Whitehouse converts to anti-imperialism. posted by Richard Seymour

You could call it the St Valentine's Day massacre. A suicide bombing went off in Beirut, killing 15 people and injuring 120 others. The target was former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was killed in the attack. The BBC reports :

Before leaving Damascus, US Ambassador Margaret Scobey delivered a note to the Syrian government expressing US outrage over the killing.

State department spokesman Richard Boucher said the US was not blaming Syria directly for Mr Hariri's death.

But he said the incident underlined what he called the distortions caused by the presence of 14,000 Syrian troops in Lebanon.

"Yesterday's bombing calls into question the stated reason behind this presence of Syrian security forces: Lebanon's internal security," Mr Boucher said. [Emphasis added]

Further :

Condoleezza Rice - who has recalled the US ambassador to Syria - said she was not blaming the attack on Syria but its presence in Lebanon was destabilising. [Emphasis added]

They logic is, of course, unimpeachable. If you occupy someone else's country, whether with 14,000 or 130,000 troops, you can expect insecurity and instability. If you then experience insecurity and attacks because of it, you can't then claim that your presence there is to maintain the security of the country you are occupying. Hence :

"The United States takes this opportunity once again to call for the immediate implementation of Resolution 15-59, including the withdrawal of all Syrian forces, the disbanding and disarmament of all militias, and an end to foreign interference in the political independence of Lebanon. The Lebanese people must be free to exercise their political choices without intimidation or the threat of violence".

Irony, like Karma, is a considerable pain in the arse.