A Syrian government paper on Wednesday cast doubts over the involvement of Osama bin Laden in the September 11 attacks in the United States, saying Israel's secret service Mossad was a more likely culprit.
"One has to find out who benefits" from the attacks, ath-Thawra said, saying this reasoning would lead to Israel, and not Arabs or Muslims.
The United States has named bin Laden the "prime suspect" in the suicide plane attacks against the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon outside Washington.
"Why not suspect Mossad of having sought to shake the United States and the world, upon directives from [Israeli Prime Minister] Ariel Sharon who wants to divert attention away from his aggressive plot, and link the attacks to the Arabs, the Muslims, and Osama bin Laden", ath-Thawra said.
"If Osama bin Laden really had at his disposal such fantastic capabilities, sophisticated electronic talents and a meticulous organization, as they [the Americans] claim, he would have directed all that against Israel for the simple reason that it is closer," the paper argued.
Meanwhile, the government Tishrin paper called on Arabs "to work out a common stance" and "act swiftly" against Israeli "aggressivity" being carried out and covered up by the developments in the United States.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday returned from a two-day visit to Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, during which he called for "a unified Arab stance" on the terror attacks in the United States -- DAMASCUS (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
