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On the Virtues of Being Feared, Rather than Loved. The latter is nice, but if the cost is prohibitive, the former will do just fine:

Syria has arrested more than 1,200 people trying to cross the border into Iraq in recent weeks and sent many back to their home countries because of suspicions they were trying to join the insurgency, Syria’s U.N. ambassador said.

. . . .

Mekdad said Syria suspected that those arrested — mostly foreigners — intended to carry out illegal activities in Iraq. They were sent back to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya and other countries, he said.

Personally, I’d have preferred introducing them to a wood-chipper and a sewer pipe rather than a ticket home, but the silver lining is a massive transfer payment of Al-Qaeda’s hard-earned zakaat contributions to the airlines’ stockholders.

Syria is also denying a rumor that Zarkawi was trying to seek shelter there while this alleged wounds heal up. Note that the Islamist Web sites are asking for our prayers, and I’m happy to oblige them. Not being Catholic myself, I’d make an exception if someone can find me a votive candle for the patron saint of gas gangrene. On second thought, that’s probably another religion.