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Jan. 9, 2009

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Why there's hope amidst the destruction

Martin Peretz: At War, Not at War

Charles Krauthammer: Will Olmert screw it up yet again?

Jan. 8, 2009

Stratfor Geopolitical Intelligence Report: Arab regimes secretly rooting for Israel?

Larry Elder: Israelis and Palestinians: Who's David, Who's Goliath?

Jeff Jacoby: Yes, it's anti-Semitism

Jan. 7, 2009

Jonah Goldberg: Who are the real Nazis?

Anne Applebaum: Pointless Peace Proposals

Jan. 6, 2009

Caroline B. Glick: Iran's Gazan diversion?

Dennis Prager: Dissecting Dershowitz

Jan. 5, 2009

Mark Steyn: Gaza has its version of rocket scientists

Mona Charen: The So-called International Community

Jan. 2, 2009

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Having a holy tongue

Caroline B. Glick : Hamas' march to victory

Dec. 31, 2008

Dore Gold: Is Israel Using 'Disproportionate Force'?

Renee Enna:: Succulent 'stewp' is quick, easy fix

Dec. 30, 2008

Jonathan Mark: Israel's Response Is Disproportionate

Wesley Pruden: It's time once more to blame the Jews

Dec. 29, 2008

Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Chanukah: 'Give me Judaism or give me death'

Michael B. Oren: A crisis and an opportunity

Dec. 26, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: When the past meets the future

Caroline B. Glick: Iran and Hamas do Christmas

Dec. 24, 2008

Rabbi Dovid Zauderer: Judaism's Santa problem

The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman CHANUKAH FORK-FINGER FOOD FEAST

Dec. 23, 2008

Caroline B. Glick: Repeating failure in Gaza

Dec. 22, 2008

Rabbi Boruch Leff: Too many Jews today are missing the intended purpose of one of Judaism's most beloved holidays

Barry Rubin: Liar, liar, pants on cease-fire

Dec. 19, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The Final Battlefield

Caroline B. Glick: Betting on a dead horse

Dec. 18, 2008

The Kosher Gourmet by Steve Petusevsky: Juicy Chef's hella top, hella bottom, hallelujah in the middle

Craig Crossman : More gifts for geeks --- and those who love them

Dec. 17, 2008

Dion Nissenbaum: Israel kicks out outrageously biased UN official

Craig Crossman : Gifts for geeks --- and those who love them

Dec. 16, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: The Gift of Joy

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Uncle Shariah

Dec. 15, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Expert witnesses who put themselves first

Barry Rubin: What they say isn't what you hear

Dec. 12, 2008

Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Can the Bible be a secular language?

Caroline B. Glick: What a PM Netanyahu faces from Washington

Dec. 11, 2008

Rabbi Leiby Burnham: Our role in the Divine's global corporation, World Inc.

The Kosher Gourmet by Steve Petusevsky: A retro-tasting pareve pot pie made with a light hand

Dec. 10, 2008

Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn: Groom admits he was caught "red handed"

Kara McGuire: No money for gifts? No problem

Dec. 9, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Can I make my boss treat me fairly?

Stratfor Geopolitical Intelligence Report: Next Steps in the Indo-Pakistani Crisis

Dec. 8, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: 'Chanukah Bush' flap and graciousness

Mark Steyn: Jews get killed, but Muslims feel vulnerable

Dec. 5, 2008

Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: Truth --- The Key to Gratitude

Jeff Jacoby: UN's obsession is grotesque and Orwellian

Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review Oct. 20, 2005 / 17 Tishrei, 5766

On to Syria?

By Jack Kelly

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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | On the morning of Oct. 12th, Syria's Interior minister, Maj. Gen. Ghazi Kanaan, was found dead in his office from a gunshot wound to the head. Kanaan's death was ruled a suicide, but there were doubters.

"For those of you who don't know what 'committed suicide' means in Syria, it means someone committed it for him," said Anton Efendi, an American PhD candidate who lives in Lebanon.

Kanaan was one of several Syrians questioned in the United Nations probe of the assassination of anti-Syrian Lebanese politician Rafik Hariri in February of last year. That assassination sparked massive protests, which led to withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, though intelligence operatives remained behind.

The day before Kanaan's death, four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals were arrested in connection with Hariri's murder.

Before becoming Interior minister, Kanaan had for 20 years been the chief Syrian intelligence officer in Lebanon.

"All high ranking Lebanese officials report directly to Kanaan and he has the final word on all major political and security decisions made by the Lebanese government," wrote Daniel Nassif in the Middle East Intelligence Bulletin in January, 2000.

Gebran Tueni, a member of Lebanon's parliament, told the Washington Post that Kanaan's death was "proof of Syria's involvement in Hariri's murder."

German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis has been conducting an investigation of Hariri's murder for the United Nations. Mehlis interviewed Ganaan in September. He is supposed to report the results of his investigation to the Security Council by Oct. 25th.

Mehlis is likely "to point to a Syrian role in the killing but call for another stage in the investigation, focusing on Damascus," reported Britain's Financial Times. "Diplomats say that if Syria fails to cooperate, it would face political and economic sanctions."

Some who think Kanaan's suicide was assisted speculate Assad didn't want the U.N. to hear what Kanaan might have had to say.

"(Kanaan) must be the most knowledgeable person in the world about Lebanon," said an editorial in the Lebanese newspaper Ya Libnan. "Having him as a witness in the UN investigation is of paramount importance to find out the truth about Hariri's murder."

But Joshua Landis, a University of Oklahoma professor currently living in Damascus, speculates Assad had Kanaan offed for fear Kanaan might lead a coup against him.

"Kanaan was the most senior Alawi (the minority sect to which the Assad family belongs) of the Hafiz's (Bashar's father) generation. He had served as intelligence chief and minister of interior giving him influence over and knowledge of all branches of the security services...If Washington were to turn to anyone to carry out a coup against Bashar, it would have to place Ghazi Kanaan on the top of its list," Landis wrote in his blog, 'SyriaComment.'

Landis thinks a coup is unlikely. But several of his Syrian correspondents say conditions have deteriorated so badly the alternative to a coup could be breakup of the country.

If the UN imposes economic sanctions, bad conditions in Syria will get worse.

The London Times reported Saturday that the Bush administration has — through an Egyptian general — offered Assad a "Gaddafi deal."

The U.S. reestablished diplomatic relations with and lifted trade sanctions against Libya in 2003 after Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi agreed to give up his weapons of mass destruction.

The U.S. has offered to restore diplomatic and trade relations with Syria if Assad:

  • cooperates fully with the UN investigation of Hariri's death;

  • turns over for trial any regime members named as suspects;

  • stops interfering in Lebanon, and

  • stops supporting the terrorists in Iraq.

"Assad is desperately seeking a way out," an Arab diplomat told the London Times.

But most observers think Bashar Assad will reject the deal, either because he thinks he can survive despite pressure from the U.S. and the U.N., or because he isn't really in charge of the country.

However, the success of the constitutional referendum in Iraq, coupled with inability of the insurgents to disrupt it, means Bush can now devote considerable attention — and if need be, troops — to the problem of Syria.

The goal seems to be to "get (the regime) by the throat, and then really squeeze," Landis said.

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JWR contributor Jack Kelly, a former Marine and Green Beret, was a deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force in the Reagan administration. Comment by clicking here.

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