasn't achieving its military aims - and probably, once Israel gave its backing.

It comes just weeks after Israel revealed it had been preparing for a war against Lebanon for months, even though it claimed its atttacks were "in response" to the kidnapping of two soldiers.

Yesterday evening, John Bolton displayed more of his famous arrogant belligerance.

He sat on a live TV link from Washington to London and condemned the audience of a British television programme discussion on the Iraq war. He said it was "depressing" that people could sit with a "straight face" and question the success of the war in Iraq. In Bolton's world, no one would raise an eyebrow.

Labels: Israel, Lebanon, Media, UN, US

...with the US:
American Colonel William Crowe, in charge of the Iraq-Syria border Syria and Iraq says: "there is no large influx of foreign fighters that come across the border."

...with the Hariri inquiry:
“The last three missions in particular were arranged and facilitated in a professional and timely manner by the Syrian authorities.” Syria “has continued to provide the commission with assistance in response to its requests within the appropriate timescales, and the commission is grateful for the logistical and security arrangements provided by Syrian authorities.” (Serge Brammertz).

Labels: Iraq, UN, US

Syrian authorities have caught a van carrying weapons heading towards the Lebanese border.

It was a vehicle with Iraqi number plates. It has been revealed in a UN report on the Syria-Lebanon border, which the UN says the two countries are now co-operating on.

Labels: Iraq, Lebanon, UN

The UN says the world is in denial about the Iraq refugee crisis in Syria and Jordan. Both countries have asked for more help.

Syria hosts about 1.2 million, and Jordan has 800,000.

The UN praised Syria for its work, and the US even sent a top level government minister to discuss the problem.

Labels: Iraq, Jordan, Refugees, UN, US

"We would like to work as much as possible to see your country Syria recuperate the territory taken in 1967," said EU Foreign Police chief Javier Solana in a joint press conference in Damascus, after meeting the President.

Incredible words from a man who was until last week boycotting Syria. The EU has ended its ban on contacts with Syria in remarkable style.

It will soon be 25 years since Israel annexed the territory, amid criticism from the UN, EU and even the United States.

Labels: Israel, Israeli Occupied Syrian Golan Heights, UN, US

The mysterious ten.

Serge Brammertz, who is investigating the assasination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri, said there are ten countries not co-operating. He also said Syria is "fully co-operating".

Russia threatened to take the issue to the Security Council, demanding to know which ten countries were obstructing the investigation. But Brammertz kept it a secret. Now, he is set to reveal the names in his next report.

They are said to include: France, Israel, the US, Jordan, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Germany.

Ironic, considering France and the US threatened Syria with "further action" if IT did not co-operate.

Labels: France, Hariri inquiry, Israel, Lebanon, UN, US

The US government says its highest-level visit to Syria was "useful".

Bush sent Ellen Sauerbrey, the US assistant secretary of state for refugees and migration, to talk to Bashar.

US State Department spokesman Tom Casey said they had direct talks. A representative from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees was expected to attend, so the US could say the US and Syria didn't have direct bilateral talks.

Sauerbrey was in Damascus to talk about the Iraqi refugees. The Syrians "expressed their willingness to continue hosting displaced Iraqis, although noting the burden that this does place on them and on their system," Casey said.

Bush asked his ambassador to leave Damascus two days after Rafiq Al-Hariri's assasination, clearly trying to pin the blame on Syria. But it is important to remember that the ambassador was just 'recalled', and not 'withdrawn'. If an ambassador is 'withdrawn' it means diplomatic ties are officially broken. An ambassador can be recalled to receive instructions in Washington, to do official business back home - or in this case, to apply pressure on Damascus.

It is just that this recall has lasted two years, and not one week.

It is an important point, and one that AP has slipped up on again and again.

Labels: Refugees, UN, US

Just two weeks before a crucial meeting between Syria and the US in Baghdad, Iraq's Ambassador to the UN says Syria is doing everything it can to protect the border with Iraq.

It has been a frequent American accusation that Syria isn't doing enough.

But Hamid Al Bayati praised Syria for stopping attackers crossing the border. He says other countries now need to do their bit to help: "[Syria] expected at the beginning for the Americans to give such [surveillance equipment including night vision cameras]. They said that the Americans didn't give them such equipment, so they can't guard the borders," he said.

America accuses Syria, while Iraq praises Syria but says America needs to pull its weight. Sound familiar?

Refugees in Syria - UN praises Syria for taking one million Iraqi refugees...but asks America to pull its weight.

Hariri inquiry - UN praises Syria's "full co-operation"...but says 10 countries have blocked the inquiry (thought to include America).

Peace with Israel - Israel says it wants to talk to Syria, Syria says it wants to talk to Israel...but America blocks peace talks.

Labels: Hariri inquiry, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Peace talks, UN, US

Twice in one week.

You wait years for the US to talk to Syria, then you get two promises of discussions in one week.

First, they announce a conference in Iraq, to be attended by both countries in two weeks. And now, a senior US State Department official is visiting Syria.

Ellen Sauerbrey, the assistant secretary for the bureau of population, refugees, and migration, will discuss the Iraqi refugee crisis with the Syrian government. She has previously supported dialogue with Syria: "I think that anytime that you can get parties talking to each other that something constructive has a likelihood of coming out of it."

Syria is home to one million Iraqi refugees, and has recently tightened its entry requirements, prompting the UN to call on the world to help Syria deal with its migrant community.

President Bush recalled his ambassador to Damascus two days after the Hariri killing. The embassy remains open, but Bush has blocked anyone at the embassy from talking to Syrian officials.

"Her visit is a way of saying we appreciate that Syria is permitting so many Iraqis to stay there and give them at least a safe place to be. That's an important gesture," says Dawn Calabia , a senior adviser at Refugees International, a Washington-based advocacy group.

It comes just weeks after Republican Senator Arlen Specter (from the same political party as Bush) visited Damascus - when he returned he told Bush that talking to Syria about the refugee issue would be a good way of rebuilding the US-Syria relationship.

Interestingly, today's announcement was accompanied by the following message: "...according to a State Department official, who asked to speak anonymously because he was not authorized to talk publicly on the issue." A disclaimer often used by Syrian officials.

Labels: Refugees, UN, US

Just days after the major protests in Damascus over the refugee crisis, there have been some important developments.


Photo: John Wreford. The sign reads: "How can we return and the violence is still there?"

The US and Syria are talking - for the first time in years. US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice says she has authorised negotiations to 'launch a new initiative' to help Syria deal with the flood of Iraqi refugees (lets hope it is more sucessful than their previous 'initiatives').

They will apparently talk about co-operation on refugee issues, and speeding up processing of refugees - to get them from Syria to America more easily.

It all comes from a change in Syrian visa laws. Until now, Arab citizens had been exempt from rules allowing visitors to stay for just 15 days. But strained under the weight of one million Iraqi refugees, Syria finally changed the rules, to make Iraqis subject to the normal limits. Syria has taken half of all the people who have fled Iraq.

Finally, America has accepted responsibility for part of the mess they have caused in Iraq, by talking with Syria about the refugee crisis they have imposed on Damascus.

Let's just hope they are talking WITH and not just talking AT Syria.

The last time there were any positive words between Washington and Damascus was in September when Syria foiled a terrorist attack on the US embassy.

UN PROMISES IRAQIS WON'T BE SENT HOME

The other major development is a statement by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres has thanked Syria for taking in such a large number of Iraqis. And they say Syria has promised not to send anyone back to Iraq despite the change in visa rules.

He made the annoucement in the Damascus suburb of Sayda Zeinab, one of the main destinations for Iraqis arriving in Syria.

Guterres has also visited Saudi Arabia and Kuwait - both of those countries have banned refugees from entering.

It seems people power works.

Labels: America, Iraq, Refugees, UN