How Would Syria Benefit?

HOW WOULD SYRIA BENEFIT?


The question is why would Syria order the assassination of Gemayel? Unlike the rest of his family he was a junior player, famous only for his surname. His grandfather founded the Phalangist, what could hve appeared to be a knock-off of the Brownshirts. This group has lost a lot of its standing because it collaborated first with Israel and then with Syria.

Gemayel assassination bears no earmark of a Syrian attempt. Remote controlled bombs were the norm. His assassins stop his car and shot him many times, while allowing his driver to escape. Why would Syria risk such an outcome?

Now, the gunmen escaped, if they had not the contract originator would be known. How does one commit this act on a busy street? My opinion, his attackers knew him by sight, in other words he was known to them.

Now we come to the political stuff. The assassination by Syria makes little sense since Assad's value to the region and his possible influence could be jeopardized. Plus the possibility of Assad being an ally to the US
in the worsening conditions in Iraq is becoming more and more likely.

Even world papers are questioning the Syria connection to the assassination. The International Herald Tribune, stated, Syria is on a semi-roll now in the political arena, so why would they want to kill this opportunity?

The Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz says, "pure political and diplomatic logic makes it difficult to see Damascus behind the assassination."

Syria has no benefits from the assassination of Gemayel. They are close to getting the semi-official stamp from Washington as the one of the only countries that can help calm things down in Iraq.


CHUQ
02/02/07