Friday, September 28, 2007

The assassination of Syrian militant preacher Abu Al-Qa`qa` (leader of the Ghuraba' Ash-Sham organization) in Aleppo is an interesting bit of news that will not get much coverage in Western press. Abu Qa`qa` has emerged as a key figure in recruiting volunteers from Syria and Lebanon for Iraq, and his relationship with the Syrian mukhabarat has never been clear: some say it has always been tense, and others say it has been good, and others say it has gone up and down. Any number of parties may be behind his assassination outside the mosque in Aleppo, but it is possible that this was one of the results of the Syrian rapprochement with the Iraqi puppet government, and in the wake of the visit of `Adil Abdul-Mahdi to Damascus. Syria may be preparing for its entrance to the Bush conference in November. (Reuters)