[WSJ]
"...WASHINGTON—The
assassination of Lebanon's security chief a week ago robbed the U.S. and Europe
of one of its closest allies in monitoring and countering the regional
activities of Lebanon's Hezbollah, as well as its backers in Syria and Iran,
said U.S. and Arab officials.
Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan headed
intelligence-gathering for Lebanon's police force, the Internal Security Forces,
which was among Beirut's primary recipients of U.S. financial aid since mass
protests forced Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to remove his troops from the
country in 2005.
Because of Gen. Hassan's ties to the West, Arab
and Western officials said they believed last Friday's car bombing in central
Beirut—which killed the security chief and seven others—was a warning from Syria
and Iran. Its aim, these people say, was to warn anti-Syrian politicians in
Lebanon and the West not to work for the overthrow of Mr. Assad's regime in
Damascus.
"This is a big blow for the Americans because
of Hassan's role inside Lebanon," said a senior Arab diplomat. "He was the top
intelligence chief and interlocutor."...
In late August, according to Arab diplomats,
Gen. Hassan visited Washington, where he held extensive discussions with the
head of the Central Intelligence Agency, David Petraeus, and other senior Obama
administration officials.
The two spy chiefs discussed Syria's efforts to
destabilize Lebanon using Hezbollah and pro-Damascus politicians, these
officials said. They also discussed Hezbollah's efforts to bolster Mr. Assad's
security forces inside Syria, by sending in military advisers and fighters.
Hezbollah has denied acting inside Syria.
A senior U.S. official praised Gen. Hassan as
"a significant figure" but stressed that U.S. intelligence ties to Lebanon go
beyond one person. "It would be wrong
to overestimate the damage to the U.S. from this one attack,........ His killing
doesn't have to be a trigger for even more violence."
Gen. Hassan also maintained close ties to
French intelligence....
The U.S. has
specifically worked with the ISF to deploy Lebanese security officials in areas
traditionally dominated by Hezbollah in south Lebanon and the Bekaa
Valley...."
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian
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