AP:
Syrian president to deliver key speech -- Syrian President Bashar Assad will deliver a "political speech" Thursday touching on current political issues and the internal situation, the official news agency reported in a rare advance announcement of a presidential speechXINHUA:
AP:According to the report, Assad's speech is expected to be aired live by state-run television, which "will tackle current affairs and political issues and aspects of the internal situation". The last public speech Assad delivered was in March in the People's Assembly (parliament), during which he declared the withdrawal of Syrian troops from neighboring Lebanon among widespread anti-Syrian protests there and growing international pressure sparked by Hariri's killing.
Damascus dived into another round of mounting international pressure following a report by Chief UN investigator Detlev Mehlis on Oct. 20, which said there was "converging evidence" of Syrian and Lebanese involvement in the killing of Hariri in a car bomb blast in Beirut on Feb. 14. Syria has denied any involvement and dismissed the report as politically motivated, but it has promised to cooperate with the international investigation. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1636 on Oct. 31, demanding Syria cooperate fully with the UN probe in Hariri's killing, or face possible "further action".
Insurgent Entry Point From Syria Taken By U.S., Iraqi Forces -- BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. and Iraqi forces say they've secured a strategically important town on the border with Syria after four days of fighting.These news items reveal what's behind the move by Assad: The retreat of Syria from Lebanon; the UNSCR demanding that Assad's regime cooperate with the Hariri investigation, and the fighting near ther Syrian border act as a hammer and anvil - and in between is Assad. SMASH! Will Assad abdicate? I doubt it. But something big will be announced. STAY TUNED!
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Last night al-Jazeera reported that the prominent Syrian opposition figure Kamaal al-Labwaani, ususally described as a liberal, was arrested by the authorities at Damascus airport upon returning from a trip to the US, in the course of which he met, among others, with high-ranking administration figures.
This arrest strikes as a massive tactical blunder on the part of the Assad regime, giving critics abroad, in the Arab world and in Syria as well another well-founded reason for criticism.
And oh, before I forget: kudos to the US diplomats running the Syria show. How smartly they have adopted a moderate and an impeccable Syrian patriot as al-Labwaani. How carefully they have so far calibrated their pressure.
Michael, Germany
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