“…A Syrian role in the crime defies logic, though not possibility. President Bashar- el-Asad’s besieged regime is desperately seeking to avoid providing the hostile Bush Administration with a pretext for war, and has urgently sought improved relations with both the US and Israel. … Hariri dealt comfortably with Syria for years. Though reportedly privately against the continued presence of 15,000 Syrian `peacekeeping’ troops in Lebanon, Hariri was not a major threat to Damascus and kept mum about their troops presence.
Suspicion points at Lebanon’s far rightist, anti-Syrian Maronites; Israel’s Mossad; or Syrian or Lebanese Islamists. All had interest in destabilizing Lebanon and hurting Syria. Other suspects: rogue elements from one of Syria’s many competing security agencies; and business rivals of billionaire Hariri, who was a brilliant but ruthless entrepreneur.
The professional expertise of the bombing strongly suggests a state intelligence agency. …PM Sharon’s rightist Likud Party may be renewing previous efforts to bring Lebanon back into Israel’s sphere of influence. For the past quarter century, Syria and Israel have waged a dirty war of bombings and assassinations to dominate Lebanon and Jordan. The White House, following Likud’s advice, is hoping its threats and economic siege of Syria will provoke the overthrow of the Asad regime.
…Many Syrians would like to be rid of the Asad regime and US-imposed economic sanctions, but fear sudden change will produce chaos or civil war.
…Israel would welcome Syria’s implosion, as it did Iraq’s. Hence current Israeli efforts to press the White House and Congress to overthrow Syria’s unloved, isolated regime, whose only ally is Iran, itself a leading target on America’s Mideast hit list.”