Terrible News From Lebanon
The most well-known Christian (and anti-Syrian) politician has been assassinated:
Prominent anti-Syrian Christian politician Pierre Gemayel was assassinated in a suburb of Beirut on Tuesday, his Phalange Party radio station and Lebanon’s official news agency reported.
His fatal shooting will certainly heighten the political tension in Lebanon, where the leading Muslim Shiite party Hezbollah has threatened to topple the government if he does not get a bigger say in Cabinet decision making.
Witnesses said Gemayel was shot in his car in Jdeideh, a Christian neighborhood, his constituency on the northern edge of Beirut.
Gemayel was rushed to a nearby hospital, according to the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. and the Voice of Lebanon, the Phalange Party mouthpiece. The party radio later said he was dead, as did the National News Agency.
Saad Hariri, leader of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority, broke off a televised news conference after hearing that Gemayel had been shot.
Gemayel, the minister of industry and son of former President Amin Gemayel, was a supporter of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority, which is locked in a power struggle with pro-Syrian factions led by Hezbollah.
Those who take hope from recent moves such as Syria’s rapprochement with Iraq for a regional solution to the problems besetting us would do well to remember what Syria and Iran have wrought with Hezbollah and Hamas. As Christopher Hitchens says:
The summa of wisdom in these circles is the need for consultation with Iraq’s immediate neighbors in Syria and Iran. Given that these two regimes have recently succeeded in destroying the other most hopeful democratic experiment in the region—the brief emergence of a self-determined Lebanon that was free of foreign occupation—and are busily engaged in promoting their own version of sectarian mayhem there, through the trusty medium of Hezbollah, it looks as if a distinctly unsentimental process is under way.
And these are the parties we look to for solutions?…
Assassination in Lebanon
http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/11/21/assassin-strikes-at-siniora-government/
there were free elections in lebanon…israel and the US didn’t like the results and decided to start oppressing the people and refusing to work with the elected victors. Lets not go blaming iran and syria for actions the bush administration took on its own.
madmatt, do you have a clue what you’re talking about? Yes, there were elections in Lebanon…and the pro-Western, anti-Syrian forces won!
Really, take a moment to learn a little bit about what’s going on before you spout off…it’s Syria that is trying to subvert the elections by assassinating(!) opposition politicians.
Lebanon rejected Syrian influence – decisively…
Here’s a link to help you get started on your education:
RE: Mark
You are correct in saying that the free Democratic elections in Lebanon were won by free pro-Western anti-Syrian forces represented by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. However I most point out to you that in those elections the terrorist organization Hezbollah ran as a political party and won 14 seats out of 128 seats in the Lebanese parliament. In addition they have 3 ministers in the current government.
The Bush administration PR machine went on the offensive right after the pro-Western election in Lebanon making the Lebanese the shining example of how the invasion of Iraq, and the subsecuent jailing of Saddam was proof that the Neo-Cons were correct in their approach to Middle Eastern foreign policy, and took credit for Lebanon’s Democracy.
Little did they know that they will be full of egg in their face just a few years later.
Today, Lebanon is in the cross road of another Civil War. Israel in it’s Bush- like invasion of Lebanon (shoot first and ask questions later) wakened, and humiliated the very same pro-Western Government that the Bush Administration was using as it’s PR poster boy for change. The results are now clear for all to see….. Hezbollah has the strong hand, and the Siniora Government is about to collapse.
Bravo Bush!!! Bravo Olmert!!!
Some times I wonder why do we pay huge salaries to these Idiots (with all the foreign aid we give Israel we pay Olmert’s salary also) … Are these the best leader(s) we can get, because I frankly want my money back.
“Israel in it’s Bush- like invasion of Lebanon (shoot first and ask questions later) wakened…”
I guess the thousands of rockets that rained down on Israel from the Lebanese border doesn’t count in this commenter’s book. To recap – Israel suffered hundreds of these attacks before any retaliation was ordered. They didn’t come close to “shooting first” – more like shooting last. Please read the history of the conflict before making inane statements like this in the future.
Answer to DMAC
“I guess the thousands of rockets that rained down on Israel from the Lebanese border does not count ”
Sir, with all due respect. I would suggest you first learn about the subject and then comment on the subject.
The war started because three Israeli soldiers were kidnaped by Hezbollha in the Israeli -Lebanon border. The thousands of rockets that you talk about came AFTER the Israeli Army invaded Southern Lebanon.
It stands to reason that Israel has every right to react to attacks, or kidnapings of its soldiers and citizens. Having granted that, we also need to understand that simple common sence will tell you that three soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah do not grant the humiliation, and utter weakening of the Pro-Western Siniora Government or the destruction of the Country of Lebanon, or the killing of thousands of innocent Sunny that were allied to Israel. As a result of the war, Israel finds now comfronting the specter of Hezbollah in full control of Lebanon!! And they have no one to blame but themselves.
Like I said, Bush and Olmert most have gone to the same school. That’s why the results in Lebanon Vs. Iraq look very much the same. They set up to stop terrorism, and instead they promoted terrorism to an unimmaginable scale.
I’ve got my own issues with Olmert, but I disagree that Israel ‘overreacted’; simply put, despite the fact that their quarrel was not with Lebanon, since Lebanon wouldn’t force Hezbollah out of the South (thus establishing a true state monopoly on armed force), and since the UN manifestly lacks even the desire, what choice did Israel have?
Olmert miscalculated and bungled it…but he was right to invade…
Answer to Mark.
NO one is queationing Israel’s right to invade. I question the wisdom.
Do you see Hezbollah destroyed?
If Israel could not force Hezbollah out of Lebanon after ten years of occupation what makes you think that the Siniora Government was going to do it in two. Not only Olmert did not destroy Hezbollah, he gave the terrorist a heroic status in Lebanon, and a free road to the control of the Lebanese Government.
Of course is an overreaction when you go kill you allies in Southern Lebanon (Sunni), mortally weaken the one Government that can possibly help you, destroy most of the infraestructure of Lebanon, and …… Accomplish nothing in return…. Hell they did not even get their soldiers back.
I don’t disagree with you on the outcome…it was a disaster…I do disagree on whether it was the concept that was flawed, or the execution…but I argued at the time that the outcome was terrible, and it was. But it does show the complete impotence of the UN…they can’t return the soldiers, and Hezbollah is threatening to overthrow the government openly right in front of their noses…yet this is apparently viewed as a ’successful’ deployment…
Furtive Glances – “Thaw The Bird” Edition
Okay, I’m back from my football weekend, and just beginning to recover from TMF (too much fun). After a busy workday today, I began to peruse the stories out there, and here are some links and some thoughts. Six Muslim
Answer to Mark.
A Government such as Israel can’t afford half meassures. If you want to destroy Hezbollah you better be ready not only to invade Lebanon, but invade Syria, and Iran as well.
Since it is impossible for Israel to do just that, it stands to reason that Israel can’t defeat Hezbollah in battle any more than we can defeat “Terrorism” in battle.
The Israeli people know all too well the price to be paid for invasions followed by endless occupation. It does not work.
I know it is frustrating not to be able to win against a rootless, cowardly enemy that hides behind the shadows, and attacks inocent civilians with no remorse. Conisder it a price to be paid for living in a very bad neighborhood. But on the bright side, the Israeli can give as good as they take…. And then some.
The solution to the endless Arab- Israeli conflict will come some day, I am shure of that. When it comes it will be because the Arabs themselves understand that tolerance and mutual respect can give them what war and terrorism never could.
Until then, Israel will be supported 100 % by America. Until then Israel will have to take the attacks that are shure to come, and hit back if necessary, but in a wise way. Let’s not prolong the day that the Arabs come around to our views by creating and empowering more enemies than they and us can kill.
Well, your reasoning there is not far off from mine, actually…I support the Sharon ‘disengagement’ plan, because until, as you say, the Arab world comes around, there is little point in Israel ‘engaging’ its neighbors. Best to just pull back and do your best to ignore them (behind suitable fortifications, of course)…
Maybe more bombs would fix democracy?
[...] The Wall Street Journal, echoing a point I made yesterday, puts the tragedy in the context of increasing calls to involve Syria in our plans for Iraq: It’s true that every Administration must deal with the world as it is. But when it comes to Syria, do the sages of the Iraq Study Group really want the Bush Administration to seek the benediction of a country that stirs such mayhem in Beirut? [...]
Answer to Desicion ‘08
The idea that we now want to ask Syria and Iran to help us in Iraq is reflective of the depths of desperation that the Bush administration has fallen.
There is no way in my opinion that Syria or Iran will ever consider helping Bush. There is just too much bad blood against Bush and his Neo-Cons in the entire Arab world.
Furthermore, in the best of cases the price America will be asked to pay in return for “help” will be way too high to be accepted.
Iran no doubt will ask for America to step aside and give them a free and clear road to aquire nuclear weapons.
Iran will also ask for a more robust role in the Middle East with no intervention by America.
Iran will also ask for America to pressure Israel for a solution to the Palestinian problem with imposible terms for the Israeli Government.
Syria will ask for Lebanon
Syria will ask for America and Israel to let Hezbollah be the defacto rulers in Lebanon.
Syria will ask for the Golan Hights.
Nevertheless, Baker will come out asking for a “dialoge” with Syria and Iran. It will be a royal waste of time.
UNLESS….
The only way we are going to solve our problems in Iraq is by taking sides. I would suggest to openly take the Sunni side. That will get Iran’s attention (They are the most dangerous country in the region by far).
We can “negociate” by telling the Iranians that they either back off from their support of the Shiite militias in Iraq, and nuclear aspirations, or we will simply put
our support on the Iraqi Sunni until the Shiite are defeted. Furthermore, we will support all the Sunni Governments in the region to an unprecedented degree to keep Iran encircled.
To Syria we will use a stick and a carrot. Help us in Iraq and we will ask Israel to give you back the Golan Hights, and ease off Hezbollah. Lebanon will probably have to be sacrificed, and given to the Syrians. But the fact is that Syria is about to control Lebanon again, trough their proxy Hezbollah.
Also we can offer “real help” is solving the Israeli-Palestinian problem once and for all.
If on the other hand Syria does not help in Iraq, we can A) Make shure that their Lebanese “adventure” results in a long and painful stay courtesy of the Christians and Shiite helped every step of the way by an Uncle Sam in a very rotten mood…. As in “We can make Lebanon your Iraq my dear Syrians”.
and B) We will make shure that Israel keeps after Hezbollah and their leaders in Palestine in a non-stop campaing. Or in other words, you can kiss any solution in Palestine good bye for another generation.
Arabs understand power, not talk…. Let’s not forget we are dealing with a bunch of real tough characters here. Bush can talk tough, but the leaders in the Middle East ARE tough. They can have Junior for brekfast and ask for Chenney for dissert.
We need to think outside the box now, and be bold. NO Democracy for Iraq is too late for that. We have a completely different situation in Iraq, and in the entire Middle East. We urgently need to adjust to the new circunstances, or America and the world will end up loosing their Economies… Courtesy of our Foreign Policy “Challenged” President.
By the way speaking of our President, It might be a good idea to start every future meeting with the Arabs, Europeans, Asians, Latin Americans, and Africans by declaring in no uncertain terms that Mr. Bush, and Mr. Chenney are now The Biggest Lame Ducks that ever lived in Washington D.C.
In “Charge” only of watering the roses at the Rose Garden and not a thing more.
That alone my bring us some new allies, and open more than a few doors.