Dr. Haytham Mouzahem

US, Syria make progress in Iraq talks written by: Haytham Mouzahem, 05-Jan-2005 Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, meets with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2005 in Damascus. US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said yesterday during a visit to the Syrian capital Damascus that Syria had made a lot of progress in controlling its border with Iraq, but still needed to do more to stop fighters moving across the frontiers. Syria responded by saying that the US administration had no evidence to support the claims renewed by Armitage over the weekend. "Syria has made some real improvements in recent months on border security. But we all need to do more, particularly on the question of former regime elements participating in activities in Iraq, going back and forth from Syria," Armitage told reporters in Damascus. Armitage, who arrived in Damascus early yesterday for talks with Syrian officials on its alleged role in the Ira...

US calls for a total Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon written by: Haytham Mouzahem, 17-Dec-2004 Some 2,000 Lebanese demonstrate in Beirut against Syria's political and military dominance in Lebanon. The United States said Syria doesn't comply at all with the United Nations Security Council resolution 1559 which calls for the withdraw of foreign troops from Lebanon and disarmament of the militias, warning of taking new measures and possibly new sanctions on Syria, a senior US official said. In an exclusive interview with Almustaqbal newspaper, the US State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said “Syria’s record on 1559 is not very good. Syria says that it has withdrawn some troops from Lebanon, but we, along with the international society, want all troops to withdraw”. “The U.S. feels that it is time for the Lebanese people to enjoy full sovereignty and that includes the removal of foreign troops and the end of the militias presence”, in a signal...

Syria withdraws intel from Lebanon and Bush warns it of new sanctions written by: Haytham Mouzahem, 23-Dec-2004 Haytham Mouzahem Syrian forces have vacated three security and intelligence centers in Beirut and north Lebanon and left for Syria on late Saurday, under intense U.N. pressure to quit Lebanon, while U.S. President George W. Bush threatened on Monday to use new economic and diplomatic measures to pressure Syria over its suspected interference in Iraq before January elections The Lebanese army said in a statement on Saturday "Syrian troops pulled back to Syria today after vacating three security intelligence centers at Beirut airport, in the southern suburbs and the Batroun region". A Lebanese army official, who spoke on condition of anonimity to the Associated Press, expected more Syrian troops in Lebanon to redeploy in the next few weeks to eastern Bekaa region near the Syrian border according to the 1989 Ta'ef agreement that ended the civil war. ...

Zarqawi rallies Iraq's insurgents in new tape written by: Haytham Mouzahem, 19-Nov-2004 A masked insurgent carries a police flak jacket and rocket propelled grenade launcher after a police station was attacked in Mosul November 11, 2004. An audio tape purportedly from al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi urged insurgents to brace for new battles against US forces after the assault on Falluja. "The enemy... has mobilised most of its assets and potential to destroy Islam in Falluja," said the tape on Monday. "If the enemy finishes in Falluja they will move toward you, so be alert and foil this plan ... Advance toward them and rain rockets and mortars down on them," said the speaker, who sounded like Zarqawi, and who also called for attacks on U.S. supply lines in Iraq. The authenticity of the tape, posted on a Web site often used by Islamists, could not be immediately verified. "Be cautious and foil their plan," he said, in an implicit recog...