Kanaan's death: Was this part of the US-Syrian deal?
Kanaan Serie - Ghazi Kanaan died at about 11 AM GMT. The official Syrian News Agency SANA reported that he committed suicide. The announcement of his death came an hour after he told VOL that "this may be the last interview I will be able to give."
The announcement created many shock waves in Lebanon. Ghazi Kanaan, interior minister of Syria was not an ordinary Syrian. He was the kingmaker in Lebanon for almost 2 decades. Every Lebanese has a story to tell you about how powerful and ruthless he was. No one I spoke to believes such a powerful man would commit suicide. Even his neighbors in Syria told reporters: "This man could not have committed suicide. He is too strong and he loves life".
His death raises more questions about Syria's involvement in Hariri's murder than ever before for the following reasons:
- He must be the most knowledgeable person in the world about Lebanon. Having him as a witness in the UN investigation is of paramount importance to find out the truth about Hariri's murder: Who planned the killing, who executed the killing and who is behind the killing? As one political analyst said yesterday on ANB TV station " Ghazi Kanaan, is the black box" he was referring to the recorders that are placed in airplanes to determine the cause of the accident whenever there is a crash. The analyst continued: "Mehlis' report will now have a big void. It will be a big hole and no one will be able to fill it". According to Almustaqbal newspaper, Mehlis did not personally interview Kanaan. Kanaan was interviewed by other investigators. Mehlis interviewed Rustom Ghazaleh only.
- Syria's Bashar Al Assad denied completely any involvement in Hariri's murder during his interview with CNN, but said if any Syrians were accused of involvement, they will be considered traitors and he will be willing to hand them over for trial or will be punished by the Syrians themselves. The question is:
1- Was the CNN prerecorded interview planned to take place before the announcement of Kanaan's death? This made it too convenient for Assad and saved him a lot of embarrassments.
2- Did Kanaan really commit suicide or Assad ordered his assassination in line with his CNN confession that "traitors will be punished by the Syrians themselves". Very few are convinced that such a powerful man would commit suicide. Lebanese General Aoun was the most vocal about the doubtful suicide.
In the CNN interview Bashar Al Assad appeared more friendly than usual. He spoke in English most of the time and tried to smile a lot and even tried to crack a joke. Was this supposed to be the beginning of the rehabilitation in behavioral change?
The above could lead us to the conspiracy theory about a deal between USA, and Syria. This could be the third deal stuck between the 2 countries at Lebanon's expense.
1- The first deal was in 1984 between the late President Reagan and the late president Hafez Assad (president Bashar's dad) after Hezbollah's bombing of the US embassy and the US Marine barracks in Beirut. Lebanon was handed over to Syria on a silver platter and the US pulled out.
2- The second deal took place in 1991 between former President George Bush( president G.W.Bush's dad) and also the late president Hafez Assad. In that deal US again handed Lebanon over to Syria on a silver platter against Syria's support during the Gulf war.
This time Lebanon will not be handed over to the Syrians. On the other hand Lebanon will not be able to know the truth behind Hariri's murder. So the million that marched on march 14, will not be able to know the 'truth'. The evidence is gone. Kanaan will be the scapegoat. The black box is gone.
President Bush yesterday listed to reporters carefully in his oval office what is required of Syria in terms of behavioral change.
- Be a good neighbor to Iraq and Lebanon
- Don't interfere in their internal affairs
- Control your borders to keep the insurgents out of Iraq.
- Stop supporting the Palestinian rejectionist groups
- Be part of the peace process in the Middle East
The visit of David Welch to Lebanon at this time could be part of the deal. The deal was for David Welch to assure Lebanon of US complete support, ahead of the Mehlis report so that whatever deals are struck between US and Syria, Lebanon should not feel it is left out in the cold.
What will Bashar al Assad get in return:
Bashar could stay in power but will be scrutinized on continuous basis to make sure he delivers what he promised in the deal. He will be put under several tests. To guarantee his behavioral change, the US will keep him under pressure by arranging for standby alternatives. According to CNN many potential Syrian leaders have been issued visas recently to come to the US.
The US is not in the mood of another war in the region. Attacking Syria is the last thing on its mind. Changing Assad's behavior will be like killing 2 birds with one stone:
- The war in Iraq will be under much better control, since Syria will be able to control the flow of insurgents in coordination with the US.
- Lebanon will be able to move on without Syrian interference and regain its place in the world community as an independent and sovereign nation.
Weiterführende Artikel:
The announcement created many shock waves in Lebanon. Ghazi Kanaan, interior minister of Syria was not an ordinary Syrian. He was the kingmaker in Lebanon for almost 2 decades. Every Lebanese has a story to tell you about how powerful and ruthless he was. No one I spoke to believes such a powerful man would commit suicide. Even his neighbors in Syria told reporters: "This man could not have committed suicide. He is too strong and he loves life".
His death raises more questions about Syria's involvement in Hariri's murder than ever before for the following reasons:
- He must be the most knowledgeable person in the world about Lebanon. Having him as a witness in the UN investigation is of paramount importance to find out the truth about Hariri's murder: Who planned the killing, who executed the killing and who is behind the killing? As one political analyst said yesterday on ANB TV station " Ghazi Kanaan, is the black box" he was referring to the recorders that are placed in airplanes to determine the cause of the accident whenever there is a crash. The analyst continued: "Mehlis' report will now have a big void. It will be a big hole and no one will be able to fill it". According to Almustaqbal newspaper, Mehlis did not personally interview Kanaan. Kanaan was interviewed by other investigators. Mehlis interviewed Rustom Ghazaleh only.
- Syria's Bashar Al Assad denied completely any involvement in Hariri's murder during his interview with CNN, but said if any Syrians were accused of involvement, they will be considered traitors and he will be willing to hand them over for trial or will be punished by the Syrians themselves. The question is:
1- Was the CNN prerecorded interview planned to take place before the announcement of Kanaan's death? This made it too convenient for Assad and saved him a lot of embarrassments.
2- Did Kanaan really commit suicide or Assad ordered his assassination in line with his CNN confession that "traitors will be punished by the Syrians themselves". Very few are convinced that such a powerful man would commit suicide. Lebanese General Aoun was the most vocal about the doubtful suicide.
In the CNN interview Bashar Al Assad appeared more friendly than usual. He spoke in English most of the time and tried to smile a lot and even tried to crack a joke. Was this supposed to be the beginning of the rehabilitation in behavioral change?
The above could lead us to the conspiracy theory about a deal between USA, and Syria. This could be the third deal stuck between the 2 countries at Lebanon's expense.
1- The first deal was in 1984 between the late President Reagan and the late president Hafez Assad (president Bashar's dad) after Hezbollah's bombing of the US embassy and the US Marine barracks in Beirut. Lebanon was handed over to Syria on a silver platter and the US pulled out.
2- The second deal took place in 1991 between former President George Bush( president G.W.Bush's dad) and also the late president Hafez Assad. In that deal US again handed Lebanon over to Syria on a silver platter against Syria's support during the Gulf war.
This time Lebanon will not be handed over to the Syrians. On the other hand Lebanon will not be able to know the truth behind Hariri's murder. So the million that marched on march 14, will not be able to know the 'truth'. The evidence is gone. Kanaan will be the scapegoat. The black box is gone.
President Bush yesterday listed to reporters carefully in his oval office what is required of Syria in terms of behavioral change.
- Be a good neighbor to Iraq and Lebanon
- Don't interfere in their internal affairs
- Control your borders to keep the insurgents out of Iraq.
- Stop supporting the Palestinian rejectionist groups
- Be part of the peace process in the Middle East
The visit of David Welch to Lebanon at this time could be part of the deal. The deal was for David Welch to assure Lebanon of US complete support, ahead of the Mehlis report so that whatever deals are struck between US and Syria, Lebanon should not feel it is left out in the cold.
What will Bashar al Assad get in return:
Bashar could stay in power but will be scrutinized on continuous basis to make sure he delivers what he promised in the deal. He will be put under several tests. To guarantee his behavioral change, the US will keep him under pressure by arranging for standby alternatives. According to CNN many potential Syrian leaders have been issued visas recently to come to the US.
The US is not in the mood of another war in the region. Attacking Syria is the last thing on its mind. Changing Assad's behavior will be like killing 2 birds with one stone:
- The war in Iraq will be under much better control, since Syria will be able to control the flow of insurgents in coordination with the US.
- Lebanon will be able to move on without Syrian interference and regain its place in the world community as an independent and sovereign nation.
Weiterführende Artikel:
sfux - 16. Okt, 09:32 Article 1590x read
