Powell: Israel’s proxy messenger of death gives Syria an ultimatum

What message has Colin Powell taken to Damascus? Is it a tale of the messenger of death forewarning his victim of a cruel fate if he ignores demands to mend his ways?

While Colin Powell’s visit to Syria is described as the latest US offensive in its “War on Terror”, many political pundits are not surprised that his destination is Damascus é not Tel Aviv.

In the heat of the US-led invasion of Iraq, many feared that the Bush administration was poised to unleash its awesome arsenal on Syria. The war-talk emanating from senior Pentagon officials, including hostile gestures from Donald Rumsfeld, left no doubt that Syria was next, and Iran would be pummelled thereafter or concurrently.

Now that Bush has declared the end of his war on Iraq and entrenched an American general as governor of Iraq, what remains of his “War on Terror” is to reign in “terrorist organisations”.

As Powell faces up to Bashar al-Asad, his message will, in all likelihood, offer the Syrian leader Hobson’s choice: “either you crush the terrorists you harbour, or we crush you!”

And lest al-Asad forgets the fate of Saddam Hussein and his humiliating, albeit, mysterious exit from his throne of power in Baghdad, Powell will remind him that America is right next door, and so is Israel, and so are many more deputy sheriffs whose countries are hosting US military bases.

Syria is in a pinch. America’s powerful pro-Israeli lobby, which includes Rumsfeld, Cheney and Wolfowitz, as the top dogs prosecuting the “War on Terror” on behalf of the Zionist regime, will not countenance any state which provides support for “terrorists” that threaten the very existence of the Jewish state.

What does Bashar al-Asad do in a situation that provides him no chance to exercise his rights to sovereignty?

Does he turn to the United Nations to insist that the Security Council, of which Syria is a member, and incidentally, voted along with the US in support of Resolution 1441, intervenes?

Or does he shut down the offices of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and hand over their members to Mossad?

Does he refuse to co-operate and face an American invasion, preceded with intense carpet bombing of Damascus, and other ancient cities?

As conflicting reports filter through of what may or may not be demanded of Syria, it cannot escape the attention of analysts that US foreign policy is shamelessly manipulated by Israeli lobbyists to further Zionist expansionist plans.

Just as al-Asad is facing a dilemma about how best to respond to Powell’s blackmailing, it is likely that the millions of anti-war protestors are pondering their next move. Be sure that Israel’s hijacking of America will not escape their attention.

As Powell continues his mission on behalf of Israel to Beirut, bearing the same message of death by insisting that Lebanon shuts down Hizbullah, one hopes that he is reminded of the Mandela lesson taught to Clinton.

When challenged by America to cut ties with so-called rogue states, Mandela responded by saying that those who do not like South Africa’s relations with Cuba or Libya, can “jump in a lake”. This, in the presence of Clinton.

(Mr. Iqbal Jasarat is Chairman of the Media Review Network, which is an advocacy group based in Pretoria, South Africa.)