Lebanon nearing critical point?

[basketcase]

I haven't seen much about this in the western media but it looks like Hezbollah et. al. stepped up their protest Tuesday in a national day of strike. At least 3 died in clashes and over 100 injuries reported. At least the reports are that they were from brawls and not weapons fire. The conflicts seem to me about the same as the Marching season in Ireland with one group protesting in another's part of the city. Hopefully Nasrallah and Sinora will realize that this won't help and limit themselves to rhetoric.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=78890



also from the same source an interesting take on the new cold war.

today, the competing political forces are usually found within the same country, and often share local legitimacy. Just as in the Cold War, they fight on many fronts, including the occasional clash or local insurrection, but more often via competing political ideologies and economic policies.

In Lebanon the Siniora government and the Hizbullah-led opposition are fighting an intense battle on many fronts, just as the Hamas and Fatah camps square off in Palestine. They do so as part of a local political power struggle, but also explicitly as part of the wider confrontation between the US and Iran-Syria. The fact that these face-offs now occur within Arab countries, rather than between different countries, reflects a bizarre reality: Most Arab countries - in some cases half a century or more after their birth - still have not achieved stable statehood based on the collective allegiance of satisfied citizens. Different groups not only compete for political control of the government, but for the even more basic ideological definition of the state and its policies.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=5&article_id=78873


Oh, just to be inclusive, they also have an opinion peace titled......

When Don Quixote takes to the streets

 

[scouser1]

I say good on the part of the Sinoria's government and their supporters for standing up and not wanting their country to be sold down the river to the Iranians. Even though any deaths is always tragic.

 

[osanowo]

I really wonder why Brussels want to give more money to Lebanon...??

As if money will solve the problem! This government is probably the most corrupted one in the whole asian area - what are they doing?

 

[scouser1]

I really wonder why Brussels want to give more money to Lebanon...??

As if money will solve the problem! This government is probably the most corrupted one in the whole asian area - what are they doing?

they are giving money to prop up the closest example of an Arab democracy despite its flaws

and the most corrupt!!! are ya kidding me, have ya head of China, North Korea or Syria hmmmm

 

[maxweber]

geographic catastrophe

I really wonder why Brussels want to give more money to Lebanon...??

As if money will solve the problem! This government is probably the most corrupted one in the whole asian area - what are they doing?

When was Lebanon moved to Asia?

MW

 

[scouser1]

When was Lebanon moved to Asia?

MW

ahhh Lebanon is in Asia, did someone not pay attention in grade 9 geography

Asia isnt just the Far East but includes the area between Turkey to Japan

 

[Earl1]

Lebanon heading to new civil war

It became tradition that lebanon every 25 years must have a civil war. After the declaration of lebanon's independance in 1943, it took them only
13-14years to have their first political conflict that lead to the revolution of 1956 between pan arab and pro usa movement which did not last long as it was contained immediatly by the american marines interferance and the arrest and killing of the opposing parties leaders then.

In 1975 approximatly 20 years later another civil unrest erupted between same political ideologies of the 1956-1957 conflict, which lasted till 1990 which took the country to a davestating civil war, where same foreighn and regional powers were the big players in that war which destroyed lebanon as nation.

Today's political conflics and civil unrest brings back the memories of 1969-1975 of civil unrest, demonstrations, violent opposition to the government until it peaked up in 1975 when it erupted into full scale civil war whith palestinians set to be a major players in that conflict.

This time there are no palestinians in the political conflict, but the division among politicians and the population between two camps is clear and political ideologies are still played the same as it was back 1956-1957 which is pro-usa the west and its arab allies and supporters of pan-arab and arab nationalizim that reject any thing that comes from the west and particularty the usa.

I hope this will not erupt into full scale civil war, but if it talks like a duck, walks like a duck, swims like a duck, yes indeed its a duck.

When both parties think that they are right and are willing to die for it, then there is no way out by dialogue and civilized way of doing business. Unfortunatly in lebanon foreign influence have its roots in that country and corruption is part of daily political life. Corrpted politicians who reach to power are rooming the land using their influence to enrich themselves and creat cantoons to serve the highest bidder intersts in the country. Usa have been pumping Money, Saudi arabia doing the same, Iran doing the same, france and europe doing its share, and other players jumping on the wheelwagon of ever moving sand of lebanese political culture and placing their bet on who will evolve as a final winner.

The story of lebanon simply is the story of human struggle and an expose of human corruption and what it may lead to. In the end innocent people will die for nothing and lebanon will remain lebanon yet waiting to be destroyed again and rebuild again to be destroyed after another 25 years from now by new generation that did not see the horrors previous generation have to go through but heared about it.

God Save us all from the gread and corrption of human soul as it stands between the good and the evil.

Earl1

 

[scouser1]

there is signs of the past in this conflict in Lebanon, foreign meddling, divided factions some based on sect but mostly on self interest (see the jackass Michel Aoun 17 years ago proclaiming to launch a "war of liberation" against the Syrians) now in bed with Hezballah, but this conflict is simply different in that world affairs will not let it get out of hand.

The western powers ie the US and France along with Saudi Arabia will not let this government collapse allowing Lebanon to become another Iranian fiefdom, there is just too much to lose, on the flip side the Shiites do have some legitimate concerns that have to be answered in that they have always been the down trodden and pushed aside in favour of the other sects.

 

[basketcase]

So far it seems that there are some cooler heads around there. Most of the reports are more like older street brawls with whatever weapons are around and not fully automatics and other heavy weapons.

 

[Earl1]

Weapons already there

Thanks to the efforts of USA and its cronies in the region, heavy and automatic weapons alrady there including the infimous humvies, lets not forget the israeli intelegence and army watching the situation closly to jump in at any time to take revenge at hizbulla who humilated israel last summer. Arms shipments have been reaching lebanon from israel at very fast pace particularly to "lebanese forces" lead by samir Jejaa number one israel allies in the middle east who evolved during the civil war and had established very close ties with israel and had his office opened in tel aviv then which is still vacant till recently when his friend Saad Hariri paid the back rents and advanced payments towards the rent for next 99 years so war business will florish again after 15 years of peace in lebanon (Thanks to syria).

Earl1

 

[scouser1]

Thanks to the efforts of USA and its cronies in the region, heavy and automatic weapons alrady there including the infimous humvies, lets not forget the israeli intelegence and army watching the situation closly to jump in at any time to take revenge at hizbulla who humilated israel last summer. Arms shipments have been reaching lebanon from israel at very fast pace particularly to "lebanese forces" lead by samir Jejaa number one israel allies in the middle east who evolved during the civil war and had established very close ties with israel and had his office opened in tel aviv then which is still vacant till recently when his friend Saad Hariri paid the back rents and advanced payments towards the rent for next 99 years so war business will florish again after 15 years of peace in lebanon (Thanks to syria).

Earl1

there are enough idiots in that region to blame on all sides, it wasnt the Lebanese Forces that sided with Israel it was actually the Phalagnists or Kateeb, one was an offshoot of the other, Gagea was a pal of the Syrians for awhile but fell out with Damascus and they stuck him in prison till recently. And where are you getting your info that Harriri has any dealings with Israel? if that were true he would end up with a bullet to the head or a bomb under his car seat so fast he wouldnt know what hit him.

Luckily yes cooler heads do seem to prevail and here is hoping the Lebanese army and government do survive the latest Iranian/Syrian attempt at destroying their state.

 

[Earl1]

Saad hariri is israeli agent

According to elder Saad Hariri's brother (Baha Hariri) who completly not interfering in politics. Saad Hariri visited israel almost 5 times during the war last summer and he was sure that israel will wipe out hezulla in no time in exchange of comprehensive peace agreement with lebanon that is already in place if hezbulla was wiped out. But poor ol israel failed big time and gave up the attempt after the world saw its soldiers vanish and cry at the hands of hezbulla.

Hariri continuosly financed Geja and the philenja militia's who received training in jordan by israeli mosad and army officers to implement a plan that will put hezbulla in between two jaws one from the north of the country and one from the south in the next planned war.

The news treated as roumers, but no smoke without fire.

Earl1

 

[scouser1]

According to elder Saad Hariri's brother (Baha Hariri) who completly not interfering in politics. Saad Hariri visited israel almost 5 times during the war last summer and he was sure that israel will wipe out hezulla in no time in exchange of comprehensive peace agreement with lebanon that is already in place if hezbulla was wiped out. But poor ol israel failed big time and gave up the attempt after the world saw its soldiers vanish and cry at the hands of hezbulla.

Hariri continuosly financed Geja and the philenja militia's who received training in jordan by israeli mosad and army officers to implement a plan that will put hezbulla in between two jaws one from the north of the country and one from the south in the next planned war.

The news treated as roumers, but no smoke without fire.

Earl1

wow ladies and gents, I have heard of conspiracy nuts but this just takes the cake

 

[basketcase]

wow ladies and gents, I have heard of conspiracy nuts but this just takes the cake

As long as I'm not the only one who thinks so.