Possible Suicide Bomber stopped @ US Embassy in Beirut

[Dionysos]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...a/lebanon_us_3

By HUSSEIN DAKROUB, Associated Press Writer

BEIRUT, Lebanon - A Lebanese man with a suitcase of explosives, possibly to carry out a suicide attack, was arrested outside the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon on Wednesday. A second man, a Palestinian taxi driver, was arrested as a possible accomplice.

The Lebanese man was seeking to enter the embassy when he was stopped by soldiers at an army checkpoint about 500 yards from the compound, a senior Lebanese security official said.

The U.S. Embassy official confirmed that a man with "a suspicious package" was arrested when he tried to enter the embassy.

The man, identified as Abed Mreish, was carrying more than two pounds of explosives in a small suitcase, the Lebanese official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The official refused to speculate on the man's motives, saying Mreish, in his 30s, was being interrogated by army officers.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the man was stopped by Lebanese working for the U.S. Foreign Service, apparently guards. He said the second person arrested was a taxi driver who had apparently driven the bombing suspect to the embassy and it was unclear if the driver was involved.

"The device did not explode, nor was anyone harmed," Boucher said.

The Lebanese Army said in a statement that a Lebanese man and a Palestinian were arrested outside the U.S. Embassy while attempting to bring a bomb into the embassy compound.

"Investigation has begun with the two men. Attempts are under way to arrest all those involved with them and refer them to the appropriate court," said the brief statement faxed to The Associated Press in Beirut.

Wednesday's incident came less than a week after the U.S. State Department urged Americans in Lebanon to keep a low profile, vary times and routes of travel and avoid Palestinian refugee camps because of growing tensions and anti-American rhetoric in the Middle East.

A State Department travel warning posted on the U.S. Embassy Web site last Friday did not refer to a specific threat in Lebanon. However, it cited bomb attacks against American fast-food franchises and a British supermarket chain and the killing of an American nurse in the southern port city of Sidon in the last two years.

The statement noted that the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah, which is on the U.S. terrorist list, has not been disarmed and it maintains a strong presence in many Lebanese areas.

Lebanon joined the U.S.-led war on terror, but has refused American demands to dismantle Hezbollah, which is regarded here as a resistance movement for leading the guerrilla war against Israel's 18-year occupation of a border zone in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah is believed to have ties to Iranian-backed Shiite militants who kidnapped Westerners and bombed American targets in Beirut during the country's 1975-90 civil war.

On May 30, the United States reopened its consulate in Beirut, nearly 20 years since its closure during the war. In the mid-1980s, suicide bombers carried out two attacks on U.S. Embassy buildings, and Iranian-backed Shiite militants also bombed the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut in October 1983, killing 241 American servicemen.

Security has been very tight at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon going back to the suicide car bombs in the 1980s. Also, during the civil war, one ambassador and a diplomat were kidnapped and killed and another two ambassadors were wounded in the bombings of U.S. buildings.

Earlier this year, Lebanese authorities uncovered a terrorist plot to kill U.S. Ambassador Vincent Battle and attack the U.S. Embassy and other Western targets.

Some 35 people have been indicted for bombing U.S. and British targets in Lebanon between May 2002 and April this year in which five people were hurt. All 35 are charged with forming a terrorist network to bomb Western targets and harm Lebanon's reputation.

The attacks on Western targets in Lebanon have been linked to anti-American sentiments over the U.S. occupation of Iraq (news - web sites) and what is regarded as American bias toward Israel.

[USAcommitteeX]

Syria's illegal occupation of Lebanon, they have troops all over that country and could stop these terrorist attacks but they do not.

There is plenty of occupation going on over there - legal or otherwise.

Too bad the PLO would rather keep blowing up Malls, civilians, pilgrims etc rather than sit at a bargaining table - this is not to give Israel a pass - they've got bloody hands too.

However, there is no deal the PLO will accept short of the extermination of Israel - - and that ain't gonna happen any time soon.

[johnny861]

What?! This is not plastic explosives, sir... it is playdoh for my children!

You've got me all wrong!

[USAcommitteeX]

Syrias occupation is to impose their will on the Lebanese, Israels occuaption is all about protecting Israeli's since the Palestinian Authorty and Arafat's security force, don't enforce their laws-totally different situations

They are not totally different - there are large similarities.

In general though - I do think the Israelies have shown a great deal of patience and willingness to work with the PLO to acheive peace. I do not think the converse can be said about the PLO. At times the Israelies get fed up with getting killed after making what they regard as sacrifices for the peace effort (generally I would regard many of the efforts as sacrifices as well) - and I don't blame them. But they often do not react with proportionate responses - and again - I can understand why.

But, the occupations do have many similarities - the control of territory for defense purposes - control will require imposing one's will on the people in those territories - the Israelies have simply pursued and aggressive policy of settling those occupied territories.

[USAcommitteeX]

Israel is sending a message to Syria, the Syrian Dictator Bashar Assad had to replace every window in his palace South of Damacus, 4 Israeli F-15's droped down to 500ft. and went supersonic. They can fly rings around Damascus without being challenged, and Syrian migs donot attempt to engage the IAF that would be suicide, but the message to Assad is if he continues to allow terrorist groups to operate freely, then Israel will act. As for Hamas, there all hiding in Mosques, Hospitals, schools and basements in apartment buildings, and if they step one foot outside *BOOM* or if they use a cell phone *BOOM* They are good at making cell phones blow up when used.

In voting Wednesday, Hamas won 25 seats of the 51 on the council, Fatah took 20, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - a radical PLO faction - won five and the lesser-known People's Party got the remaining seat.

Check out this short video clip
http://server12.castup.net/cunet/gm....EF9600113DC588
They are portraying the suicide bomber who blew himself up in a pizza place in Jerusalem. Thats pretty damn sick Palestinian entertainment.

Who'd deny that the Israelie Armed forces are among the baddest ass fuckers on the planet. This is precisely why no middle-eastern power will attack Israel openly.

That Israelie jets knocked out the guys windows is a bit amusing.

Regarding Migs - these planes are put together with rivets - kinda like Knights with lances charging tanks - ok - not that bad - but - not that far off

[USAcommitteeX]

coup d'etat are common in arab countries, so the right people don't have the right power,Syrian military officers don't have the power to make decsions on the battlefield, Bashar Assad who failed military tattics 101 controls Syrias brokendown military. Since 1948 arab wars against Israel have all failed, 1948 when the Arab League attacked Israel one hour after the state was declared, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Egypt were defeated, then 1953, 1967, 1973, 1982, 1985, that must be why the arabs perfer terrorist tattics.