Syria Claps Hands Over Ears, Shouts "I'm Not Listening"

As a follow-up to yesterday's report that a Syrian Interior Minister committed suicide shortly before the release of an investigative report into a Syrian role in the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, Bashar Assad is still denying any role in the former Lebanese Prime Minister's death.

Uh huh, we believe you.

"I think what happened targeted Syria. That would affect our relation with the Lebanese people and with most of the country."

Wait, the death of a vocal critic of Syria was somehow designed to hurt Syria? Pardon me if that tiny-moustache-logic escapes me.

"'We should re-evaluate what's going on in Iraq,' he said. 'What did we achieve, what did they achieve from that war in Iraq,' he asked. 'It's a very simple question. What did they achieve economically, politically, fighting terrorism? We didn't achieve anything. This is one example.'"

What's all this "we" crap? And since when does the United States of America care whether a two-bit punk dictator who can't even grow a proper moustache thinks we're achieving our military objectives? This is especially rich, coming the day after Sunni leaders made a break-through compromise on the new Iraqi constitution.

Of course, Middle East blogging tends to get me fewer hits, comments or links than any other posts I do, so I can't imagine anyone out there cares, but I think it's interesting to watch Bashar twist in the wind.