From Beirut to the Beltway

Days after it accused Saad Hariri of killing his own father and torturing a Syrian intelligence officer into blaming Syria, the Syrian regime will now accuse him of supporting an Islamist group to "carry out terrorist acts" in Syria, Cham Press reported today, adding that Syrian television will soon broadcast another "fresh surprise" confirming Saad's role in destabilizing Syria:

This time will be a full confession of the extremist Islamic group who were preparing to carry out terrorist acts in Syria with a support by the same chairman of the Lebanese front (Al-Mustaqbal Block) which tempted Hussam to give testimony against Syria before the International Investigation Committee.

"Reliable Syrian sources" told Cham Press that "Damascus has eventually understood the game in the region in this period. So it entered the game and [is] playing with the same method its opponents play in the region. At any rate... Syria ... succeeded to make a shock in the region and imposed itself as a major player in any game." (Bad English, but you get the gist)

Apparently, Syrian television has been sitting on "confessions" by these Islamists for quite some time, and will air them soon.

So here's the Syrian regime's modus operandi: they accuse people of doing what they do best. They say writers should write about what they know—well, desperate Syrian officials tap into their own repertoire of crimes in waging their propaganda war.

Pretty soon, this organization that Saad is funding will turn out to be the same one that claimed the Hariri assassination. Or better, some high-ranking Syrian official will be eliminated by this fictitious group. Or worse, what Jumblatt has claimed: that Syrians are preparing more terrorist attacks in Lebanon, possibly in coordination with Lahoud and the remnants of his security regime.

Coinciding with this, Damascus is "testing its air raid sirens for the first time in years, as though preparing for an invasion," Michael J. Totten reports on his blog, quoting a friend who lives in Syria. Fear tactics? What's being cooked?