Israel Appoints "project manager" for Syria Talks
For readers in Canada, A half-hour talk show on Canadian Broadcasting C. that I recorded with Afshin Molavi, who wrote the excellent book, The Soul of Iran, will air on the Sunday Edition across Canada (and border states) on CBC Radio One, right after the 9 a.m. news. We talk about the Iran-Syrian relationship and how people in both countries view the Lebanon war. It also airs across North America on Sirius satellite radio, channel 137 (at a different time, but people with satellite radio should have the schedule). People can also listen live online by clicking here
FM Livni appoints envoy for possible Syria talks
By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent
20/08/2006
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni appointed a special "project manager" for possible negotiations with Syria. Yaakov (Yaki) Dayan, who until recently was head of the diplomatic desk in the Foreign Ministry, met last week with Tel Aviv University President Prof. Itamar Rabinovich, who headed the Syrian negotiations team under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in the mid-1990s.The Syrian Ambassador to Kuwait too a rather different line than President Asad in calling for Arab Unity.
Dayan is scheduled to meet shortly with Uri Sagi, who held the same post under PM Ehud Barak in the late '90s. Dayan has been asked to present Livni and Foreign Ministry officials with a document detailing the chances for resuming the diplomatic dialogue with Syria in the light of Syrian and Israeli positions on substantive issues such as borders, security and normalization.
Ido Aharoni, Livni's media adviser, confirmed Saturday Livni's appointment of Dayan but said there is no reason to infer from his appointment that Livni advocates resuming talks with Syria.
Israeli experts are divided when it comes to analyzing Syrian President Bashar Assad's intentions. Military Intelligence officials emphasize Assad's recent military threats, while Foreign Ministry officials take seriously his call to renew the peace talks.
People in both camps have expressed concern about the growing relations between Iran and Syria as well as their increasing support for Hamas. The declaration last week by Defense Minister Amir Peretz advocating the creation of conditions for talking to Syria followed a series of talks with Syria hands. Associates of Peretz say he has become convinced of the need to examine Assad's intentions. They see he views the Syrian president as an important factor in preventing a renewal of fighting on the northern border and in enforcing the arms embargo on Lebanon.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert opposes any deviation from his strict policy of boycotting Syria as long as the U.S. keeps it on its list of states that support terror. After the outbreak of hostilities in the North, Washington began considering a more conciliatory approach to Damascus. Israeli officials, however, do not expect to see a change in American policy before the Congressional elections this November.
Massoud Derhally writes in Arabian Business (20 August 2006) that the Lebanon war has:
lessons for the Arab world as well. For those of us who believe in democracy it is now all too clear that we cannot rely on untrustworthy friends like the US or for that matter Britain. No one knows that more than the embattled Lebanese prime minister Fuad Siniora, who was eagerly courted by Washington when it suited its purpose during the so called "Cedar Revolution," last year, only to realize he and his nation are nothing more than an expendable asset. If anything France's stance has been most honorable and a barometer of what others should have done.Addendum: Here is Farid Ghadry's response to Israel's opening the door to dialogue with Syria sent in an email circular. He is the head of the Washington based Syrian Reform Party:
For the impotent Arab governments that stood idly by and watched, as Israel callously butchered innocents, their behavior is reprehensible and despicable. The ineptitude of Arab nations will only serve to confirm the perceived mendacity of regimes among their citizens and portentously add to the political malaise that pervades the region.
The present leadership of Israel is weak and inexperienced. Faced with adversity, it is buckling under the pressure. It believes that Assad will become a civilized man suddenly and will, once he collects back the Golan Heights, refrain from attacking Israel using the plateau as a military point to finish what Iran started in the Middle East: The destruction of the Jewish State. The present Israeli leadership simply do not understand that once the Golan Heights is returned, Assad's nationalism and raison d'être will, eventually, break down his system of tyranny. Assad does not want the Golan Heights back. He just screams for it to gain more popularity. The only way Israel can have peace is when real democratic changes take place in Syria after the fall of the Assad minority-led regime.Arab Foreign Ministers are meeting in Cairo today (Sunday) to agree on a plan to rebuild Lebanon: ``This is a war over the hearts and mind of the Lebanese, which Arabs should not lose to the Iranians this time,'' said a senior Arab League official. Kuwait has offered 800 million dollars.
posted by Joshua Landis @ 8/20/2006 07:59:00 AM
25 comments
links to this post
25 Comments:
Alex,
Assad was on his way to get his membership in the “preferred Arab ruler club”, as was announced then by secretary of state Albright, but he failed most of his tests, and spent the entire dividends left to him by his late father, His major miscalculations :
The regime support for Saddam prior the War “a shortsighted vision and the strong believe that Baghdad will never fall to the American”.
Open and uncontrolled passages to the Iraqi an Arab resistance into Iraq.
Syria’s blundered policy in Lebanon, and the inability to comprehend, and deeply understand the tactical changes in the Lebanon political life.
With the ultimate On-goal scoring “the grand HARRI mistake!!!”
Alex,
I strongly disagree with your statement, Assad and his regime have no VIOSIN and “they are NOT very highly motivated by their vision for a stronger and safer Syria”. Until now I haven’t seen any proof that Assad is leading with a vision!! It’s basically the policy of the blind leading the blind, His is spinning his Wheels!!!
any international outcast will not be seen smiling in the White or any other civilized capital other then Tehran for now.
Alex,
You may have a good vision for better Syria, you maybe able to help him getting out of this hole he is in, and start by advising him to stop digging deeper. By firing all of his advisors
I swear to God that I saw a link to a newly formed blog promising analytical cleansing of Dr. Landis' vomit, appropriately named Syria Vomit. Somehow it mysteriously disappeared. The administrator of the new blog seems to be a high caliber Middle Eastern (Lebanese or Syrian) professor who is ready to take on Mr. Landis.
This is what appears on his front page:
Syria Vomit
This blog is the antithesis of Syria Comment
While Dr. Landis (author of Syria Comment) claims to be highlighting (read sensationalizing) the Syrian perspective - we appreciate his opportunism is a means to an economic end- its just such a pity that it reads more like vomit than comment.
So instead of leaving him to ply his shameless trade to a hungry audience of humiliated and ignorant beings, grasping at any relief they can get from reality, an alternative is offered here.
Because most of us are lost, impotent, humiliated and incompetent, at Syria Vomit you can really tell it like it is - no politeness required here!
Make plain your lack of civility, how brainwashed you are and finally your beliefs that have made it acceptable for lives to be destroyed, in the name of the Arab glory.
This is a place for everybody-including low lives - persons with limited cognitive abilities, and shameless little people including Landis himself
This is the blog's URL link:
http://syria-vomit.blogspot.com/
Come on, Landis you should still have some intellectual integrity left somewhere in the back of your mind to urge you to accept an intellectual challenge! At least refrain from deleting posts that you don't like!
Dear Mr. Landis,
Your posting today has aroused some inevitable questions:
-Why Israel at this moment of time is interested in peace talks with Syria?
- Who would be the counterpart 'project manager' on Syria's end?
- For how long is this Israeli government going to live? And how do we make sure that we won't fall into the Rabin deposit trap once again?
- who's going to sponsor these talks?
Thanks for your blog.
Keep up the good work.
true facts,
For God's sake migrate to the site you have mentioned and leave us alone. If you do not like a site, go to others that are more to your liking,what is the big deal.
Are you upset with Dr. Landis, or are you upset by the outcome of what is happening in the Middle East and how events are unfolding?????? Never mind, summer heat upsets a lot of people, normal thing, do not you worry.
Shooting the Messenger is what it is called sometimes. I mean your attitude.
You really disappoint me AuSauMaa. I don't visit sites that I just like. That's very boring!!! I always visit the sites that I don't like first, and I always listen to others' points of view even if I don't like them - including those of Michael Young. You seem to be the type who likes to burry his head in the sand and hopes everything around him is just fine!!! May be you should just straighten up and look around you. Actually, the real Middle East is completely unwelcoming to people of your attitude!!!
Dubai Jazz, There have been a number of Israelis who have been advocating discussions with Syria. Only a few days ago Rabinovich wrote an important article about the need to hold "secert" discussions in order to find out what the Syians want and what they can do. He is now part of the Israeli committee it seems.
Ori Nir of the Forward, the leading Jewish newspaper in the States, wrote on Aug 4.
Assad has declared a willingness to hold comprehensive talks with Israel, and Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz reportedly has pressed his government to explore the Syrian option. But elements in the Bush administration are said to oppose any steps to relieve the pressure on Syria.
In recent internal discussions, according to one well-placed source who spoke on condition of anonymity, some administration officials went so far as to advocate that America encourage Israel to attack Syria in order to induce the fall of Assad’s regime. It was impossible to corroborate that information with other independent sources, but some Israeli media reports suggested that officials in the Bush administration have encouraged Jerusalem to consider strikes against Syria. Several hawkish pro-Israel scholars and pundits, including Michael Oren and Daniel Pipes, have written columns in favor of such an approach.
Top Israeli and American officials have disagreed repeatedly over the appropriate policy toward Syria. Upset over Syria’s alleged support for anti-Israel terrorist groups and anti-American forces in Iraq, the Bush administration in the past several years has considered pushing for regime change in Damascus. Israel, on the other hand, continues to seek stability in Syria, viewing Assad as “the devil it knows” and objecting to the creation of a political void that could be filled by Islamists or by sheer chaos.
Some Israeli diplomats have been saying — both before the current crisis and in recent days — that the administration is making a mistake by not having a more nuanced policy toward Syria. Engagement with Syria, one Israeli diplomat said, does not necessarily have to lead to major rewards. America can pursue a modest, gradual process in which small carrots — or simply the holding back of sanctions — would be offered for small Syrian steps, the Israeli official said.
According to diplomatic sources in Israel and in Washington, in the past three weeks Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s government has turned to the Bush administration to intervene with Syria, only to end up relying on other third parties because of the White House’s policy of isolating Damascus.
Ori Nir suggests that Israel wanted to contact Damascus about the kidnapped Israeli soldiers to see if it could do anything and the US didn't want it to.
Now that the war is over and Israel failed to achieve its aims, I think it is feeling less beholden to the US. Israeli hawks are chastened and those who advocated talks are emboldened. That is my guess.
It is time for the Israeli gov to work for the Israeli people and tell the US gov the truth (you created a mess in Iraq and we do not want that mess on our border with Syria , then negotiate a peace deal with Syria and Lebanon at the same time with Israel returning the Golan Hights for a full peace and security and water gaurantees,the question is( can Syria seek this peace deal with Israel while the Palestinians being killed every day ?.that can be acheived if Israel agrees to stop all assasination and compleet seasfire and starting of negotiation with Hamas gov in return for Hamas recognition of the right of Israel to excist,with a peace deal between Israel and Syria and Lebanon there will be return and exchange of all prisnors and end to the conflict on the northern border of Israel,we should remember that the deal was negotiatd totaly in 2000 and was wiating for Barak sig ,this deal will make the gov of Israel claim victory and the US will jump in and claim cridet claimig that the sanctions encouraged Damascus to axcept the deal.sorry for the spelling mistakes.
When you truly sue for peace, your intentions become clear. When you continue to utter threats and nonsense, then you lose your case.
Siniora is boldly taking the initiative. We predicted this outcome over a month ago!
Siniora: Israel now has a chance to make peace with Lebanon
By Yoav Stern, Gideon Alon, and Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondents
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Sunday that Israel can exploit its military confrontation with Hezbollah in order to consummate a peace treaty with Beirut.
The premier said that in order for Jerusalem to take advantage of the opportunity for peace, "Israel has to behave wisely."
On the Syrian front, differences of opinion abound among the Israeli leadership over the possible renewal of peace negotiations with Damascus.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed reservations regarding recent statements by political figures over restarting talks on the Syrian track, saying that the comments may be misconstrued by the Assad regime.
"[People] don't have to warn us of war with Syria every day and on the other hand immediately pounce on an offer to hold negotiations with them," Olmert said.
"Damascus hoped that over the course of the present crisis it would augment its relevance, even hoping that it would become part of the overall solution," Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said at Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni appointed a special "project manager" for possible negotiations with Syria. Yaakov (Yaki) Dayan, who until recently was head of the diplomatic desk in the Foreign Ministry, met last week with Tel Aviv University President Prof. Itamar Rabinovich, who headed the Syrian negotiations team under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in the mid-1990s.
Dayan is scheduled to meet shortly with Uri Sagi, who held the same post under PM Ehud Barak in the late '90s. Dayan has been asked to present Livni and Foreign Ministry officials with a document detailing the chances for resuming the diplomatic dialogue with Syria in the light of Syrian and Israeli positions on substantive issues such as borders, security and normalization.
Ido Aharoni, Livni's media adviser, confirmed Saturday Livni's appointment of Dayan but said there is no reason to infer from his appointment that Livni advocates resuming talks with Syria.
Israeli experts are divided when it comes to analyzing Syrian President Bashar Assad's intentions. Military Intelligence officials emphasize Assad's recent military threats, while Foreign Ministry officials take seriously his call to renew the peace talks.
People in both camps have expressed concern about the growing relations between Iran and Syria as well as their increasing support for Hamas. The declaration last week by Defense Minister Amir Peretz advocating the creation of conditions for talking to Syria followed a series of talks with Syria hands. Associates of Peretz say he has become convinced of the need to examine Assad's intentions. They see he views the Syrian president as an important factor in preventing a renewal of fighting on the northern border and in enforcing the arms embargo on Lebanon.
Olmert opposes any deviation from his strict policy of boycotting Syria as long as the U.S. keeps it on its list of states that support terror. After the outbreak of hostilities in the North, Washington began considering a more conciliatory approach to Damascus. Israeli officials, however, do not expect to see a change in American policy before the Congressional elections this November.
how nice is it if Bashar invite PM Seniora to Damascus for friendly talk, may be he can re-arm HA faster.
Assiasa is not more than a throw away paper,The Arab regimes of Saudi and egypt and Jordon should be ashamed of themselves and stop calling themselves Arabs as they are Arab no more after they sold the Hamas gov and the Lebanese resistence.
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This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
Atassi my friend, I know we will continue to disagree on that part. Maybe the truth is somewhere in between our two different positions.
Here is a song describing the confident (overconfident) mood in Israel at the start of the war
I hope those who are bitter for not "winnning" will not make them want to come back for another round soon.
Dubai Jazz you made a very good point. Many people are frustrated that Syria does nto jump at what looks like good opportunities. But the Syrians have been through many experiences in the past that taught them to be extra cautious about many things
1) You can not depend on US support .. they will drop you when they have other goals to achieve tomorrow.
2) Israeli leaders do not last in their positions as long as Syrian leaders do ... when a Netanyahu replaces a dovish prime minister, don't count on him to respect his predecessor's positions in peace negotiations with Syria.
Of course on the other side, the Israelis are asking: "how can we trust the Syrians can deliver on a signed treaty, and how can we trust if we give them the Golan back they won't ask for more" ..
Ceding Golan legitimate price for a true peace with Syria
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party said Monday that in return for a genuine peace with Syria, it would be legitimate for Israel to cede the Golan Heights.
Asked if in exchange for a genuine peace with Damascus, he would be willing to return the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War, Dichter told Army Radio:
"In return for a true peace with Syria or with Lebanon, over those issues that from the standpoint of the land have a history, which we know and the Syrians know and the Lebanese know, I think that what we did with Egypt and with Jordan is legitimate here as well."
Dichter said that meant a return to the internationally recognized border.
Israel urged to give up Golan Heights
Israel should resume negotiations with Syria and, in exchange for peace, give up the Golan Heights, an Israeli cabinet minister has said.
It was not immediately clear whether Avi Dichter , the public security minister, on Monday expressed his personal views or spoke for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Israel captured the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War.
Asked by Israel Army Radio whether Israel should surrender the territory in exchange for a peace deal, Dichter referred to treaties with Egypt and Jordan in which Israel handed over all war-won land.
"What we did with Egypt and Jordan is also legitimate in this case," Dichter said. Asked whether that meant Israel should return to its international border with Syria, he said: "Yes".
Al-Jazeera
Dichter: Worth Leaving Golan Heights for Peace
(IsraelNN.com) Minister of Internal Security Avi Dichter stated today during an interview with Israel Army Radio that Israel could go down from the Golan Heights for the sake of true peace with Syria.
“The territorial concessions are similar to those we paid for peace with Jordan and Egypt,” stated Dichter. However, he added that the “water issue and the Kinneret are a matter that I would not yield on so easily.”
IsraelNN
Israel's vice premier says time is not right to resume peace talks with Syria
JERUSALEM Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres is dismissing a suggestion from the defense minister that negotiations with Syria should resume.
Peres says Israel is too busy trying to deal with Lebanon and the Palestinians and the time isn't right to put out feelers to Damascus.
The suggestion last week from Defense minister Amir Peretz came at a time of growing concerns in Israel that Syria, if left on the sidelines, would further deepen its ties with Iran.
Peres tells Israel radio that Jerusalem "can't take on too much." He says he doesn't think "a country like ours can deal with so many issues at a time."
He also suggested there would be domestic repercussions if Israel were to approach Syria.
Peres says he believes its unlikely Syria's president is even contemplating a return to negotiations.
AP
"True Facts",
if you are so fond of the articles on alseyassah.com, why not link directly to them?
It's easy:
[smaller than]a href="link"[bigger than]text[smaller than]/a[bigger than]
Of course, you have to substitute [smaller than] and [bigger than] with the corresponding mathematical signs.
I don’t buy it. This is a political balloon at best if not an outright scam. There is no "strategic" interest for Israel to go into discussions with Syria at this moment according to the Likud/Kadima thinking and the wider Israeli street. Not unless they can get to keep a piece of the Golan which is unlikely to happen
There are currently so many articles on Lebanon that I missed the following bombshell by Georges Malbrunot:
L'ombre du Hezbollah sur l'assassinat de Hariri
Publié le 19 août 2006
«Le Figaro» révèle qu'un Libanais, proche du mouvement chiite, est recherché pour avoir participé à la préparation du crime contre l'ancien premier ministre.
LES ENQUÊTEURS libanais, en charge de l'assassinat de Rafic Hariri, travaillent depuis quelques mois sur une nouvelle piste, qui conduit au Hezbollah. «L'enquête internationale dirigée par le juge Serge Brammertz s'oriente également dans cette direction», confirme, au Figaro, un proche de Saad Hariri, le fils de l'ancien premier ministre tué dans un attentat en février 2005 à Beyrouth. La liquidation a été imputée à la Syrie, qui dément avoir une quelconque responsabilité dans le meurtre. Le juge antiterroriste français Jean-Louis Bruguière, qui enquête sur le meurtre à Beyrouth de Samir Kassir, une autre personnalité antisyrienne, a été mis au courant de cette piste chiite, lors de sa récente visite au Liban. Brammertz n'a pas l'habitude de commenter ses recherches.
Tout commence par l'identification par les Forces de sécurité intérieure (FSI) d'un groupe de téléphones portables, qui n'a été utilisé qu'avant et juste après le crime. «Leurs propriétaires, une dizaine au maximum, ont cessé de s'en servir, après avoir reçu d'ultimes consignes pour échapper à la traque lancée après la mort de Hariri», affirme une source proche des FSI à Beyrouth. Mais l'un d'eux a commis une erreur, en appelant un de ses amis, qui ne faisait pas partie du réseau de complices.
Grâce aux relevés téléphoniques, les policiers ont enregistré le numéro de cet ami, puis l'ont interrogé. Celui-ci leur a livré le nom de son correspondant. L'individu, depuis, est introuvable. Il serait en fuite, vraisemblablement en Syrie, sa famille au Liban ayant reçu un appel depuis Damas. Selon le proche de Saad Hariri, il s'agit d'un Libanais, évoluant dans la mouvance du Hezbollah et de ses services de renseignement. Il est activement recherché, même si Interpol n'a pas encore été saisi d'une requête en ce sens. «Les enquêteurs libanais ont très peur de ce qu'ils ont découvert», explique la source proche de l'enquête. Les autres membres du réseau, eux, n'ont pas été identifiés.
Le Hezbollah n'ignore rien de ce nouvel élément du dossier. Maladroitement, en effet, des FSI sont allés interroger les membres de la famille de l'individu recherché, qui en ont aussitôt informé le mouvement chiite. Il ne s'agit pour l'heure que d'une piste. Ni les FSI ni vraisemblablement Serge Brammertz ne disposent de preuve pour étayer leurs soupçons. Mais les uns et les autres jugent cette piste «sérieuse». Elle ne modifie pas l'orientation générale de l'enquête : la Syrie reste pointée du doigt. «Les Syriens ont cloisonné l'opération, en confiant à leurs différents alliés au Liban le soin de préparer cet attentat, sans que l'un sache ce que l'autre avait à faire», estime un spécialiste des questions de sécurité.
La Syrie reste pointée du doigt
Dans ce schéma, le Hezbollah avait son rôle à jouer. «Qui avait la capacité de faire entrer au Liban l'équivalent de 1 200 kilos de TNT ?», s'interroge le proche de Saad Hariri. «La Syrie, un service de sécurité libanais à sa solde, et le Hezbollah», répond-il. En août 2005, quatre généraux libanais, à la tête des services de sécurité à l'époque de la mainmise syrienne, ont été les premiers à être écroués, sous l'accusation de complicité dans la préparation de l'assassinat.
Cheikh Nasrallah, le chef du Hezbollah, a-t-il été informé des préparatifs de l'assassinat ? Ses parrains syriens, maîtres du flux d'armes iraniennes qui lui sont destinées, lui ont-ils, au contraire, forcé la main ? «En impliquant le Hezbollah dans l'assassinat de Hariri, les Syriens tiennent Cheikh Nasrallah», assure la source proche des FSI. Ce qui pourrait expliquer que tout au long du conflit face à Israël, le chef du Parti de Dieu s'est beaucoup méfié des Syriens, selon une source informée dans l'appareil sécuritaire libanais. Pour lui, prendre désormais ses distances de son allié syrien peut s'avérer très dangereux.
Hariri gênait les visées du Hezbollah
Même si les relations entre Hariri et le Hezbollah n'ont jamais été solides, quel aurait pu être l'intérêt du mouvement chiite de participer à son élimination ? «De par sa stature, Hariri, le richissime leader sunnite, gênait les visées du Hezbollah au Liban et plus largement de l'Iran qui cherche à renforcer l'influence de ses alliés chiites dans le monde arabe», estime le proche de Saad Hariri. Les Iraniens sont-ils impliqués dans l'assassinat ? Quels sont les liens entre l'individu recherché et les pasdarans, les gardiens de la révolution à Téhéran ? Les enquêteurs cherchent des réponses à ces questions. Dans le contexte actuel, les révélations qu'ils pourraient faire sont potentiellement explosives. Elles risquent d'aggraver les tensions communautaires entre chiites et sunnites.
Le Figaro
SAK is now actively planing to change the regime in syria.
The timing of this "leak" is a bit suspicious.
We will have to wait for official confirmation to see if the information is correct.
If it turns out to be true, this means that the assassination was definitely the work of an intelligence agency, most likely Lebanese and Syrian (though Iranian is also possible and one also can't discard Israeli involvement yet).
Leaving moral questions aside, Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah is too intelligent and too shrewd a politician not to foresee the consequences of such a heinous act.
And Bashar al-Asad would be the first conspirator in history to openly discuss his motives for the crime with a foreign journalist (Seymour Hersh) just minutes before the crime is being committed. Obviously, the same can't be said of other members of the regime.
In the meantime, further evidence of Sunni extremism in Lebanon:
Lebanese Student Held in Germany for Planting Bombs on 2 Trains
A Lebanese student suspected of planting bombs on two German trains is reported to have lost a brother in the recent Israeli offensive and to have been angered by Western reticence in the face of the bloodshed.
The 21-year-old suspect, identified only as Youssef Mohammed E.H., lived in Kiel, northern Germany, until his capture early Saturday at the port city's main rail station, three weeks after the failed plot.
...
"He had relatives in Lebanon. His brother was killed there in an Israeli air raid a month ago. Youssef couldn't bear it. Maybe he wanted to take his revenge" on the West, an unnamed acquaintance told the mass-selling daily Bild. ...
Neighbors described Youssef as a likeable man and a deeply religious Sunni Muslim who prayed five times a day in a basement room of the dormitory where he lived.
...
Media reports (sic) said that Youssef had lived in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon before moving to Germany in September 2004.
Naharnet
"Media reports" is not entirely correct. So far, only the Bild tabloid is reporting this, not necessarily the most reliable source...
t_desco
can you please tell us in brief what did the french article say?
Hizballah is now the suspect in killing Harriri. This is going to aggrevate the relationship between Sunnis and shias.
Tarek,
you can use Babel Fish and Google Language Tools to get an automatic translation. Then you will have to use your imagination to make sense of it... ;-)
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