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U.S. withdraws ambassador from Syria By ANNEGEARAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — The United States pulled its ambassador from Syria on Tuesday, expressing “profound outrage” over the assassination of a Lebanese leader who had protested Syrian influence in his country. In Lebanon, noisy street processions mourned former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri a day before the funeral that will bring international leaders to Beirut. Angry Lebanese attacked Syrian workers in his hometown of Sidon, injuring several and shattering the windows of a Syrian-owned bakery. Many Lebanese are pressing Syria to withdraw its 15,000 soldiers — in the country for more than a decade. “We believe the Lebanese people must be free to express their political preferences and choose their own representatives without intimidation or the threat of violence,” State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in announcing the imminent return of U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey. Administration officials stopped short of direcdy accusing Syria of carrying out the murder. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the assassination was the “proximate cause” of the ambassador’s recall. I Asked if the United States would punish Syria with new economic sanctions, Rice said, “We will continue to consider other options.” “The Syrian problem is a serious problem,” Rice said. Syrians, Rice said, were supporting terrorism and insurgents in Iraq. “The Syrian government is, unfortunately, on a path right now where relations are not improving but are worsening,” she said. Scobey’s return does not break diplomatic relations with Syria, a country the United States has accused of exporting terrorism. Syria took no immediate reciprocal action, such as recalling its own ambassador from Washington. The Syrian ambassador, I mad Moustapha, said Tuesday that those insinuating Syria had a role in the attack are “lacking logic” and accused people of trying to use a tragedy for political advantage. He also suggested damaging Syria was part of a plot. “Syria has nothing to benefit from what has happened,” Moustapha told CNN. “Certain factions are trying to damage Syria because of what has happened, and this indicates a sinister plot that does not only stop at the murderous act of assassinating Rafik Hariri but also trying to point fingers at Syria.” Moustapha added, “What has happened in Lebanon goes far beyond a mere assassination of a national leader.” He downplayed the recalling of the U.S. ambassador and said he did not know whether his government would ask him to return to Damascus for consultation. Hariri died Monday when a huge car bomb blew up his motorcade in downtown Beirut. Sixteen others died in the bombing. The killing was the most serious and destabilizing violence in Lebanon in more than a decade. It came just as Israel and the Palestinians were taking hopeful steps toward a peace agreement — and as the Bush administration was pressing for greater democratic changes elsewhere in the Middle East. The bombing also made Syria an unwelcome front-burner problem for the Bush administration. Not quite one month into his second term, President Bush was already facing new diplomatic headaches with Iran and North Korea. Syria, which has denied any involvement in Hariri’s assassination, keeps its troops in Lebanon 15 years after the country’s civil war ended and has the final say in internal Lebanese politics. Officials in Damascus say the troops are needed to keep peace for the Lebanese. The bombing raised fears that Lebanon might revert to the political " SANA/THE ASSOCIATEb PRESS Syrian President Bashar Assad meets with U.S. Ambassador to Syria Margaret Scobey in Damascus in January 2004. violence of the 1970s and ‘80s. After the killing, Scobey “delivered a message to the Syrian government expressing our deep concern, as well as our profound outrage, over this heinous act of terrorism,” Boucher said The Bush administration’s actions indicated that it saw a Syrian hand behind the bombing, but neither Boucher nor White House press secretary Scott McClellan would say so outright. 7The assassination led to the ambassador’s recall because the killing “shows the distortions of Lebanese politics that are created by the Syrian presence” and calls into question Syria’s explanation that its troops provide internal security. The administration had earlier condemned the killing of Hariri, a billionaire construction magnate who masterminded the recovery of his country, and insisted that Syria comply with a U.N. resolution calling for the withdrawal of its troops from Lebanon. Hariri had been locked in a political struggle with the country’s pro-Syrian president. He resigned last fall to protest Syrian meddling. Although most suspicion has fallen on Syria or its supporters in Lebanon, other suspects might include rogue Syrian intelligence operatives or factions among the country’s myriad religious groups. Claims of responsibility by Islamic militants also raised the possibility that Hariri had been targeted because of his close ties to Saudi Arabia — an enemy of al-Qaida and other groups. ■ DIRECT AID Continued from page 1 imagine. “Ramani said for the first 48 hours she was just filling water jugs to get water down to people [near the coast] because everything was contaminated.” Aid from the international community is approaching $1 billion, and, for college students, it might seem like $5 won’t make a difference, especially in Sri Lanka, a country that has been entrenched in civil war for the past 20 years. Kingsolver said that’s why direct aid campaigns are so important — they connect students with the people of Sri Lanka in a more tangible way when compared with cash donations given to agencies like UNICEF and the International Red Cross. “My geography/anthropology 581 class has a direct mobilization campaign to send school supplies for children to a student in Sri Lanka who’s going to distribute the items directly. It really personalizes the connection, especially for students," Kingsolver said. Mica Jenkins, a second-year baccalaureate student, is one of those stuuents. one saia sne rninKs Kingsolver’s idea is a more feasible way for college students to contribute to worldwide tsunami relief efforts. “It’s good to give money, but donating things like tents and school supplies are more practical because people in Sri Lanka can’t obtain those things easily. Also, it’s more personable for me and for girls in general because we’ll be giving clothes we don’t use to women in Sri Lanka who really need them,” Jenkins said. Several U.S. government sources and media outlets reported that aid in Sri Lanka is only reaching 30 percent of tsunami survivors needing immediate assistance. That doesn’t mean students can’t make an immediate difference, Kingsolver said. USC relief supplies will be used immediately. Kingsolver will float the supplies on ships from Charleston to Sri Lanka at the beginning of March. Students and faculty members who want to donate supplies should keep in mind that tents should be appropriate for warm climates and school supplies should not have logos. For more information, call Ann Kingsolver at 777-5927 or Cat Keegan at 777-5600. Those interested can also reach Kingsolver at aekingso@gwm.sc.edu. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockneivs@frurm.se. edu July - December 2005 Priority i: University Wide Events.February 18,2005 Priority II: Carolina Productions.February 21,2005 Priority III: Registered Student Organizations.Feb. 22,2005 Priority IV: Other...February 23,2005 ****************************** * Lottery February 22,2005 * $***************************** Priority Reservations Lottery 2nd Floor Lobby Russell House February 22,2005 9am- 1st Ballroom Date 10:30am - 2nd Ballroom Date NOTE: Academic space will not be reserved until September 2005 Because of the high demand for space in the Russell House a "lottery" system is used to ensure equitable distribution of space to registered student organizations. The highest level of demand is for Ballroom reservations, however, the lottery system will apply to all reservable spaces in the Russell House. For more information, contact the Reservations Office at 777-7127 or stop by Russell House 218. Sydney & Melbourne |c e?| $700 roundtrip - j1*^1 Auckland from $783 *, ' Faros are roundtrip from LAX & subject to change. Taxes are additional. y Depart 4/24-6/09/05 & stay up to 1 year! Roundtrip student 6 youth Rirfare Sale with the Travel GUTS H TRAVEL CUTS 800-592-cuTS (2887) See the world your way Companies planing to attend include: Blackbaud - BlueCross Blueshield of South Carolina - C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc Duke Energy - E&J Gallo Winery - Enterprise Rent-A-Car - ETV - Federal Bur Internal Revenue Service - KPMG - Kraft Foods - Macy's Central - Merck & ■ Pella Corporation - Ryder Transportation - S.C. Department of Mental Health - Sun Life Financial - Synnex Corporation - Target Stores - The Pepsi Bottling Time Warner Cable - Wells Fargo Financial - Youth Villages - Zeus ^ (For a complete listing, please go to www.sc.edu/ca