Tuesday, May 03, 2005

All The Syrians Haven't Left? Oh No, I Am So Surprised!

Do people truly believe that the Syrians would REALLY leave Lebanon? According to Lebanon's ex-PM, a bunch of Syrian Intel people stayed behind.
JERUSALEM – Although Syria claimed it removed its intelligence forces from Lebanon with last week's withdrawal of troops, Damascus continues to secretly maintain intelligence agents in the country, former Lebanese Prime Minister Michel Aoun told WorldNetDaily in an exclusive interview today.

"I have been given some information that confirms the presence of Syrian intelligence agents still operating inside Lebanon," said Aoun, speaking to WND from exile in Paris. "This includes the infiltration by Syria of the Lebanese security forces, some of whom are acting for Syria."

Syria last Tuesday reportedly withdrew the last of nearly 20,000 troops stationed in Lebanon and held a public ceremony in the Bekaa Valley bidding farewell to the heads of Syrian intelligence, who claimed all agents departed the country.

A U.N. verification unit consisting of eight members arrived in Lebanon Thursday to determine whether Syria had indeed withdrawn all its troops and intelligence agents in line with a Security Council resolution. The eight-member mission has been visiting former Syrian army and intelligence bases to certify all forces departed. It was not immediately clear how long the verification process would take or which methods would be used.

Syria's Ambassador to the U.N. Fayssal Mekhdad said Tuesday his country's pullout included all intelligence forces.

But Aoun says the information he received that Syria's intelligence apparatus continues to operate in Lebanon is firm.

"This comes from high level sources on the ground," he said. "Intelligence forces have carefully relocated. Plus the penetration of Lebanese intelligence by Syria is very deep. Many Lebanese intelligence forces, who may appear working for Lebanon, are really Syrian trained agents," said Aoun.

While Aoun wouldn't specify the location of Syrian agents, senior Lebanese opposition sources told WorldNetDaily last week Syrian intelligence officials have set up shop elsewhere in Lebanon, including refugee camps and Hezbollah bases.

The BIG question is, will the UN and others believe that Syria has pulled everybody? Or will they listen to people that are in the know about these things? Personally I expected something like this, because I don't believe Assad, and you know he did it for PR reasons only. He can't stop messing with Lebanon, because he feels that it part of his fiefdom, thus he is not going to pull EVERYBODY out, he has to leave some Intel people around to mess with the Lebanese Gov't and the people that oppose him. The UN inspection team will claim that all are gone just to whitewash the whole affair. I don't trust the UN, nor do I trust Assad, thus there are still Syrians in Lebanon.


Mr Minority