A bitter split between Egypt, the most populous Arab country, and Syria has broken into print with publication of an article in the state—controlled Cairo newspaper. Joelle Bassoul of Reuters writes:

Egypt state media have accused Syria of committing "massacres" in Lebanon, lashing out at Damascus in response to President Bashar al—Assad's recent criticism of Egypt.

In an editorial addressed to the Syrian ambassador in Cairo Wednesday, the Egyptian government daily Al—Gumhuriya said "the Egyptian army has done much to save you over the course of history.

"While your heroic army, protector of the homeland, has a weighty record of Lebanese massacres... and you have killed thousands of your citizens in Hama and Aleppo when they rose up against the regime of father Assad," it said.

Strangely enough the US MSM is completely uninterested in this and other conflicts within the Arab and Muslim world.

Ed Laksy   8 24 06