"IT'S WORTH A SHOT"

"Realists" would have us "engage" and "dialogue" with these guys.

According to the pro-Hariri newspaper al-Mustaqbal, the members of the new group were sent to Lebanon by the Assad regime to assassinate 36 Lebanese political figures. They were reportedly deployed in refugee camps in the north and in Beirut's southern suburb (Bourj al Barajnah). Once in Lebanon, they were told to coordinate their actions with Fatah Intifada's number two, Khaled al-Emleh.

Investigations with two arrested members of Fatah Islam apparently unveiled the plot, prompting Fatah Intifada to quickly disassociate itself from the new movement, which also quickly declared its independence from Fatah Intifada after using their offices for more than 56 days. Interestingly, the arrested members, a Syrian and a Saudi, identified themselves as Fatah Intifada members.

Fatah Intifada is practically run by Syrian intelligence, and has "bases" along the Syrian border, from which they occasionally shoot at Lebanese army soldiers if they dare approach their "territory".

Al-Mustaqbal said Lebanese army intelligence arrested the two members following their involvement in the killing of other Palestinian militants in the Baddawi camp in the north four days ago. They both carried Syrian passports issued in Damascus. They reportedly confessed to being members of a 200-strong group led by Syrian intelligence agent Mahmoud Kolaghasi.

To quote Lee Hamilton, "It's worth a shot" Indeed, IT IS worth a shot , from a .50 cal. Barrett M107 rifle.


In reaction, the French, who have troops in Lebanon as part of a U.N. brokered "peacekeeping force," sponsored another "Resolution."

In New York, French U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere on Thursday asked the Security Council to adopt a statement extending "its full support for the legitimate and democratically elected government of Lebanon."

The statement would also condemn any unlawful effort to topple the government or "intervene in Lebanon's internal affairs," according to a copy of the text obtained by Reuters.

Oh, goody goody. These are the guys who are supposed to guarantee Israeli defense interests. Is there any question that the Israelis won't fall for that one again? Anybody say 200 Israeli "nukes?"

Life imitates a Peter Sellers movie.