Terrorism-for-export returns to Lebanon, courtesy of Syria and Iran
Geostrategy-Direct, www.geostrategy-direct.com, October 11, 2005

After years of resting on his laurels, Ahmed Jibril has been ordered by
Syria to reactivate his Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) and begin operations aimed at
destabilizing Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority.

Western intelligence sources said Iran and Syria have cooperated in
bolstering the PFLP-GC with recruits and weaponry to carry out major attacks
in several Mideast states. The sources said the Syrian- sponsored and
Iranian-financed group would be used as an extension of Hizbullah for dirty
tricks operations against the new government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora
and regimes in neighboring Israel, Jordan and the PA.

"Both Iran and Syria want to provoke a crisis that would ease the Western
pressure as well as create a dependency on these countries," an intelligence
source said. "That's where Jibril comes in."

Jibril is one of the most brutal terrorists in the Middle East. More
importantly, Jibril, a captain in the Syrian Army, has been willing to do
the exact bidding of either Iran or Syria.

Jibril has been directing hundreds of Palestinians to cross the border from
Syria to Lebanon, the sources said. Many Palestinians have abandoned their
menial jobs for the promise of excellent salaries and the chance to butcher
Lebanese. The Palestinians have been bringing weapons, ammunition and
explosives in a bid to destabilize Lebanon and turn that country into a base
for attacks throughout the region.

The PFLP-GC maintains nearly a dozen bases in Lebanon, most of them in the
Bekaa Valley along the Syrian frontier. Most of the bases were established
during the 1970s as part of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon and have been
used for Syrian reconnaissance and sabotage missions.

Lebanese army forces have sought to block the Syrian campaign with thousands
of troops deployed along eastern Lebanon near the Syrian border. Lebanese
troops have also fought PFLP-GC and other Palestinian insurgents in northern
Lebanon.

Why is this happening now? Syria has been alarmed by the United Nations
investigation of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The sources said Syrian President Bashar Assad fears that he will come under
the types of sanctions that Libya endured in the 1990s after the downing of
the Pan Am passenger jet over Lockerbie, Scotland. The sanctions were not
removed until after Libyan ruler Moammar Khaddafy surrendered two
intelligence agents for trial in The Netherlands.

"Syria is not Libya," an intelligence source said. "If Assad is forced to
give up any of his people, he will be overthrown by members of his family.
It's as simple as that."

Assad appears desperate. He plans to lobby such allies as China, India and
Russia to stop the UN investigation, which has a deadline of Dec. 15.

The investigation by UN envoy and German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis is
expected not only to blame Syria for Hariri's assassination, but to name
senior Syrian military officers and officials as culprits.

The main culprit could be Assad's younger brother, Maher. Maher has refused
to meet with UN investigators.

Iran has been happy to help Syria. Quietly, Iran has been increasing its
hold over Assad and the ruling family in Damascus. Iran wants to ensure that
the panicky Assad does not make a deal with the United States as Khaddafy
did.

Already, Iran has been transferring stipends to key Syrian military officers
who could be counted on to stage a coup. At the same time, the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps, with an office in Beirut, has been helping foment
instability in Lebanon and working with Syrian military officers and Jibril
to assassinate opponents to Damascus. The one most likely behind this
campaign is IRGC foreign operations chief Qassem Suleimani.

The new Siniora government in Lebanon has appealed to the United States for
help. The Bush administration is ready to finance training and equipment to
Syrian forces and to deploy military personnel to help advise and mentor the
Lebanese army.

But Iran and Syria plan to torpedo such a move. Hizbullah members of
parliament have warned against any U.S. aid, and intelligence sources said
Iran could help foment unrest in Lebanon's military.

But Jibril has his sights set beyond Lebanon. He wants to resettle his
organization in the Gaza Strip where he can have much greater independence
from Iran and Syria. Jibril has met with Egyptian officials for permission
to enter the Gaza via the Sinai Peninsula. Jibril plans to send a delegation
from his terror group to the Gaza Strip over the next few weeks to examine
the feasibility of sending hundreds of operatives to the PA.