Austin Bay Blog

I cannot verify this report provided by Murray Kahl’s Middle East/Israel news email listserv. (It’s one of many Middle Eastern news sources I receive.)

Mr. Kahl gives free-lebanon.com as his source, but this particular post is not up at that website as of 6:00 PM CST March 5. The free-lebanon website is clearly a Lebanese Christian website (it is dedicated to Bashir Gemayel, a Maronite, who was assassinated in September 1982). Scroll down and you’ll find it has extensive links to statements by the “Lebanese government in exile” — in exile in Jerusalem. To me that indicates close Israeli connections. Weigh those possible connections as you will.

If other sources do not back up this report I will note that in an update — I always want facts, not allegations, but crises place an absolute preimum on obtaining facts.

Here’s the report on Kahl’s listserv:

Beirut: Militia men belonging to the Lebanese Baath party and the SSNP, Syrian Socialist National Party, burst into East Beirut, in the Christian district of Ashrasieh, the Sassine square, approximately at 1:15am, driving civilian cars with the portrait of President Assad and started showering the buildings with machine gun fire. Reports are a few people were hurt.

I think that means 1:15 AM March 6.

The site does have this post up:

Security reports coming from Lebanon indicate that a building belonging to the Syrian Military Intelligence in the city of Kobbeiyate has been attacked in Northern Lebanon. No details of the attack has [ED: tense mistake is in the email] been provided and no group has claimed responsibility.

This attack on the Kobbeyate military post came after President Assad of Syria delivered a speech of contradiction saying that Syrian troops will only redeploy to the East Bekaa Valley.

On Friday night, an explosive device was tossed from a moving car at a Syrian military post in Baalbek, eastern Lebanon, exploding but causing no casualties security officials said.

The Lebanese foundation for Peace will publish any new security report that will be coming out of Lebanon.

Take all of my warnings seriously concering the unconfirmed status of both stories. Note the possible prejudice of the source. Those warnings noted, the incident the unconfirmed report describes in East Beirut (the Christian sector) is precisely the kind of tactical response to the “democratic surge” I have expected from the Syrian Baathists. They will attempt to exploit the Muslim-Christian divide in Lebanon. Why? Because the Syrians have always exploited or attempted to exploit Lebanese religious divisions. Divide and conquer is an old game. As for the second report, I am certain various Lebanese militias will take any opportunity to attack vulnerable Syrian positions. However, as sweet as revenge may seem, I think attacks like these are politically stupid and dangerous. Attacks on Syrian positions give Syrian reason to “respond with force.” Could the attacks on Syrian positions be staged by the Syrians themselves? Of course. That’s an old ruse. Remember, Hitler claimed the Poles attacked in 1939. Stay tuned for updates.

Meanwhile, the US and France continue to put diplomatic pressure on Syria. For the record, the US and Iraq also keep military pressure on Syria (check Syria’s eastern border). But just the same we thank Jacques Chirac’s benighted government for adding a few tough words. We’ll be more gracious when Paris adds France’s 11th Parachute Division to coalition combat forces operating in Iraq…or Syria.

UPDATE: The AP had this as of 5:11 PM EST. My Google search didn’t turn it up. The East Beirut attack story now has multiple sources.