Xbox2 Spec Sheet Questioned

  • Thread starter Thread starter R420
  • Start date Start date
R

R420

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=dev&aid=3364
_______________________________________________________________________________
Alleged Xbox 2 specification sheet debunked by experts

Rob Fahey 15:57 27/04/2004
"Leaked" diagram is a fake or, at best, an out of date internal
document


A diagram purporting to be a leaked Microsoft document describing the
specification of the Xbox 2 has surfaced on a Chinese bulletin board -
but sources close to the console's development say that it is probably
a fake.

The block diagram, which appeared on Chinese website GZeasy.com, shows
a system architecture which had three 3.5Ghz CPU units, 256Mb of main
memory, and a 500Mhz graphics chip with 10Mb of on-board memory.

The schematic also shows the system featuring two memory unit ports,
with basic memory unit size being 64Mb, a 100Mbit LAN port and a hard
drive - although it notes that it's not been decided whether to build
in the drive as yet.

However, a number of sources who are familiar with Microsoft's console
development say that the diagram is not an accurate reflection of the
information they've received from the company about Xbox 2 - and could
easily have been put together by someone with basic hardware knowledge
from publicly available information about the forthcoming system.

"It's not impossible that it's a Microsoft document," one expert told
us this afternoon. "But some of the figures seem very suspect, and the
information included on the diagram looks to me like it reflects the
available information about Xbox 2 rather than being a sensible set of
information to put on a document for developers."

He voiced particular concerns over the fact that while the document
notes "256+ Mb" of main RAM, it doesn't start what kind of RAM will be
used - a vital technical point - and also noted that the CPU diagram
doesn't mention that the CPUs used will be dual-core (effectively
making Xbox 2 into a six processor unit), another important factor.

"There's a lot of detail here about stuff you could just guess or
which we already know from public announcements, like some performance
information about ATI's graphics chips. And then there's some really
surprising missing detail, like the twin-core architecture and a few
other really crucial things which Microsoft has already talked to
developers about but are missing from this diagram. I'd have to guess
it was a fake," he concluded.

Other developers familiar with the Xbox 2 architecture also voiced
misgivings about the diagrams, with one pointing in particular at the
information about the processor cache on the document as being
inaccurate. "We've seen stuff about the cache on those CPUs from
Microsoft, and this isn't it," he said. "If this isn't a fake, the
only thing I can think of is that it's an old internal document that
was a work-in-progress and never meant to be seen outside Microsoft."
_______________________________________________________________________________



http://xbox.ign.com/articles/509/509465p1.html
_______________________________________________________________________________

Xbox 2 Details Revealed
One source claims it's real, others say it's fake. See for yourself.

April 27, 2004 - Chinese website GZeasy revealed an alleged blueprint
of Xbox 2, labeled Xenon System Block Diagram, earlier today. The
diagram is believed to be the basic concept for the next Xbox, which
is either codenamed Xenon or will, in fact, be called Xenon. Though
some aspects of Xenon may change slightly over the next year, the
diagram is believed to be a close representation of Xbox 2.

Michael Dougherty, head of Xbox Advanced Technology Group, has his
name attached to the document, though that doesn't make it any more
legitimate. However, the diagram was confirmed as the real deal by a
developer close to Microsoft. "We were very surprised to see that
leaked," a source, who wished to remain anonymous, told us this
morning. "I'm sure Microsoft is freaking out because this is the same
stuff [developers] have now."
Other sources have claimed that the document is not real and claim it
is a fake. The main point of contention is that the document doesn't
state what type of RAM will be used, something that's quite important
for development considerations. A Microsoft representative stated,
"Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation." It's possible
this is an older document never meant for the public eye and that the
current look of Xbox 2 is quite different. We decided to take a look
at the specs anyway. It's not certain if this is, in fact, the next
Xbox, but if it is, well, we should all be very happy.

What does the fancy diagram below mean? Though it doesn't offer cold
hard facts as to what "Xenon" will be capable of in terms of full
processing power, one thing is clear -- this baby will be quite
powerful. Xenon is divided into essentially two sections. The section
on the left, the South Bridge, is standard stuff. That's where your
DVD, Ethernet port, and potential hard disc go. Note that the hard
disk is not confirmed, even in this diagram, but if it is to be used,
expect 20-80 GBs capacity.


The more interesting parts of the diagram are on the right. Think of
the North Bridge as your highway of importance and everything attached
to it -- graphics, sound, AI -- are all of the information needed to
run a game. All of that needs to get pulled onto the highway and
brought to the South Bridge. There are wide open lanes to the North
Bridge from every area, incredible wide, with 10.8-33.2 GBs per second
bandwidth able to be transferred along the pipeline. That is
unbelievably fast.

Of course, a quick pipeline means nothing if there isn't processing
power behind it all. Taking a bike onto an empty freeway still isn't
going to get you anywhere quickly. The first and most important item
to note is the upper box on the diagram. There are three 3.5+GHz CPU
chips. Each of these will likely be used to handle different aspects
of Xenon processing. Each also has its own separate cache and a global
cache. All of this means that while Xenon will likely use grid
processing or some form of collaborative "cell" processing (IBM does
something similar with "Butterfly" very well), as opposed to the more
common dual-processing. Each CPU can then work independently to govern
different game needs, but because of the shared cache, and because
each is a Virtual Processing Unit, programmers will see it as,
essentially, one unit. They won't have to meticulously program
specific functions to each processor, but instead can rely on Xenon to
choose where to distribute everything. None of that Sega Saturn
insanity here.

Below the North Bridge is the all-important graphics chip. The 500MHz
clocked core chip has 10 Megs of dedicated EDRAM, which will likely be
used for more specific special effects. While that doesn't sound like
much, Microsoft's current console has no graphics-dedicated RAM. Those
10MBs will keep a majority of the 256 MBs of main RAM free for other
applications. This chip, presumably still of ATI make and specially
created for Xenon, looks to be beyond the best graphics available on
PC now or in the foreseeable future, but should be comparable to those
high-end cards by the time Xenon is release in 2005 (unless it's
delayed).

To the right of the North Bridge is the Main Memory, which at 256MB
may seem small compared to your personal computer, but remember that
Xbox only has 64MBs and does not have any memory specifically
dedicated to graphics or special effects. All of that memory can be
pumped across the system bus at 22.4 GBs per second. More bandwidth
across the board means less choke points, which translates to higher
performance.

If this diagram is real, if this is the blueprint for Xbox 2, then
gamers are in for a whale of a machine, one far more powerful than any
current generation console. We'll have more on this story as it
develops.
_______________________________________________________________________________
 
Guess the only way I am going to get rid of your BS is to killfile you.
The XBox2 and other consoles wont be released for 18 months from now......
I mean really, who gives a shit about rumors/specs?
It's all Bullshit until the system is finalized.
 
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=dev&aid=3364
_______________________________________________________________________________
Alleged Xbox 2 specification sheet debunked by experts

Rob Fahey 15:57 27/04/2004
"Leaked" diagram is a fake or, at best, an out of date internal
document

Look if you are going to keep posting random bollocks at least put it
one a webshite rather than in news groups. Or is it just that you are
such a sad wannabe attention seeker that you have to keep posting this
crap.

FFS it was obvious that the document was eihter a fake or an initial
draft. 3.5 Ghz :-) You don't use a CPU that either doesn't exist or
can be easily manufactured a year or so before relase date. How are
you going to get decent titles on the release date if no one has a dev
system. Fair enough if its say a PIII that is modified, but using one
that is faster than the current going rate & hence at a premium price
would be silly, unless of course the Xbox2 is coming out with no games
and at 2 grand +
 
R420 wrote:

[snip]

Among other newsgroups, you posted to comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips

How is your message related to the processors used inside IBM PC
and IBM PC compatible systems?

[ Followup-To set to comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips ]
 
Isn't the next Xbox going to have an IBM processor in it? I think that's
why the OP posted to that newsgroup as well as this.
 
R420 said:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=dev&aid=3364
____________________________________________________________________________
___
Alleged Xbox 2 specification sheet debunked by experts

Rob Fahey 15:57 27/04/2004
"Leaked" diagram is a fake or, at best, an out of date internal
document


A diagram purporting to be a leaked Microsoft document describing the
specification of the Xbox 2 has surfaced on a Chinese bulletin board -
but sources close to the console's development say that it is probably
a fake.

The block diagram, which appeared on Chinese website GZeasy.com, shows
a system architecture which had three 3.5Ghz CPU units

Heh... And its all submerged in liquid nitrogen...

- Cryo
 
R420 said:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=dev&aid=3364
____________________________________________________________________________
___
Alleged Xbox 2 specification sheet debunked by experts

Rob Fahey 15:57 27/04/2004
"Leaked" diagram is a fake or, at best, an out of date internal
document


A diagram purporting to be a leaked Microsoft document describing the
specification of the Xbox 2 has surfaced on a Chinese bulletin board -
but sources close to the console's development say that it is probably
a fake.

The block diagram, which appeared on Chinese website GZeasy.com, shows
a system architecture which had three 3.5Ghz CPU units, 256Mb of main
memory, and a 500Mhz graphics chip with 10Mb of on-board memory.

I agree, 256 Megabits of main RAM and 10 Megabits of video memory just
wouldn't cut it for a 32-bit system. ;)

The schematic also shows the system featuring two memory unit ports,
with basic memory unit size being 64Mb, a 100Mbit LAN port and a hard
drive - although it notes that it's not been decided whether to build
in the drive as yet.

However, a number of sources who are familiar with Microsoft's console
development say that the diagram is not an accurate reflection of the
information they've received from the company about Xbox 2 - and could
easily have been put together by someone with basic hardware knowledge
from publicly available information about the forthcoming system.

"It's not impossible that it's a Microsoft document," one expert told
us this afternoon. "But some of the figures seem very suspect, and the
information included on the diagram looks to me like it reflects the
available information about Xbox 2 rather than being a sensible set of
information to put on a document for developers."

He voiced particular concerns over the fact that while the document
notes "256+ Mb" of main RAM, it doesn't start what kind of RAM will be
used - a vital technical point - and also noted that the CPU diagram
doesn't mention that the CPUs used will be dual-core (effectively
making Xbox 2 into a six processor unit), another important factor.

Or that we currently measure RAM in MegaBytes, or MB, hmm?
"There's a lot of detail here about stuff you could just guess or
which we already know from public announcements, like some performance
information about ATI's graphics chips. And then there's some really
surprising missing detail, like the twin-core architecture and a few
other really crucial things which Microsoft has already talked to
developers about but are missing from this diagram. I'd have to guess
it was a fake," he concluded.

Other developers familiar with the Xbox 2 architecture also voiced
misgivings about the diagrams, with one pointing in particular at the
information about the processor cache on the document as being
inaccurate. "We've seen stuff about the cache on those CPUs from
Microsoft, and this isn't it," he said. "If this isn't a fake, the
only thing I can think of is that it's an old internal document that
was a work-in-progress and never meant to be seen outside Microsoft."
____________________________________________________________________________
___
____________________________________________________________________________
___

Xbox 2 Details Revealed
One source claims it's real, others say it's fake. See for yourself.

April 27, 2004 - Chinese website GZeasy revealed an alleged blueprint
of Xbox 2, labeled Xenon System Block Diagram, earlier today. The
diagram is believed to be the basic concept for the next Xbox, which
is either codenamed Xenon or will, in fact, be called Xenon. Though
some aspects of Xenon may change slightly over the next year, the
diagram is believed to be a close representation of Xbox 2.

Michael Dougherty, head of Xbox Advanced Technology Group, has his
name attached to the document, though that doesn't make it any more
legitimate. However, the diagram was confirmed as the real deal by a
developer close to Microsoft. "We were very surprised to see that
leaked," a source, who wished to remain anonymous, told us this
morning. "I'm sure Microsoft is freaking out because this is the same
stuff [developers] have now."
Other sources have claimed that the document is not real and claim it
is a fake. The main point of contention is that the document doesn't
state what type of RAM will be used, something that's quite important
for development considerations. A Microsoft representative stated,
"Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation." It's possible
this is an older document never meant for the public eye and that the
current look of Xbox 2 is quite different. We decided to take a look
at the specs anyway. It's not certain if this is, in fact, the next
Xbox, but if it is, well, we should all be very happy.

What does the fancy diagram below mean? Though it doesn't offer cold
hard facts as to what "Xenon" will be capable of in terms of full
processing power, one thing is clear -- this baby will be quite
powerful. Xenon is divided into essentially two sections. The section
on the left, the South Bridge, is standard stuff. That's where your
DVD, Ethernet port, and potential hard disc go. Note that the hard
disk is not confirmed, even in this diagram, but if it is to be used,
expect 20-80 GBs capacity.


The more interesting parts of the diagram are on the right. Think of
the North Bridge as your highway of importance and everything attached
to it -- graphics, sound, AI -- are all of the information needed to
run a game. All of that needs to get pulled onto the highway and
brought to the South Bridge. There are wide open lanes to the North
Bridge from every area, incredible wide, with 10.8-33.2 GBs per second
bandwidth able to be transferred along the pipeline. That is
unbelievably fast.

Of course, a quick pipeline means nothing if there isn't processing
power behind it all. Taking a bike onto an empty freeway still isn't
going to get you anywhere quickly. The first and most important item
to note is the upper box on the diagram. There are three 3.5+GHz CPU
chips. Each of these will likely be used to handle different aspects
of Xenon processing. Each also has its own separate cache and a global
cache. All of this means that while Xenon will likely use grid
processing or some form of collaborative "cell" processing (IBM does
something similar with "Butterfly" very well), as opposed to the more
common dual-processing. Each CPU can then work independently to govern
different game needs, but because of the shared cache, and because
each is a Virtual Processing Unit, programmers will see it as,
essentially, one unit. They won't have to meticulously program
specific functions to each processor, but instead can rely on Xenon to
choose where to distribute everything. None of that Sega Saturn
insanity here.

Below the North Bridge is the all-important graphics chip. The 500MHz
clocked core chip has 10 Megs of dedicated EDRAM, which will likely be
used for more specific special effects. While that doesn't sound like
much, Microsoft's current console has no graphics-dedicated RAM. Those
10MBs will keep a majority of the 256 MBs of main RAM free for other
applications. This chip, presumably still of ATI make and specially
created for Xenon, looks to be beyond the best graphics available on
PC now or in the foreseeable future, but should be comparable to those
high-end cards by the time Xenon is release in 2005 (unless it's
delayed).

To the right of the North Bridge is the Main Memory, which at 256MB
may seem small compared to your personal computer, but remember that
Xbox only has 64MBs and does not have any memory specifically
dedicated to graphics or special effects. All of that memory can be
pumped across the system bus at 22.4 GBs per second. More bandwidth
across the board means less choke points, which translates to higher
performance.

If this diagram is real, if this is the blueprint for Xbox 2, then
gamers are in for a whale of a machine, one far more powerful than any
current generation console. We'll have more on this story as it
develops.
____________________________________________________________________________
___
 
On 20040430 8:57 AM, in article [email protected],
R420 said:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=dev&aid=3364
____________________________________________________________________________
___
Alleged Xbox 2 specification sheet debunked by experts

Rob Fahey 15:57 27/04/2004
"Leaked" diagram is a fake or, at best, an out of date internal
document


A diagram purporting to be a leaked Microsoft document describing the
specification of the Xbox 2 has surfaced on a Chinese bulletin board -
but sources close to the console's development say that it is probably
a fake.

The block diagram, which appeared on Chinese website GZeasy.com, shows
a system architecture which had three 3.5Ghz CPU units, 256Mb of main
memory, and a 500Mhz graphics chip with 10Mb of on-board memory.

I agree, 256 Megabits of main RAM and 10 Megabits of video memory just
wouldn't cut it for a 32-bit system. ;)

The schematic also shows the system featuring two memory unit ports,
with basic memory unit size being 64Mb, a 100Mbit LAN port and a hard
drive - although it notes that it's not been decided whether to build
in the drive as yet.

However, a number of sources who are familiar with Microsoft's console
development say that the diagram is not an accurate reflection of the
information they've received from the company about Xbox 2 - and could
easily have been put together by someone with basic hardware knowledge
from publicly available information about the forthcoming system.

"It's not impossible that it's a Microsoft document," one expert told
us this afternoon. "But some of the figures seem very suspect, and the
information included on the diagram looks to me like it reflects the
available information about Xbox 2 rather than being a sensible set of
information to put on a document for developers."

He voiced particular concerns over the fact that while the document
notes "256+ Mb" of main RAM, it doesn't start what kind of RAM will be
used - a vital technical point - and also noted that the CPU diagram
doesn't mention that the CPUs used will be dual-core (effectively
making Xbox 2 into a six processor unit), another important factor.

Or that we currently measure RAM in MegaBytes, or MB, hmm?
"There's a lot of detail here about stuff you could just guess or
which we already know from public announcements, like some performance
information about ATI's graphics chips. And then there's some really
surprising missing detail, like the twin-core architecture and a few
other really crucial things which Microsoft has already talked to
developers about but are missing from this diagram. I'd have to guess
it was a fake," he concluded.

Other developers familiar with the Xbox 2 architecture also voiced
misgivings about the diagrams, with one pointing in particular at the
information about the processor cache on the document as being
inaccurate. "We've seen stuff about the cache on those CPUs from
Microsoft, and this isn't it," he said. "If this isn't a fake, the
only thing I can think of is that it's an old internal document that
was a work-in-progress and never meant to be seen outside Microsoft."
____________________________________________________________________________
___
____________________________________________________________________________
___

Xbox 2 Details Revealed
One source claims it's real, others say it's fake. See for yourself.

April 27, 2004 - Chinese website GZeasy revealed an alleged blueprint
of Xbox 2, labeled Xenon System Block Diagram, earlier today. The
diagram is believed to be the basic concept for the next Xbox, which
is either codenamed Xenon or will, in fact, be called Xenon. Though
some aspects of Xenon may change slightly over the next year, the
diagram is believed to be a close representation of Xbox 2.

Michael Dougherty, head of Xbox Advanced Technology Group, has his
name attached to the document, though that doesn't make it any more
legitimate. However, the diagram was confirmed as the real deal by a
developer close to Microsoft. "We were very surprised to see that
leaked," a source, who wished to remain anonymous, told us this
morning. "I'm sure Microsoft is freaking out because this is the same
stuff [developers] have now."
Other sources have claimed that the document is not real and claim it
is a fake. The main point of contention is that the document doesn't
state what type of RAM will be used, something that's quite important
for development considerations. A Microsoft representative stated,
"Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation." It's possible
this is an older document never meant for the public eye and that the
current look of Xbox 2 is quite different. We decided to take a look
at the specs anyway. It's not certain if this is, in fact, the next
Xbox, but if it is, well, we should all be very happy.

What does the fancy diagram below mean? Though it doesn't offer cold
hard facts as to what "Xenon" will be capable of in terms of full
processing power, one thing is clear -- this baby will be quite
powerful. Xenon is divided into essentially two sections. The section
on the left, the South Bridge, is standard stuff. That's where your
DVD, Ethernet port, and potential hard disc go. Note that the hard
disk is not confirmed, even in this diagram, but if it is to be used,
expect 20-80 GBs capacity.


The more interesting parts of the diagram are on the right. Think of
the North Bridge as your highway of importance and everything attached
to it -- graphics, sound, AI -- are all of the information needed to
run a game. All of that needs to get pulled onto the highway and
brought to the South Bridge. There are wide open lanes to the North
Bridge from every area, incredible wide, with 10.8-33.2 GBs per second
bandwidth able to be transferred along the pipeline. That is
unbelievably fast.

Of course, a quick pipeline means nothing if there isn't processing
power behind it all. Taking a bike onto an empty freeway still isn't
going to get you anywhere quickly. The first and most important item
to note is the upper box on the diagram. There are three 3.5+GHz CPU
chips. Each of these will likely be used to handle different aspects
of Xenon processing. Each also has its own separate cache and a global
cache. All of this means that while Xenon will likely use grid
processing or some form of collaborative "cell" processing (IBM does
something similar with "Butterfly" very well), as opposed to the more
common dual-processing. Each CPU can then work independently to govern
different game needs, but because of the shared cache, and because
each is a Virtual Processing Unit, programmers will see it as,
essentially, one unit. They won't have to meticulously program
specific functions to each processor, but instead can rely on Xenon to
choose where to distribute everything. None of that Sega Saturn
insanity here.

Below the North Bridge is the all-important graphics chip. The 500MHz
clocked core chip has 10 Megs of dedicated EDRAM, which will likely be
used for more specific special effects. While that doesn't sound like
much, Microsoft's current console has no graphics-dedicated RAM. Those
10MBs will keep a majority of the 256 MBs of main RAM free for other
applications. This chip, presumably still of ATI make and specially
created for Xenon, looks to be beyond the best graphics available on
PC now or in the foreseeable future, but should be comparable to those
high-end cards by the time Xenon is release in 2005 (unless it's
delayed).

To the right of the North Bridge is the Main Memory, which at 256MB
may seem small compared to your personal computer, but remember that
Xbox only has 64MBs and does not have any memory specifically
dedicated to graphics or special effects. All of that memory can be
pumped across the system bus at 22.4 GBs per second. More bandwidth
across the board means less choke points, which translates to higher
performance.

If this diagram is real, if this is the blueprint for Xbox 2, then
gamers are in for a whale of a machine, one far more powerful than any
current generation console. We'll have more on this story as it
develops.
____________________________________________________________________________
___
 
Special Report.


http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/052104Madsen/052104madsen.html


Karl Rove's White House " Murder, Inc."

By Wayne Madsen
Online Journal Contributing Writer



JUNE , 2004- On September 15, 2001, just four days after the 9-11 attacks,
CIA Director George Tenet provided President [sic] Bush with a Top Secret
"Worldwide Attack Matrix"-a virtual license to kill targets deemed to be a
threat to the United States in some 80 countries around the world. The Tenet
plan, which was subsequently approved by Bush, essentially reversed the
executive orders of four previous U.S. administrations that expressly
prohibited political assassinations.

According to high level European intelligence officials, Bush's counselor,
Karl Rove, used the new presidential authority to silence a popular Lebanese
Christian politician who was planning to offer irrefutable evidence that
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon authorized the massacre of hundreds of
Palestinian men, women, and children in the Beirut refugee camps of Sabra
and Shatilla in 1982. In addition, Sharon provided the Lebanese forces who
carried out the grisly task. At the time of the massacres, Elie Hobeika was
intelligence chief of Lebanese Christian forces in Lebanon who were battling
Palestinians and other Muslim groups in a bloody civil war. He was also the
chief liaison to Israeli Defense Force (IDF) personnel in Lebanon. An
official Israeli inquiry into the massacre at the camps, the Kahan
Commission, merely found Sharon "indirectly" responsible for the slaughter
and fingered Hobeika as the chief instigator.

The Kahan Commission never called on Hobeika to offer testimony in his
defense. However, in response to charges brought against Sharon before a
special war crimes court in Belgium, Hobeika was urged to testify against
Sharon, according to well-informed Lebanese sources. Hobeika was prepared to
offer a different version of events than what was contained in the Kahan
report. A 1993 Belgian law permitting human rights prosecutions was unusual
in that non-Belgians could be tried for violations against other
non-Belgians in a Belgian court. Under pressure from the Bush
administration, the law was severely amended and the extra territoriality
provisions were curtailed.

Hobeika headed the Lebanese forces intelligence agency since the mid- 1970s
and he soon developed close ties to the CIA. He was a frequent visitor to
the CIA's headquarters at Langley, Virginia. After the Syrian invasion of
Lebanon in 1990, Hobeika held a number of cabinet positions in the Lebanese
government, a proxy for the Syrian occupation authorities. He also served in
the parliament. In July 2001, Hobeika called a press conference and
announced he was prepared to testify against Sharon in Belgium and revealed
that he had evidence of what actually occurred in Sabra and Shatilla.
Hobeika also indicated that Israel had flown members of the South Lebanon
Army (SLA) into Beirut International Airport in an Israeli Air Force C130
transport plane. In full view of dozens of witnesses, including members of
the Lebanese army and others, SLA troops under the command of Major Saad
Haddad were slipped into the camps to commit the massacres. The SLA troops
were under the direct command of Ariel Sharon and an Israeli Mossad agent
provocateur named Rafi Eitan. Hobeika offered evidence that a former U.S.
ambassador to Lebanon was aware of the Israeli plot. In addition, the IDF
had placed a camera in a strategic position to film the Sabra and Shatilla
massacres. Hobeika was going to ask that the footage be released as part of
the investigation of Sharon.

After announcing he was willing to testify against Sharon, Hobeika became
fearful for his safety and began moves to leave Lebanon. Hobeika was not
aware that his threats to testify against Sharon had triggered a series of
fateful events that reached well into the White House and Sharon's office.

On January 24, 2002, Hobeika's car was blown up by a remote controlled bomb
placed in a parked Mercedes along a street in the Hazmieh section of Beirut.
The bomb exploded when Hobeika and his three associates, Fares Souweidan,
Mitri Ajram, and Waleed Zein, were driving their Range Rover past the
TNT-laden Mercedes at 9:40 am Beirut time. The Range Rover's four passengers
were killed in the explosion. In case Hobeika's car had taken another route
through the neighborhood, two additional parked cars, located at two other
choke points, were also rigged with TNT. The powerful bomb wounded a number
of other people on the street. Other parked cars were destroyed and
buildings and homes were damaged. The Lebanese president, prime minister,
and interior minister all claimed that Israeli agents were behind the
attack.

It is noteworthy that the State Department's list of global terrorist
incidents for 2002 worldwide failed to list the car bombing attack on
Hobeika and his party. The White House wanted to ensure the attack was
censored from the report. The reason was simple: the attack ultimately had
Washington's fingerprints on it.

High level European intelligence sources now report that Karl Rove
personally coordinated Hobeika's assassination. The hit on Hobeika employed
Syrian intelligence agents. Syrian President Bashar Assad was trying to
curry favor with the Bush administration in the aftermath of 9-11 and was
more than willing to help the White House. In addition, Assad's father,
Hafez Assad, had been an ally of Bush's father during Desert Storm, a period
that saw Washington give a "wink and a nod" to Syria's occupation of
Lebanon. Rove wanted to help Sharon avoid any political embarrassment from
an in absentia trial in Brussels where Hobeika would be a star witness. Rove
and Sharon agreed on the plan to use Syrian Military Intelligence agents to
assassinate Hobeika. Rove saw Sharon as an indispensable ally of Bush in
ensuring the loyalty of the Christian evangelical and Jewish voting blocs in
the United States. Sharon saw the plan to have the United States coordinate
the hit as a way to mask all connections to Jerusalem.

The Syrian hit team was ordered by Assef Shawkat, the number two man in
Syrian military intelligence and a good friend and brother in law of Syrian
President Bashar Assad. Assad's intelligence services had already cooperated
with U.S. intelligence in resorting to unconventional methods to extract
information from al Qaeda detainees deported to Syria from the United States
and other countries in the wake of 9-11. The order to take out Hobeika was
transmitted by Shawkat to Roustom Ghazali, the head of Syrian military
intelligence in Beirut. Ghazali arranged for the three remote controlled
cars to be parked along Hobeika's route in Hazmieh; only few hundred yards
from the Barracks of Syrian Special Forces which are stationed in the area
near the Presidential palace , the ministry of Defense and various
Government and officers quarters . This particular area is covered 24/7 by a
very sophisticated USA multi-agency surveillance system to monitor Syrian
and Lebanese security activities and is a " Choice " area to live in for its
perceived high security .

The plan to kill Hobeika had all the necessary caveats and built-in denial
mechanisms. If the Syrians were discovered beforehand or afterwards, Karl
Rove and his associates in the Pentagon's Office of Special Plans would be
ensured plausible deniability.

Hobeika's CIA intermediary in Beirut, a man only referred to as "Jason" by
Hobeika, was a frequent companion of the Lebanese politician during official
and off-duty hours. During Hobeika's election campaigns for his
parliamentary seat, Jason was often in Hobeika's office offering support and
advice. After Hobeika's assassination, Jason became despondent over the
death of his colleague. Eventually, Jason disappeared abruptly from Lebanon
and reportedly later emerged in Pakistan.

Karl Rove's involvement in the assassination of Hobeika may not have been
the last "hit" he ordered to help out Sharon. In March 2002, a few months
after Hobeika's assassination, another Lebanese Christian with knowledge of
Sharon's involvement in the Sabra and Shatilla massacres was gunned down
along with his wife in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A bullet fired at Michael Nassar's
car flattened one of his tires. Nassar pulled into a gasoline station for
repairs. A professional assassin, firing a gun with a silencer, shot Nassar
and his wife in the head, killing them both instantly. The assailant fled
and was never captured. Nassar was also involved with the Phalange militia
at Sabra and Shatilla. Nassar was also reportedly willing to testify against
Sharon in Belgium and, as a nephew of SLA Commander General Antoine Lahd,
may have had important evidence to bolster Hobeika's charge that Sharon
ordered SLA forces into the camps to wipe out the Palestinians.

Based on what European intelligence claims is concrete intelligence on
Rove's involvement in the assassination of Hobeika, the Bush administration
can now add political assassination to its laundry list of other misdeeds,
from lying about the reasons to go to war to the torture tactics in
violation of the Geneva Conventions that have been employed by the Pentagon
and "third country" nationals at prisons in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay.

Wayne Madsen is a Washington, DC-based investigative journalist and
columnist. He served in the National Security Agency (NSA) during the Reagan
administration and wrote the introduction to Forbidden Truth. He is the
co-author, with John Stanton, of "America's Nightmare: The Presidency of
George Bush II." His forthcoming book is titled: "Jaded Tasks: Big Oil,
Black Ops, and Brass Plates." Madsen can be reached at:
(e-mail address removed)
 
Back
Top