[Enter at Your Own Risk] (EAYOR) [Archive] - Page 11

Jayme

June 19th, 2009, 01:58 AM

The Madness of King Michel

Those who happen to watch OTV might have come across one of the station’s advertisements extolling the virtues of Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Michael Aoun by ranking him among those men and women – the line up includes John F Kennedy, Gandhi, Einstein, Mother Theresa, Napoleon Bonaparte, Mandela, Marie Curie, Roosevelt and even Pope John Paul II – who have done the most to shape world history over the past three centuries. The 50-second clip, crafted with ambient music and moving sound bytes, would be funny if it were not so sad.

Sad because Aoun, who must have approved the ad, clearly believes he is worthy of such comparison. Sad because anywhere else in the world where society is imbued with a healthy dose of irony and where satire is seen as a vehicle for raising awareness of social silliness, the clip would have been terrific spoof material, say on Saturday Night Live or Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. Instead, we are served up a sycophantic and brainless piece of drivel, dressed up as a serious message.

The footage paints Aoun as a Messiah for our times: peacemaker, statesman, visionary, rebel, revolutionary and – they leave the best till last – genius. He is, we are led to infer, a man who will eventually take his place as a monument in the annals of world history. The depressing truth is that Aoun has done nothing except to create conflict and division, while exploiting the aspirations of an electorate that, amazingly, still believes he offers a genuine, alternative voice in the Lebanese political arena. He believes that by shouting he is a misunderstood intellectual, that by being a hypocrite he is a visionary and that by supporting murderous non-state actions, he has the whiff of a revolutionary about him.

Greatness and controversy should never be confused. The reality – and this is borne out by the tenor of this hilarious piece of footage – is that he is a sad old man, who was once plucked from obscurity and who is still obsessed with a presidency he believes is his, but which in reality he only momentarily enjoyed by a quirk of history. He is suffering from more than a touch of megalomania, an affliction known to seasoned Aoun watchers as “Michelomania.”

It would be one thing if this were an amateur tribute, feverishly produced by one of Aoun’s blinkered followers in a stuffy bedroom and posted on YouTube as a personal offering of adoration. But the fact that OTV, the FPM’s official television station, has seen fit to run it at prime time viewing, is surely the final nugget of proof – as if one were needed – that Aoun has lost the plot.

As the ad points out near the end of its solemn discourse, “it has been said so often that they were crazy.”

http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=99234

melkart

June 19th, 2009, 02:31 AM

^^ :rofl:
LMAO People actually support this guy?

LeB.Fr

June 19th, 2009, 03:21 AM

why don't u just answer the question??how about that???

Answering a useless question is pointless imo.

Jayme

June 19th, 2009, 05:52 AM

^^ :rofl:
LMAO People actually support this guy?

sadly.

Hassoun

June 19th, 2009, 01:05 PM

Answering a useless question is pointless imo.

in fact u don't have the answer,,FACE IT .

Hassoun

June 19th, 2009, 01:21 PM

Israel Sets Up Observation Post in Violation of Border, Lebanese Army
:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

The Lebanese army on Friday said Israel has violated the border by establishing an observation post in a restricted area on the outskirts of Kfarshouba hills.
"In clear violation of a restricted area of Lebanese territory, and in an attempt to impose a new reality on the ground, the Israeli enemy on Wednesday set up an observation post at the edge of Kfarshouba and a military position overlooking Baathaeel pond," a Lebanese army communiqué said.

"Given this provocative stance, Lebanese army units deployed in the region ran patrols along the border," it added.

The army said it was following up on the violation with the leadership of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon "to deal with this urgent situation."

Beirut, 19 Jun 09, 13:39

Hassoun

June 19th, 2009, 01:23 PM

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/nasralla-jumblat-420x.jpg
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah (L) meets with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt in an undisclosed location on Thursday night. (NOW Lebanon)

Jayme

June 19th, 2009, 03:28 PM

Beiruti

June 19th, 2009, 05:26 PM

^^ I'm so glad the LAF is finally there on the border!

Guy

June 20th, 2009, 12:53 AM

^Looks like Israel is trying to start another border skirmish between themselves and HA. Any attempt to remove this observation post will most likely be the reasoning behind another war. Doesn't matter if the Lebanese Army is there or not. Their hands are tied and they can't really do anything about it without risking a huge response

Jayme

June 20th, 2009, 03:13 AM

Cant they get the UNIFIL to do anything about it. It piss's me off when Israel thinks they can do what ever they like and get away with it.

melkart

June 20th, 2009, 05:56 AM

let's not jump to conclusion. it's just a test. they'll dismantle the post soon, once unifil asks them to remove it. they'll prolly claim that it was on accident blah blah blah or something like that.

jader3283

June 20th, 2009, 09:50 AM

http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/WebsiteImages/PicturesFolder/22ab4d29-c768-4d8e-bd01-859c89bc05a6.jpg

19/06/2009 Israeli occupation police have posted videos online in which they humiliate Palestinians, including ordering a young man to sing and slap himself, Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Saturday.

In one video clip posted on YouTube the man is ordered to repeatedly slap himself in the face while chanting "I love the border police" as off-screen border guards laugh and cheer him on. Another video shows a Palestinian man sitting in what appears to be an Israeli police vehicle chanting the same song.

A third clip includes still photos showing Palestinians bound and blindfolded in a room with an Israeli flag. In one of the photos an Israeli occupation soldier is posing and smiling next to one of the detainees. The caption of the video says it was made in November 2007.

A third clip shows a series of still photos of border police while in the background someone sings: "Let every Arab mother know that the fate of her children is in the hands of the Company, C Company in the Old City. "With protective vests and clubs we break apart gun clips on Arab mothers."

The newspaper quoted an unnamed Israeli occupation police officer who said such behavior was common among police serving in occupied Jerusalem and along the controversial West Bank separation barrier.

and some people wonder why gaza sends rockets into israel.

jader3283

June 20th, 2009, 09:53 AM

---

Jayme

June 20th, 2009, 11:06 AM

Isreal- worlds worst country.

Hassoun

June 20th, 2009, 02:44 PM

jader , and what does that have to do with Lebanon ???
not that i am deffending those israelis.

Rabih

June 20th, 2009, 03:50 PM

let's not jump to conclusion. it's just a test. they'll dismantle the post soon, once unifil asks them to remove it.

:hilarious :hilarious :hilarious -Good one!

melkart

June 20th, 2009, 05:17 PM

:hilarious :hilarious :hilarious -Good one!

they do it all the time, and claim that the blue line isn't clear enough for them to figure out. I am not defending them by any means, but their just trying to see what HA's reaction will be, or who knows maybe they wanna start a fight. either way let's not jump into conclusion and solve this diplomaticly. what will end up happning is The LAF reports violation to unifil, unifil tells israelis of violation, israel dismantles post. it's annoying but not worth going to war over it.

Rabih

June 21st, 2009, 11:26 AM

No place like home despite many wars: Lebanese woman
Old Lebanese woman braves war with Israel

http://images.alarabiya.net/large_79120_76503.jpg
Nemra Abbas vows to remain in her war torn village till she dies

Haifa, Israel (Nayef Zidani)

There is no place like home. To Nemra Abbas, that maxim holds true even when "home" exists at the crossfire between the war-torn Lebanese-Israeli borders, where she has chosen to remain in isolation for nearly a century.

The Lebanese woman Octogenarian is the last woman standing in an abandoned village that lies along the Lebanese-Israeli borders, after witnessing and surviving the bombs and gunfire of every war that took place in the ever-seething area.

Her companions are a dog, a rooster and cats which protect the old Beduin woman from snakes and other reptiles that lurk around her lonely home.

Despite being worn out by continuous wars over the decades Abbas has held her ground, vehemently refusing to call it quits and move to the neighboring village of Arab al-Aramsha as all her neighbors have done.

"I've been living here for 80 years before Israel even existed," Abbas told AlArabiya. "Land is more precious than life and this place is my life. I will never leave it even if they crush my bones," Abbas said, vowing to stay with the water cistern in her garden and the worn out gate at the entrance in a border zone that will probably continue to be the site of war.

Leaning on crutches as she moves around her courtyard Abbas blamed her deteriorating health on successive wars. "Fear wore me out and today I can't walk without crutches," Abbas, who miraculously was never once injured, explained adding that constant fear has gotten the best of her health.
Top

In the crossfire

http://images.alarabiya.net/a_lebwomanfinal_3185_7658.jpg
A life lived in constant fear and insecurity left Abbas permanently dependent on crutches

"I've been through very hard times. We used to run and hide in nearby caves as we had no place else to go," Abbas recalled. "One of my sons was injured. Gunpowder penetrated his spinal cord and he is crippled till now. My other son also died but not because of the war," said Abbas who despite witnessing all the wars between Lebanon and Israel, could not remember any dates.

But she remembers incidents that took place during that time, such as one when a bomb hit her house and burnt everything around it.

"There was fire and smoke all around me. Only God's mercy saved me."

Abbas was always caught in the crossfire when Lebanon and Israel were at war in 2006 and she remembers when three youth from the neighboring village Arab al-Aramsha were killed.

"I was here in the middle of fear and humiliation. Israel was bombing Lebanon and Lebanon was bombing Israel," said Abbas.

A few meters away from Abbas's house appear a few Lebanese villages whose hustle and bustle can be seen against the background of the border's barbed wire.

But Abbas said she lives on the fresh smell of the northern breeze coming from Lebanon and the sounds of voices from her homeland.

Born in Beirut, Abbas left the capital and her parents behind when she was 14 after she got married and settled in the border village where she is till now.

"I haven't seen my family since then. I don't know if they are dead of alive. A landmine and a fence separate us," Abbas said and added "I want to see Arabs before I die."

(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid).

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/06/20/76503.html#000

Rabih

June 21st, 2009, 11:30 AM

FPM change !!!!!!!

to All March 8th supporters ;)

YY2s9JGd1Yw

:lol:
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2009-06-20-Voteisntasphaltforroads.jpg

Guy

June 21st, 2009, 11:54 AM

they do it all the time, and claim that the blue line isn't clear enough for them to figure out. I am not defending them by any means, but their just trying to see what HA's reaction will be, or who knows maybe they wanna start a fight. either way let's not jump into conclusion and solve this diplomaticly. what will end up happning is The LAF reports violation to unifil, unifil tells israelis of violation, israel dismantles post. it's annoying but not worth going to war over it.

They are already in violation of the blue line in Ghajar. The LAF reported the violation to UNIFIL and UNFIL agreed yet they're still there! HA has really shown restraint which in IMO shows that they recognize the States ability to handle the matter but as we all know, their patience can wear thin. Thats what Israels hawkish leaders are counting on.

Guy

June 21st, 2009, 11:56 AM

Interesting article Rabih! Is that village south of the Blue Line?

melkart

June 21st, 2009, 10:50 PM

They are already in violation of the blue line in Ghajar. The LAF reported the violation to UNIFIL and UNFIL agreed yet they're still there! HA has really shown restraint which in IMO shows that they recognize the States ability to handle the matter but as we all know, their patience can wear thin. Thats what Israels hawkish leaders are counting on.

yeah I am aware of ghajar, as matter of fact they were suppost to pull out if HA lost the election, which they haven't yet. i am tralking about the observation post which they recently built. I just read an article that they have lowered the flag from the post, a sign of retreat.

Guy

June 22nd, 2009, 01:28 PM

Lebanon's UN envoy files complaint over Israeli breaches of Resolution 1701
Letter cites 513 violations, including attacks on fishermen

BEIRUT: The Israeli Army is routinely flouting United Nations law by violating Lebanese territory over land, sea and air, according to the UN Permanent Representative of Lebanon.

A letter to the UN's General Assembly Security Council, signed by Ambassador Nawaf Salam, alleged that Israel violated resolution 1701 - originally drafted to end the 2006 conflict between Lebanon and Israel - a total of 513 times between February 1 and May 22 2009.

Resolution 1701, as well as drawing provisions requiring the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the cessation of violence in the country, stated the UN's support for "the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognized borders." These latest allegations, however, show that Israel is continually failing to abide by Blue Line border restrictions on Lebanon's southern frontier.

Among the most serious alleged violations of Resolution 1701 were the uses of munitions against Lebanese fishermen working close to the Blue Line.

The letter called the incidents "a blatant violation of the responsibility of safeguarding international peace and security."

"The Israeli army has continued to fire warning shots, throw hand grenades at Lebanese fishing boats, and regularly drop explosive charges in the vicinity of said Israeli line and within Leb-anese territorial waters," it said.

A total of 77 maritime violations have been logged by United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) during the near four-month period up to May 22 this year. These mainly involved Israeli boats and warships projecting reconnaissance spotlights into Lebanese waters.

However, on at least six occasions, Israeli boats have either fired warning shots or thrown hand-grenades in the direction of Lebanese fishing boats, forcing them to change direction and head away from the line of buoys which divide the disputed waters.

Israeli aircraft crossed into Lebanese airspace on 388 occasions, the majority of which involved reconnaissance flights over the southern Litani River. On February 26, four Israeli aircraft were observed circling over Beirut and West Bekaa.

A total of 48 land violations occurred, including the bombardment of the villages of Al- Klayleh and Al-Mansoury on February 21. Eight 155mm shells were reported to have been fired from Israeli military positions toward southern enclaves. In its land violation annex, the letter cited numerous occasions of Lebanese guards being subject to verbal abuse and intimidation by Israeli soldiers.

The letter said that such violations "threaten peace and stability throughout the region and add to existing tensions at a time when serious efforts are being exerted to achieve a comprehensive, just and durable peace.

"It remains that stability and security cannot be sustained unless a permanent ceasefire replaces the precarious situation of the cessation of hostilities," it said. UNIFIL could not be reached for comment.

In addition to the list of 1701 violations, the letter made reference to the recent arrests of individuals on suspicion of spying for Israel. "Since [20 May 2009], several other networks were captured at an alarming rate, which only points to the hostile Israeli intentions towards Lebanon," it said.

At least 32 people have been detained in Lebanon on suspicion of espionage since April.

The letter also charged that Israel was refusing to withdraw its troops from the northern section of the frontier village of Ghajar.

"The Israeli army continues to occupy the area in contravention of its obligation to withdraw unconditionally behind the Blue Line in accordance with Resolution 1701," it said.

The letter also mentions the estimated four million cluster bombs dropped by Israeli warplanes in the final 72 hours of the 2006 conflict, with an estimated 12 million square meters of Lebanese soil still "contaminated." A total of 340 people, including 34 children have been killed or wounded by these de facto landmines since the war's end.

The letter alleged that Israeli information regarding the target points of these munitions was inaccurate. The Lebanon Mine Action Center has collected data suggesting that up to 600,000 cluster bomb fragments have not been accounted for by Israel.

Among the letter's recommendations is that the UN obtains more accurate submunition data from Israel, in order to prevent more "innocent civilian" deaths.

It emphasized the continuing improvement of cooperation between UNIFIL and LAF and urged the international community to maintain giving "financial assistance for the reconstruction and development of Lebanon."
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=103322

Rabih

June 22nd, 2009, 05:23 PM

HRW urges Syria to charge or free Hariri case detainee

BEIRUT (AFP) — Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Monday for the release of a man held by Syria without charge since 2005 in connection with the murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.

"The Syrian authorities have been holding Ziad Ramadan for almost four years," the New York-based watchdog's Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson said.

"If they have nothing to hide in the Hariri investigation, then they should immediately free him or charge him with a recognisable crime," she said in a statement.

The UN-backed investigation into the Hariri murder questioned Ramadan, a Syrian citizen working in Lebanon, when television channels broadcast footage of a man named Ahmed Abu Adas claiming responsibility for the Valentine's Day bombing that killed the former premier.

"Ziad Ramadan was a friend of Abu Adas and his colleague in a computer company in Beirut -- that's basically the link," the senior researcher at HRW's Beirut office, Nadim Houry, said.

The UN-backed tribunal has said officially that it never requested that he be detained, Houry added.

"What they were asking about was Ahmed Abu Adas: did he drive and did he have internet access," he told AFP.

After being questioned in Lebanon, Ramadan left for Syria where he turned himself in upon hearing they were looking for him, HRW said.

He was then detained for almost a year in a Syrian military security bureau, dubbed the Palestine branch, before being transferred back to the main prison in the city of Homs, north of Damascus.

In August 2007, Syrian authorities again transferred Ramadan to the Palestine branch without informing his family, who were able to see him just once, in September 2007.

His family has heard nothing of him since, Houry said.

"Our concern is twofold: the first is that he has been incommunicado and has for all intents and purposes disappeared since 2007," he told AFP.

"The second is if they have evidence that he committed a crime, then they should turn him in to court for a fair trial."

In May, the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon ordered the release of four Lebanese generals detained in Lebanon since 2005 in connection with the murder.

There are no other suspects being held by the tribunal in connection with the case.

Rabih

June 23rd, 2009, 10:29 AM

Syria Releases 23 Lebanese, Including 8 Classified as Missing

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/0/b3a8410f10096efcc22575de001c7615/Body/0.82?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=jpg

The Lebanese side of the Lebanese-Syrian committee tasked with following up issue of missing and detainees in Syria has received a list of 23 Lebanese who were recently freed from Syrian jails, An Nahar daily reported Tuesday.
The newspaper said that the Syrian side handed over the names of the 23 whose names were on a list that the Lebanese side had given to Syrian members of the committee.

The committee informed Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar that among the 23 Lebanese, 16 detainees were released after a special amnesty, according to An Nahar.

Najjar told Future News on Tuesday the committee wasn't handed over any person. "We don't know yet to whom the released (Lebanese) where handed over."

The newspaper added that Beirut had asked Damascus to unveil the fate of eight of the 23 people thinking they were missing.

The eight prisoners had been subject to trials in Syria, An Nahar said.

The released detainees are the following: Abbas Mohammed Abou Hamdan, Massoud Mohammed Hassan, Ismail Jamil Kalash, Ali Mustafa al-Jammal, Nizar Ali Yaghi, Nayef Mohammed al-Abdi, Ismail Attiyeh Gharli, Hani Abdel Rahim Mustafa, Hassan Mohammed al-Hujairi, Mohammed Shehade al-Flayti, Siham Ahmed Murtada, Rashed Mustafa Karnabi, Nadwa Khalif al-Sayyed, Jihad Saleh Yaghi, Hisham Hassan al-Dirani, Mahdi Nour Amoun, Nicola Nakhle al-Tabbal, Mohammed Deeb Youssef, Hassan Youssef Nasser, Mohammed Mahmoud Qanso, Hassan Ali Jaafar, Ibrahim Mohammed al-Haq and Shehade Assad Wehbi.

Naharnet
Beirut, 23 Jun 09, 08:18

Rabih

June 25th, 2009, 07:35 PM

Five injured in Lebanon celebrations after Berri's election - Summary

Beirut - At least five people were wounded by gunfire Thursday in Beirut as supporters celebrated the re-election of Nabih Berri as parliament speaker to a fifth term. Shortly after parliament announced the Berri's victory, dozens of the speaker's followers took to the streets and started firing gunshots into the air to mark the success.

According to hospital sources at least five people were admitted suffering from gunshot wounds from various areas of Beirut.

The head of the Lebanese Christian Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, immdiately denounced the shootings which targeted civilians in their homes or in theirs cars and called for the arrest of culprits.

Berri, who is a close ally of the Shiite movement Hezbollah and has been dubbed by some "the speaker for life" since he has held the post uninterrupted since 1992, received 90 ballots. 28 parliamentarians cast blank votes, and nine voted against.

127 members of the 128-seat Parliament - comprising 13 political blocs and 11 independent MPs - took part in the vote. One MP was registered as absent.

The Christian Phalange Party and the Lebanese Forces have openly objected to Berri's re-election, blaming him for the failure to provide assurances beforehand that he would not close down the parliament - as he did during an 18-month political crisis between 2007-2008 which gripped Lebanon, before a deal was cut in Doha on electing a new president.

A government source told the German Press Agency
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/274840,five-injured-in-lebanon-celebrations-after-berris-election--summary.html

Rabih

June 25th, 2009, 07:35 PM

^^ how nice

Beiruti

June 25th, 2009, 07:38 PM

^^ when will this primitive and barbaric practice be stopped??? It's always the same people doing it too, even after they were warned not to.

jader3283

June 28th, 2009, 07:39 PM

A clash erupted between members of Amal Movement and Future Movement in the Aisha Bakkar neighborhood of Beirut, with no casualties reported.

Al-Arabia TV reported that heavy gunfire was heard as armed, masked men took to the streets.

Security forces rushed to the neighborhood and cordoned it off to contain the clash.

The Internal Security Forces issued a statement saying the clash was limited and security forces are working to control it.

jader3283

June 28th, 2009, 07:40 PM

^^ I just heard from otv, that 1 civilian woman was killed, and two civilians injured

jader3283

June 28th, 2009, 07:45 PM

20:14 Reports of one death and at least five injuries in Aisha Bakkar following clashes between Amal and Future Movement partisans

jader3283

June 28th, 2009, 07:46 PM

20:34 Al-Arabiya TV: Gunshots heard in Mar Elias neighborhood of Beirut

jader3283

June 28th, 2009, 07:48 PM

20:35 One LAF soldier reportedly injured by sniper during clashes in Aisha Bakkar neighborhood of Beirut; renewed clashes near Dar al-Fatwa

jader3283

June 28th, 2009, 07:49 PM

^^ shit this is getting bad i am in a home in corniche el-mazraa and i only hear ambulances.

jader3283

June 28th, 2009, 07:51 PM

---

jader3283

June 28th, 2009, 07:51 PM

20:44 Clashes spread to Mosseitbeh and Salim Salam neighborhoods of Beirut

jader3283

June 28th, 2009, 07:58 PM

tanks and army are all over corniche al mazraa

jader3283

June 28th, 2009, 08:07 PM

According to future news, the army has been ordered to shoot anyone armed with weapons.

egypt69

June 28th, 2009, 08:10 PM

Holy shit you guys wats happening! My best friend just arrived in Beirut late last night, is this big??? :S Allah ma3kom

Hassoun

June 28th, 2009, 08:20 PM

^^ It's all under control now.

egypt69

June 28th, 2009, 08:29 PM

^^ It's all under control now.

Ahh good :) What was it anyway??

Hassoun

June 28th, 2009, 08:34 PM

^^ Clashes between some fanatics supporting different political parties,,mainly two . just for an hour , but because it's Lebanon,lol,u see it all over the news :D

Hassoun

June 28th, 2009, 08:40 PM

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/beirut-fireworks-en-420.jpg/bmi_orig_img/beirut-fireworks-en-420.jpg
fireworks light the sky over Beirut to celebrate the designation of Saad Hariri as Lebanon's new prime minister on Saturday. (AFP/Joseph Barrak)

Hassoun

June 28th, 2009, 08:41 PM

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/hariri-aoun-rab-en-420.jpg/bmi_orig_img/hariri-aoun-rab-en-420.jpg
PM-designate Saad Hariri (L) meets FPM leader and former PM Michel Aoun at his residence in Rabieh on Sunday. (NOW Lebanon)

Lebneni

June 29th, 2009, 04:55 AM

^^ Clashes between some fanatics supporting different political parties,,mainly two . just for an hour , but because it's Lebanon,lol,u see it all over the news :D

pathetic bunch of animals from both sides who want to flex their muscles and the lady who was killed has 5 children, who is going to take care of them now? Nabih berri or saad el harriri?

Some people in this country will never become human beings, they will stay animals all their lives wether they support FM or AMAL :bash::bash::bash:

Tabouleh

June 29th, 2009, 07:34 AM

they should find the people that were invloved from both sides and hang them in public in front of everyone and leave them hanging for a week... They should do that everytime someone does something like this , I promiss you we won't have anyone do this kind of Sh*t anymore for many many years.... Animals should be treated like animals...

dhamoudi

June 29th, 2009, 08:13 AM

^^ when will this primitive and barbaric practice be stopped??? It's always the same people doing it too, even after they were warned not to.

Beiruti, you can see that everyone's doing it! It is primitive and barbaric, but its done by all sides :ohno:

Beiruti

June 29th, 2009, 10:47 PM

^^ I know! this is really sad...

Rabih

July 1st, 2009, 04:57 PM

Push Toward Turning Beirut into Demilitarized City

Beirut lawmakers are exerting every effort in a bid to turn Beirut into a demilitarized city following on-again-off-again bloody street fighting that has taken many innocent lives away.

MPs Mohammed Qabbani, Atef Majdalani, Ammar Houry, Hani Qobeisi, Imad Hout, Jean Oghassabian, Nuhad Mashnouq and Nayla Tueni launched their initiative on Tuesday by visiting outgoing Defense Minister Elias Murr and Interior Minister Ziad Baroud as well as Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani.

A statement issued following the talks said the visits are part of a series of meetings aimed at "resolving the security breeches in the city that have been ongoing for over a year, latest of which was the Aisha Bakkar crime on Sunday where citizen Zeina Miri fell a victim."

Six other people were wounded in the fighting with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades on Sunday that pitted supporters of Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal Movement and backers of Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement in the Aisha Bakkar district of West Beirut.

The statement called for continued support of Lebanese troops in their effort to deal with any security violation "without having to refer to any political party, but, instead, follow their conscience and protect innocent Beirut residents."

Tension clearly emerged when the victim's family refused to accept condolences over the death of Miri "until justice is served."

Miri, the 30-year-old mother of five, was killed by a stray bullet as she stood on the balcony of her apartment building in Aisha Bakkar.

Her family called on Berri and his Amal Movement to turn the culprits in to justice.

These accusations sparked a media row between Amal and Mustaqbal movements that were reflected by the vehement attack on Berri's NBN television which referred to Hariri's party as the "Mustaqbal Movement mob-militia."

NBN stressed that Mrs. Miri fell victim to a bullet fired by a Mustaqbal member "who fired randomly wounding seven Amal partisans still being treated at hospitals."

Berri on Tuesday called for a "serious and transparent" probe into the Aisha Bakkar clashes.

"Amal Movement was surprised at the shooting and the death of innocent Zeina Miri and the rest of the wounded," Berri said.

"It is unacceptable to say that this act was a violation of Beirut and all its citizens. What is true is that others fire at random in all directions and let their sectarianism destroy their country," he added.

Al Liwaa newspaper indicated that Berri's remarks could be directed at Mufti Qabbani who stressed during Miri's funeral on Tuesday his refusal to "desecrate Beirut or Lebanon."

Qabbani said Dar el-Fatwa was moving toward declaring Beirut a "free city."

Al-Akhbar daily, however, accused the majority of working to alleviate tension.

It quoted well-informed sources as saying that "some (sides) want to tie once again the political-security issue with that of the Resistance arms."

Naharnet
Beirut, 01 Jul 09, 08:21

Hassoun

July 4th, 2009, 04:06 PM

Syrian Deployment in Outskirts of Kfarqouq Town in Rashaya

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/0/286b7c7908030725c22575e900285e43/Body/0.82?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=jpg

Syrian forces have expended their deployment in the area of Dawrat Manqaa al-Touffaha in Rashaya after military units moved into the area near the town of Kfarqouq, al-Mustaqbal daily reported Saturday.
The newspaper added that Syrian troops which are based on the border also deployed in the areas of Daydiyyeh, Mrah al-Heet and Khirbet Meshemshe that fall in the territory of Kfarqouq.

The soldiers brought it military and human reinforcements, al-Mustaqbal said. It quoted sources as wondering why the Syrian troops are upgrading their presence in the area and moving into Lebanese territories at a time when Beirut-Damascus ties are improving.

The sources added that this infiltration would put obstacles on demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Beirut, 04 Jul 09, 10:28

Hassoun

July 5th, 2009, 10:16 AM

Haaretz: U.S., Saudis Push Syria Over Israeli Withdrawal From Shebaa Farms

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/0/edc924fe6ce43991c22575ea002712a1/Body/0.82?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=jpg

The Israeli daily Haaretz on Sunday said Saudi Arabia and the United States are pressing Syria to demarcate its border with Lebanon, in order to allow for the beginning of an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Shaba Farms area, straddling the border between Lebanon and the Golan Heights.
These moves come amid warming relations between Damascus and Washington. This past weekend Syrian President Bashar Assad issued an unofficial invitation to his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama to visit the Syrian capital.

Marking the Syrian-Lebanese border would neutralize the Israeli claim that Shaba Farms was previously Syrian territory, and that a withdrawal must be carried out only in the course of negotiations with Damascus. The United Nations also defines the area as Syrian territory, and did not call on Israel to pull back from it during its 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Withdrawing from the disputed area would also obviate one of Hizbullah's primary pretexts for continuing to maintain weapons to fight Israel's presence on what it considers Lebanese soil. In marking its border, however, Syria would be sending a strong message to Hizbullah that the group's accumulation of arms is no longer part of the country's military strategy, wrote Zvi Bar'el wrote on Sunday.

The paper added that such a move would likely bolster the position of Saad Hariri, Lebanon's pro-West prime minister-designate, as well. Hariri has stated that the Lebanese parliament must tackle the issue of disarming Hizbullah. He has also conditioned forming a government on the Hizbullah-led opposition holding no more than a third of the seats in parliament, thus preventing it from being able to veto key government decisions. The Lebanese Constitution stipulates that certain important decisions must be made with the ascent of two-thirds of parliamentarians.

The Israeli paper added that Lebanese sources said recently they expected Syria to agree to mark the border in an effort to win favor with both the United States and Egypt; Lebanon engaged in a diplomatic confrontation with the latter during Israel's operation in Gaza earlier this year.

The border delineation may occur after a new American ambassador is appointed to Syria. One of the leading candidates for the post is Daniel Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Talks over the border issue began before the June 7 election in Lebanon, when acting U.S. assistant secretary of state Jeffrey Feltman and Daniel Shapiro, a Middle East expert with the National Security Council, presented the request to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem. Who rejected the request, telling them, "Until the Farms are liberated from Israeli occupation, we won't mark the border."

Nonetheless, Moallem seems to have changed his position in recent days, announcing that the border mapping would begin in two months, but that demarcation would begin at Syria's northern frontier.

Meanwhile, Syria is also feeling pressure from Saudi Arabia, as King Abdullah has begun reaching out to Damascus after long-strained relations. Reports from Saudi Arabia indicate Abdullah is scheduled to travel to Damascus on Monday, and may convene a limited summit of Saudi, Syrian, Lebanese and Egyptian officials in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, Haaretz said.

Beirut, 05 Jul 09, 10:14

alisaleh

July 7th, 2009, 05:39 PM

Heeey everyone...I'm sure you all "missed" me :lol:

I arrived in Lebanon last night
I am exhausted...please excuse the spelling, I am too tired to comprehend whether or not my spelling is okk....ummm RAH airport is crapp....the waiting line is CRAP...and not because there were alot of people...our airport looks like a deserted ghost town with shitty bathroooms, but it was really the fact that each person was given an hour of service....aint that "great"...uummm yea, im a little cranky...i haven't slept for more than 30 hours...umm maybe i should go to sleep....its awfully hot in here

ooh yea, and in Geneve....ad ma bi 7iboona wa byootha2oo finnaa...when we first arrived in geneve, the announcement made was "everyone going to beirut talk with the cabin crew for instructions on where to go"

and we (the lebanese) were taken to a security check up..khas nas la ilna...it was crap i tell u .what is happening? gaaahhh

annnyyways..
about the politics

SCREWWW HEZBOLLAH AND MARCH 14 ALL TOGETHER.....rooofflll , go outside, shimool hawa, kiss a girl, or a guy ;) ....but the politics has gotta stoop....i have given that crap up.

and nooo I am not high ...or drunk...but a little lightheaded...

but thats enough about me, lol, seriously, nobody in lebanon gives to shit about 5/6 of the crap talked on this forum...i have wasted soo much time on this site..no more politics for me ...i feel like i have let go of such a heavy burdenn

u should try it

alright....good bye...enjoy

sorry about my cranky-ness

lebnani

July 7th, 2009, 06:53 PM

You are not cranky at all.... I actually quite like this alisaleh.... are you sure you are not high... if not, you took a huge Chill pill. Welcome back!

Rabih

July 7th, 2009, 07:03 PM

Hassoun

July 7th, 2009, 09:41 PM

^^ then u just insulted me :lol:

anyway,Welcome back Alloosh :D

Tabouleh

July 8th, 2009, 03:49 AM

LOL! Welcome back!!! I do support the fact that we should throw politics in some forgotten Trash bin! HAVE FUN!!!!!

Jayme

July 8th, 2009, 08:19 AM

I had a great experiance at arriving at Beirut Airport... maybe becuse I was at the front of the line... Thats strange how the lebanese had to go to a security check up.

Rabih

July 9th, 2009, 03:37 PM

If proven, alleged Israeli spying in Lebanon a 'serious violation': UN

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/media/ALeqM5jGhMkT-6Xk40civ7mAGYizAx3ovg?size=l
A masked Lebanese secret service officer shows a map found with arrested Lebanese nationals accused of spying for Israel

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — If allegations that Israeli spy networks are operating in Lebanon were confirmed in court, they would represent a serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty and undermine relevant UN resolutions, a top UN official said Wednesday.

"If these allegations are confirmed in court, this would constitute a very serious violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and consequently undermine relevant Security Council resolutions," Michael Williams, the UN special representative Lebanon, told reporters.

"As special representative of the secretary general, I am acutely conscious of the great unease and worry that this has caused among Lebanese," he added.

Williams spoke after briefing the 15-member council on implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in south Lebanon.

The UN envoy however dismissed allegations that the UN mission in south Lebanon (UNIFIL) facilitated the crossing of agents from the Israeli spy cells from Lebanon into Israel.

"UNIFIL has looked at this very, very seriously," Williams said. "The allegations that they were facilitating in some way the passage of individuals across the blue line is, I think, without foundation."

UN chief Ban Ki-moon also expressed concern at allegations by the Lebanese government that Israeli spy cells "have been operating in Lebanon and that the Israeli Defense Forces helped alleged spies to cross from Lebanon into Israel through the Blue Line."

The secretary general also noted that if the allegations were proven, they "could endanger the fragile cessation of hostilities that exists between Israel and Lebanon."

Last month, Lebanon's military prosecutor charged 10 more suspects with spying for Israel, continuing a crackdown on spy rings that has now seen a total of 68 people charged.

Forty of those charged are currently in custody, including a retired general and a policemen. Those detained are 37 Lebanese citizens, two Palestinians and an Egyptian.

Lebanon remains at a state of war with Israel and convicted spies face a possible life prison term with hard labor or the death penalty if found guilty of contributing to Lebanese loss of life.

The charges came just days after parliamentary polls which saw a Western-backed alliance take 71 of the 128 seats in parliament, defeating a rival bloc led by Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Williams also deplored the fact that despite "repeated criticisms by the secretary general, Israeli overflights (over Lebanon) continue unabated and on a daily basis."

The overflights, which Israel says are needed to monitor alleged arms smuggling by Hezbollah, are in breach of UN Security Council resolution 1701.

Williams also noted that no date had yet been set for Israel to withdraw from the divided Ghajar village on the Israeli-Lebanese border.

Resolution 1701 of August 14, 2006, brought an end to a devastating, 34-day Israeli military offensive against its northern neighbour, launched after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid.

It demanded the pullout of the Israeli army from south Lebanon and its replacement by a UN-backed Lebanese army deployment. UNIFIL monitors the separation of forces following the war.

Rabih

July 9th, 2009, 06:52 PM

4UwzAhLK9fo

alisaleh

July 9th, 2009, 06:54 PM

wlek ekhet el ma shta2lak :)

aww lol yislamo :)

alisaleh

July 9th, 2009, 06:55 PM

^^ then u just insulted me :lol:

anyway,Welcome back Alloosh :D

lol.......um, thanks...i think ???

alisaleh

July 9th, 2009, 06:59 PM

You are not cranky at all.... I actually quite like this alisaleh.... are you sure you are not high... if not, you took a huge Chill pill. Welcome back!

Heh thanks :)

Yes....argeeele helps...trust me :P

HerrParhom

July 11th, 2009, 04:59 AM

What made you change your mind?

Heeey everyone...I'm sure you all "missed" me :lol:

I arrived in Lebanon last night
I am exhausted...please excuse the spelling, I am too tired to comprehend whether or not my spelling is okk....ummm RAH airport is crapp....the waiting line is CRAP...and not because there were alot of people...our airport looks like a deserted ghost town with shitty bathroooms, but it was really the fact that each person was given an hour of service....aint that "great"...uummm yea, im a little cranky...i haven't slept for more than 30 hours...umm maybe i should go to sleep....its awfully hot in here

ooh yea, and in Geneve....ad ma bi 7iboona wa byootha2oo finnaa...when we first arrived in geneve, the announcement made was "everyone going to beirut talk with the cabin crew for instructions on where to go"

and we (the lebanese) were taken to a security check up..khas nas la ilna...it was crap i tell u .what is happening? gaaahhh

annnyyways..
about the politics

SCREWWW HEZBOLLAH AND MARCH 14 ALL TOGETHER.....rooofflll , go outside, shimool hawa, kiss a girl, or a guy ;) ....but the politics has gotta stoop....i have given that crap up.

and nooo I am not high ...or drunk...but a little lightheaded...

but thats enough about me, lol, seriously, nobody in lebanon gives to shit about 5/6 of the crap talked on this forum...i have wasted soo much time on this site..no more politics for me ...i feel like i have let go of such a heavy burdenn

u should try it

alright....good bye...enjoy

sorry about my cranky-ness

alisaleh

July 11th, 2009, 01:32 PM

What made you change your mind?

Oh no, I wont lie to you...I haven't changed my mind, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but in Lebanon its a little bit different, my opinion is right, and your opinion is wrong, there is no debating it, that is how problems are made, thats what was happening in this thread. So the easiest solution to this problem is not to express your political views at all. I still hold the same political views, but now I have changed my mindset to "who the f**k cares."

I have wasted too much time on this thread, tooo much!!!

HerrParhom

July 11th, 2009, 02:58 PM

Oh no, I wont lie to you...I haven't changed my mind, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but in Lebanon its a little bit different, my opinion is right, and your opinion is wrong, there is no debating it, that is how problems are made, thats what was happening in this thread.

I have wasted too much time on this thread, tooo much!!!

It's this way everywhere. The only difference is that among Lebanese or Iranians or most people from this region of the world, whether or not they are living at home or abroad, there's just too much at stake. If you're, for instance, American, all you care about at the end of the day is who wins American Idol and how many carbs are in your sandwich. When Americans tlak about politics, it's about luxury problems like abortion or something.

As an Iranian, if I were to talk to someone who is relgious, my opinion would be "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT." Americans don't do the same thing. I suspect that, for many Lebanese, those who favor the opposition and those who favor the status quo probably feel the same toward each other which is why discussions get heated. I think, though, that it's good to care.

Lebneni

July 11th, 2009, 03:43 PM

I suspect that, for many Lebanese, those who favor the opposition and those who favor the status quo probably feel the same toward each other which is why discussions get heated. I think, though, that it's good to care.

i see it more as those who favor the status quo and those who favor giving control of the country to the mullahs of Tehran :nuts:

Hassoun

July 12th, 2009, 10:35 AM

Three years on
Today marks the third anniversary of the beginning of the July War
July 12, 2009

http://www.nowlebanon.com/ContentPictures/july-afp-420-071209125141.jpg
Smoke rises from a building in Dahiyeh in southern Beirut after an Israeli air raid on July 16, 2006. (AFP/Anwar Amro)

Today marks the third anniversary of the beginning of the 2006 July War. The 34-day conflict killed over 1000 Lebanese civilians, forced nearly one million from their homes and left swathes of the country in ruins.

Three years on, de-mining teams are still working to remove cluster bombs Israel dropped on the South, while Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri used the occasion to emphasize the need for a national-unity cabinet.

On June 12, 2006, Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed three during an assault on a patrol on the Israeli side of Lebanon’s southern border.

Israel, which was already involved in a military operation in the Gaza Strip to free another captured soldier, immediately responded by sending ground forces into southern Lebanon for the first time since its 2000 withdrawal.

The Israeli Defense Force carried out massive airstrikes against Lebanon, which paralyzed major points of infrastructure such as the country’s only international airport, bridges and power plants, and subjected it to a punishing air and naval blockade.

Hezbollah strongholds in the South, the Bekaa Valley and Dahiyeh in southern Beirut were particularly targeted by Israeli strikes.

Hezbollah responded by engaging in guerilla battles against advancing Israeli units and fired approximately 4,000 unguided rockets into northern Israel.

According to AFP reports, the 34-day Israeli offensive left at least 1,287 Lebanese dead and 4,054 wounded. Four UN observers and one UNIFIL member were also killed by Israeli strikes. The UNHCR estimates nearly one million Lebanese were displaced by the war.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 119 Israeli soldiers and 44 civilians were killed during the conflict. Hezbollah and Amal announced they lost 91 combatants.

A ceasefire came into effect on August 14 after UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was unanimously approved by the UN Security Council on August 11, and by the Lebanese and Israeli governments the following days. The resolution called for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah.

In the final stages of the conflict, Israel rained millions of cluster bomblets on southern Lebanon, many of which failed to detonate on impact and have killed and injured dozens of civilians in the last three years, despite ongoing de-mining efforts. After considerable international pressure, Israel handed maps of the locations of the cluster bombs to UNIFIL in May this year.

The conflict cost Lebanon billions of dollars as it was necessary to carry out major infrastructure projects, repair or rebuild thousands of private houses and remove unexploded ordinances.

As part of the 2006 Stockholm and 2007 Paris III donor conferences, governments and organizations pledged close to 8.5 billion dollars in grants and loans to help Lebanon rebuild and recover from the devastating war.

Hezbollah returned the bodies of the two kidnapped Israeli soldiers on July 16, 2008, in return for the release of Palestinian Liberation Front member Samir Kuntar, who was convicted of murder by an Israeli court, four Hezbollah members and the bodies of 200 Lebanese and Palestinians.

Prime Minister-elect Saad Hariri said the occasion of the third anniversary of the outbreak of the July War had prompted President Michel Sleiman and himself to stress the importance of forming a national-unity cabinet, after meeting the president at Baabda on Saturday.

In a statement issued earlier on Saturday to mark the anniversary, Sleiman praised the “victorious” efforts of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Resistance and ordinary civilians during the conflict.

“Israel learned a tough lesson after the war, which led them to resort to threats and intimidation instead of the attacks that have proceeded each summer,” the president added.

He criticized Israel for continuing to violate UN Security Council Resolution 1701 on “a daily basis.”

Israeli violations of UNSCR 1701 were also discussed during a meeting between French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Nawwaf Moussawi on Friday evening.

Moussawi briefed Kouchner on Israel’s daily military flights over Lebanon and the recent discovery of spy networks in the country.

Israeli officials preempted the anniversary by warning that Hezbollah had expanded its arsenal after the 2006 war, and cautioned the militant group against carrying out further acts of sabotage against Israel or abducting its citizens and soldiers.

“After 2006, Hezbollah has not attempted to attack northern Israel, which proves that the party incurred heavy losses during the war and the Israeli Defense Forces were capable of restoring their deterrent capacity,” Israeli Northern Command chief Alon Friedman told Israeli public radio on Saturday, news agencies reported.

-NOW Staff

alisaleh

July 12th, 2009, 02:49 PM

Ok so today I went to the store to get a lighter, just a lighter...

the question which popped up was "which one? the yellow, green, blue, or white one?"

WELCOME TO LEBANON

Rabih

July 12th, 2009, 04:00 PM

^^ 3a2bel ma ysero mlawanen..
http://www.illawarraqinfo.com/userimages/gay_flag_7stripe.gif

lebnani

July 12th, 2009, 10:03 PM

HAHAHA Nice!

annie23

July 12th, 2009, 10:20 PM

Hehehe loooooool

annie23

July 15th, 2009, 05:41 AM

Tough words, but Israel-Hezbollah fight unlikely to happen soon
Matt Nash, NOW Staff , July 13, 2009
As cabinet consultations continue, two things appear certain: Hezbollah will participate in the Lebanese government – whether or not March 8 gets veto power – and Israel will have a longer list of targets should it decide to strike Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that if Hezbollah joins the cabinet, the whole country would be responsible for any attacks on the Jewish state, reiterating comments he made at the end of June during a closed-door cabinet session.

The biggest threat of these words turning into fatal action in the short term seems to be an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Hezbollah, which maintains very close ties to the Islamic Republic, has not said directly how it would respond to such an attack, but Mohammed Raad, the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, said in August 2008 that "The first shot fired from the Zionist entity toward Iran will be met by a response of 11,000 rockets in the direction of the Zionist entity. This is what military leaders in the Islamic republic have confirmed," according to the National News Agency. He did not elaborate where the rockets would be fired from, though many analysts expect Hezbollah would respond from Lebanon.
In fact, in an interview aired Saturday on Al-Jazeera, released Israeli prisoner Samir Kantar said Hezbollah “will not leave Iran, one of the pillars of Islam, alone without intervening” if Israel attacked it.

Israel’s threat that all of Lebanon would be responsible for Hezbollah attacks likely means more widespread targeting of the country’s infrastructure, according to Timur Goksel, a security consultant and former spokesman for the UNIFIL peacekeeping force in South Lebanon.

“They are preparing the ground to attack infrastructure targets more than they did last time [during the 2006 July war],” he told NOW. “And I know that some of the [Israeli] military in the 2006 war, when things didn’t go as they wanted, wanted to hit those targets, but, I think they were stopped by their own politicians. So that’s what they are preparing the ground for.”

There has been much speculation lately about the likelihood of Israel making a move against Iranian nuclear facilities, which Israel and the West suspect Iran is using to make an atomic bomb, while Tehran maintains that it is enriching uranium to meet domestic energy needs.

And with hardliners in power in both Israel and Iran, the antagonism between them is likely to continue simmering.
Iran recently affirmed the disputed re-election of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who last week vowed to continue the foreign policy he pursued during his first term, which included harsh anti-Israeli rhetoric. The June poll led to the most serious internal unrest since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, and some argue that a war would go a long way toward forging unity at a fractious time.

Indeed, the Israeli government, led by a mostly right-wing coalition, is more likely to use force to maintain Israeli military supremacy in the region. In an interview with the weekly magazine of Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, Israeli National Security Council chief Uzi Arad said of Iran, "The defensive might we have must be improved and become tremendously powerful, and create a situation in which no one will dare to realize the ability to harm us. And if they do dare, we will exact a full price, so that they too will not survive."

US Vice President Joe Biden meanwhile raised eyebrows earlier this month in a televised interview when he said Israel is a “sovereign nation” that can choose for itself whether or not to make a pre-emptive move against Iran, indicating the US would not prevent such action.

Israel’s hard-line Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was quick to jump on Biden’s comments, calling them “logical” and saying, “sometimes there are disputes between friends, but at the end of the day the decision is ours,” according to the Associated Press.
However, US President Barack Obama a few days later told CNN that Washington had “absolutely not” given Israel a “green light” on a strike.

Obama is seeking engagement with Tehran, which would certainly be compromised by an Israeli strike. Furthermore, Israel seems to want more than tacit approval from Washington. A report from January published in the New York Times said Israel asked former US President George W. Bush for bunker-buster bombs to hit underground nuclear facilities and additional refueling planes in order to send a larger force to Iran to conduct such a raid. Israel also reportedly asked for rights to fly through Iraqi airspace.

Bush denied the request, a policy choice Obama seems highly unlikely to overturn. That said, Israel could pull off a raid without the refueling equipment and a recent report from the Times said Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israel using the kingdom’s airspace to reach its regional arch-rival. Both Israeli and Saudi officials denied the report.
Israel attacked an Iraqi nuclear facility unilaterally in the 1980s and took out what it said was a nuclear site in Syria in late 2007, so moving against Iran would not be outside the realm of possibility, but Washington, at least in the near term, seems to oppose an attack. The peace process is already straining US-Israel relations, and defying Obama’s wishes appears an unlikely Israeli option for now.

But if Iran continues uranium enrichment while rejecting Western attempts to monitor and control the process, a strike, whether the US likes it or not, cannot be ruled out and would seem to have disastrous consequences for Lebanon.

Guy

July 15th, 2009, 08:32 PM

Lebanese, Israeli troops narrowly avoid battle
By Patrick Galey
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Listen to the Article - Powered by

BEIRUT: The Lebanese Army narrowly avoided an armed exchange with Israel, according to media reports on Tuesday. The confrontation was allegedly sparked when the LAF demanded the removal of an Israeli observation post set up near a watering-hole in Kfar Shuba, close to the disputed Blue Line in the south of the country.

The National News Agency reported that the LAF "became fully equipped to start battle" before the situation was defused.

A Lebanese Army spokesman told reporters that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had been requested to intervene.

"The military asked the UN peacekeeping force deployed in south Lebanon [UNIFIL] to remove the Israeli post set up near Kafr Shuba," a village just outside the divided border village of Ghajar, he said.

UNIFIL deputy spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Daily Star that the altercation had occurred in an area outside the peacekeeping force's jurisdiction. "We have no presence there [near the Kfar Shuba pond]," she said. "It's an issue that has been going on for several weeks and we've been working with both parties to solve the problem."

The Blue Line - a UN demarcated line of Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon - has seen a spate of alleged violations in recent months. UN Security Council Resolution 1701, drafted to end Israel's 2006 war on Lebanon, provided that both countries respect the de facto boundary.

UNIFIL has a peacekeeping mandate in the areas surrounding the Blue Line. Although its powers are restricted to the region south of the Litani River to the Blue Line, it does not have access to some areas, including positions on the Israeli side of the boundary.

Last month, Lebanon's UN ambassador sent a list of Israeli Blue Line violations to the Security Council, including Israel aircraft entering Lebanese airspace and munitions fired from Israeli military positions onto Lebanese soil.

In recent weeks, a series of incidents have occurred close to the Blue Line, including Israeli cows crossing into Lebanon to drink from a watering hole in Kfar Shuba.

Residents and officials say this represents a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty.

Rabih

July 19th, 2009, 10:39 AM

Lebanese stone UN peacekeepers, injure 14
By BASSEM MROUE (AP)

BEIRUT — Villagers threw stones at U.N. peacekeeping troops in southern Lebanon Saturday, lightly injuring 14 soldiers, in an attempt to prevent an investigation near the site of a recent explosion, a spokeswoman said.

In one instance, a peacekeeping patrol had to fire warning shots in the air to clear its path, said peacekeeping spokeswoman Yasmina Bouziane.

Saturday's incident is believed to be the most serious confrontation between Shiite Muslims sympathetic to the militant Hezbollah group and the thousands of U.N. peacekeepers deployed in southern Lebanon after the 2006 war between the guerrillas and Israel.

The incident came after an explosion Tuesday in a southern village was blamed on a suspected Hezbollah weapons depot that apparently accidentally blew up.

Relations between the U.N. force and Hezbollah and its allies have been largely good, with only very limited incidents in the last three years. Sunni Islamic militants linked to al-Qaida, which is hostile to Hezbollah, are suspected of being behind the deadliest attack on the force: a car bomb that killed six Spanish peacekeepers in June 2007.

Saturday's clash occurred when U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanese army troops were less than a mile from the site of Tuesday's explosion "to verify some elements related to" the accident, Bouziane told The Associated Press.

About 100 people gathered and attempted to hamper their activity by throwing stones, and additional troops were deployed as the crowd grew, said Bouziane.

Tuesday's explosion occurred in an abandoned building in Khirbet Silim, about 9 miles (15 kilometers) from the Israeli border. Lebanese officials have said the explosion was caused by a fire in a Hezbollah weapons storage facility. Hezbollah has remained silent.

U.N. peacekeepers have said the weapons depot was a "serious violation" of a U.N. Security Council solution that ended the 34-day war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. The U.N.-brokered truce prohibits Hezbollah from engaging in military activities in south Lebanon and forbids weapon smuggling to the group. But the guerrillas are believed to continue to have a clandestine presence in the area.

After the explosion, Israel accused Iran and Syria of violating those conditions by sending weapons to Hezbollah.

Hezbollah and Lebanon's government, which has backed the guerrillas, have in turn accused Israel of violating the resolution by routinely sending its military aircraft on reconnaissance missions over the country.

Under the U.N. resolution, a 13,300-member U.N. peacekeeping force from 28 nations was deployed along Lebanon's border with Israel to help 15,000 Lebanese government troops extend their authority into the south for the first time in decades and create a buffer zone free of Hezbollah fighters.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Rabih

July 19th, 2009, 10:39 AM

^^ All hail Sayyed Hassan! :gaah:

Jayme

July 19th, 2009, 01:24 PM

Stupid Villagers

Rabih

July 20th, 2009, 11:42 AM

Iron Dome Works

July 20, 2009: Israel had the first successful test of its Iron Dome anti-rocket system on July 15th. The system detected and shot down several BM-21 rockets. The Israelis expect to have the system in action, along the Gaza border, later this year. The manufacturer, Rafael, was offered a large bonus if they got the system working ahead of schedule. When Iron Dome was first proposed three years ago, it was to take five years (until 2012) to get it operational. In addition to the cash incentive, there's also the rockets still coming out of Gaza, and being stockpiled by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Iron Dome uses two radars to quickly calculate the trajectory of the incoming rocket (Palestinian Kassams from Gaza, or Russian and Iranian designs favored by Hezbollah in Lebanon) and do nothing if the rocket trajectory indicates it is going to land in an uninhabited area. But if the computers predict a rocket coming down in an inhabited area, a $40,000 guided missile is fired to intercept the rocket. This makes the system cost-effective. That's because Hezbollah fired 4,000 rockets in 2006, and Palestinian terrorists in Gaza have fired over six thousand Kassam rockets in the past eight years, and the Israelis know where each of them landed. Over 90 percent of these rockets landed in uninhabited areas. Still, a thousand interceptor missiles would cost $40 million. But that would save over a hundred lives, and hundreds of injuries. A cheap price to pay, especially if you are one of the victims, or potential victims. Israel already has a radar system in place that gives some warning of approaching rockets. Iron Dome will use that system, in addition to another, more specialized radar in southern Israel.

The rocket attacks had been around since 2001, but got much worse once Israel pulled out of Gaza in August of 2005. This was a peace gesture that backfired. From 2001 to 2005, about 700 rockets had been fired from Gaza into Israel. Since the 2005 withdrawal, over 3,200 more rockets have been fired into Israel. The rate of firings increased after Hamas took control of Gaza in June, 2007.

Hamas has been bringing in more factory made Iranian and Chinese made BM-21 and BM-12 rockets. Israeli intelligence officials believe Hamas currently has, in Gaza, several hundred factory made BM-21 rockets, each with a range of 20-40 kilometers. They also have some shorter range (six kilometers) B-12 rockets. These are not smuggled in much, because the locally made Kassam II has about the same range. However, the B-12 is more reliable (more reliable trajectory and fuze, so more are likely to land where aimed and explode.)

The B-12 is a 107mm, 42 pound, 107mm, 33 inch long, Russian designed rocket that is very popular with terrorists. This rocket has a range of about six kilometers and three pounds of explosives in its warhead. Normally fired, from a launcher, in salvoes of dozens at a time, when used individually, it is more accurate the closer it is to the target. This 107mm design has been copied by many nations, and is very popular with guerillas and terrorists because of its small size and portability. There is a Chinese BM-12 variant which has a smaller warhead and larger rocket motor. This version is supposed to have a range of about 12 kilometers.

The 122mm BM-21s weigh 150 pounds and are nine feet long. These have 45 pound warheads, but not much better accuracy than the 107mm model. However, these larger rockets have a maximum range of 20 kilometers. Again, because they are unguided, they are only effective if fired in salvos, or at large targets (like cities, or large military bases or industrial complexes.) There are Egyptian and Chinese variants that have smaller warheads and larger rocket motors, giving them a range of about 40 kilometers.

The rocket attacks from Gaza have been remarkably ineffective, killing only 37 people (half from rockets, the rest by mortars) in eight years. Hamas has had to fire about 270 rockets or mortar shells for each Israel soldier or civilian they have killed. Israeli counterfire killed or wounded a Palestinian for every three Palestinian rockets or mortar shells fired. One Israeli was killed or wounded for every 40 rockets or mortar shells fired. Israeli fire was much more accurate, with most of the Palestinian casualties being terrorists or others involved in building or firing the rockets and mortars. Hamas has tried to get civilians killed, by storing rockets in residential areas, and forming them from those neighborhoods as well. Although Hamas believes in the concept of "involuntary martyrdom" (getting civilians killed for the cause, even if the victims are not willing), many of its chosen candidates for it are not eager to die. So civilians stay away from areas where the rockets are launched, and try to conceal the fact that rockets are hidden under their homes.

Meanwhile, up north in Lebanon, Hezbollah have stockpiled over 40,000 factory made rockets, mainly BM-21s brought in from Iran via Syria. This is three times as many rockets as they had in the Summer of 2006, when over 4,000 rockets were fired into northern Israel, killing about fifty people, most of them civilians. Over a thousand Lebanese died from Israeli counterattacks. Hezbollah and Hamas plan to launch a joint rocket attack on Israel eventually. The Israelis have been planning more effective countermeasures, which they have not been discussing openly. There is also the option of installing Iron Dome in the north, but that has not been assured yet.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htada/articles/20090720.aspx

aezzeddi

July 20th, 2009, 01:45 PM

Stupid Villagers

hey jayme,with all due respect man,maybe it's you the stupid...

Jayme

July 20th, 2009, 03:41 PM

They have no right to throw stones at the UN forces.

Rabih

July 20th, 2009, 03:53 PM

hey jayme,with all due respect man,maybe it's you the stupid...

And it is intelligence to attack the UNIFIL who have been de-mining, providing medical aid & reconstructing roads, bridges and other infrastructure in the south for the past 30 years?!

The UNIFIL is multi-national force and they have suffered 258 fatalities since their deployment in Lebanon. As far as I'm concerned they're much more ethical and willing to help Lebanon than your divine militias!

With all due respect man, it is your answer that is stupid!

aezzeddi

July 21st, 2009, 09:06 AM

And it is intelligence to attack the UNIFIL who have been de-mining, providing medical aid & reconstructing roads, bridges and other infrastructure in the south for the past 30 years?!

The UNIFIL is multi-national force and they have suffered 258 fatalities since their deployment in Lebanon. As far as I'm concerned they're much more ethical and willing to help Lebanon than your divine militias!

With all due respect man, it is your answer that is stupid!

Rabih, again with all due respect above all, it is pretty obvious you haven't been to South Lebanon lately...in fact...have you ever been to SL???? I'll share some valuable info with you...French,italian or spanish troops in SL are doin nothing of what you mentioned. They didn't help in rebuilding anything, and it's definetly not them doing all the de-mining...you should check your facts,go down to SL for a change or simply ask the LA. French troops, for some misterious reason (or not that misterious), in violation of the UN resolution and against the rules dictated by their mandate in SL, decided to organise an armed convoy and go to several areas with the aim of entering peoples house's and inspect some private property without informing the LA...and when the residents realised they simply faced the french commandos by blocking their way. The french decided to play it tough, so residents got angry and objects strated flying till the LA arrived on the scene, questioned the french about their presence there and ultimately withdrew with them from the areas after calming the angry residents...anyway, pre-2006 Unifil is something, and post-2006 unifil is something else...the pre 2006 one was some kind of ridiculous pseudoarmy made up of nepalese,indians and fijians with no clear mandate nor mission, but with whom local residents enjoyed a gr8 friendship...post 2006 is made up of intellectuals (spanish,italian,polish and french soldiers with an IQ well below the average) with a notorious passion for being in the middle of the action, except when they have to face israeli aggressions and violations, when they are experts in running back to the barracks and stay silent...

if you wish just learn about the facts of the story before making a judgement...

look,i'm not trying to pick up a fight,but reading such a profound comment such as jayme's "stupid villagers" really pissed me off.my lame answer was nothing but a reply to an insulting comment by Jayme...apart from the fact that addressing some local residents of a small town in SL as "stupid villagers" is quite pathetic and gives a clear picture of Jayme's mentality...and y?

Jayme

July 21st, 2009, 09:18 AM

My mentailty is quite open minded and modern actully.... I just hate how people have to hurt others to get what they want......stoning offt soo backwards.

aezzeddi

July 21st, 2009, 10:10 AM

^^

ok,that's fine,i don't doubt it you're modern and open minded...i guess your world is completely different from that of a stupid villager, a farmer in a small village in SL.

You're a young and open minded australian, living in Melbourne, with a passion for architecture, design and tall buildings...you love attending live concerts and playing sports, eating burgers at mcdos or whatever it is that you have in AUS, you love animals, specially kangaroos (hehe...sorry for that...) and watching a rugby match on a cool sunday evening...

Those "stupid villagers" are basically poor farmers, they love animals too, specially the few sheep and couple of cows they own. they love listening to the shei5's prayers at the mosque, eating labneh w mlo5iyye and the only sport they know about is running away from israeli bombs.

it's clear there are many differences between you...however, those villagers have sth called pride...wether right or wrong, they are capable of defending their dignity even if that means throwing a stone at a french commando...there's something quite courageous and about it and you can't deny...and ohhh come on...don't tell me throwing a stone is so barbarian and backward...!!! how many things changed cause of a few flying stones...besides, lately we live in a world in which we're not supposed to cross any line...i can't believe,it's getting so ridiculous!! suddenly the world wants us, the youth, to be cool, dress alike, listen to music, be fans of any group, go out and get drunk every single weekend...that is good...the rest is bad...so if you don't behave like that you become a freak and ppl go like "hey...you're such a barbarian!!!"...man what's up? can't i just love buildings and throw some stones at the same time when I feel attacked????

it's all about eliminating every small chance for a revolutionary spirit...if you throw a stone at a french soldier you're a stupid villager...don't ask me y...but you are...cause i wasn't there and i didn't see what happened...but u are...ohh look at you, you spend the day with cows, you pray in the mosque, you smell, you're poor, and you like hizbilshaytan!!!! therefore you suck and we are cool....

Rabih

July 21st, 2009, 11:34 AM

aezzeddi

July 21st, 2009, 12:17 PM

Aezzeddi thank you for your reply, actually by your previous answer i did think you were one of those lame forumers who just through ignorant comments and don't defend them in a civilized approach.

You're right, it's been a long time for me since i last went to the South and actually the south-est I've been to is Sour and Jezzine..
I practically lived most of my life in ras-Beirut but in my defense, most of my friends were from the south! I went to school in Choeifat, collage in Haddath (universite Libanais) and so spent most of my time while growing up in da7ye..

I've learnt to appreciate the southerns compassion, strong will and their beauty (ALL my lovers were from the south/bekaa)
I'm amazed to see how they stood up to tyranny, weather from Lebanese corrupt and racist government or from Israel, and how a big portion of them found a way to make their lives better by settling down in the gulf, Africa, Australia, Germany and USA..

All that aside, I still very much criticize how they hand their fates and lives to Hezbollah! Particularly now, when there is a real chance for a free-diverse country focused on business and not wars.

I criticize how they follow religious leader blindly especially since they were the ones responsible for what happened to them in 2006!

I criticize of how they would turn on the UNIFIL just like that after sharing a long good relationship with them, all because a Hezbollah voice told them to..

You can argue with me that it's their call to martyr themselves and pick fights in their local neighborhoods, and you would be right! But what ever happens in a part of Lebanon reflects to the whole Lebanese community..

Perhaps i can't understand them because I'm not religious and I would never let a religious man summarize my identity and beliefs!

ok...rabih,i have to admit you must have a good taste, cause lebanese beauty is seen in the South like nowhere else in Lebanon...might be hidden, but yes...it's there!!! :) so i'm always glad to see a fellow lebanese enjoying the pleasures that life brings in the charming arms of beautiful white skinned shi3iyye...

anyway it's sad you've never been to the South. I'm sure if you took the chance to visit those towns you'd change your mind in many ways. People down there are often a bit impulsive and even primitive in some behaviours, but i reject the idea that we must all fit in the same pattern to be able to coexist and be considered human beings...my view is that a poor pro-HA farmer in a SL town might end up being a great person and surprise many so called liberal lebanese with his dignity and sense of mutual respect...as simple as that...the key is not to turn Lebanon into a melting pot where if you're not a party goer you feel excluded...the key in my opinion is to find balance and make compromises which create inside one single entity, diverse micro-environments coexisting at the same time...a young liberal lebanese must be able to find his place in Lebanon as well as a religious villager...

i'm not religious to be honest, but my sympathy goes for those villagers whom in some cases (in others not) might not have a deep education, but still understand life in a traditional way and don't need any cosmopolitan forward thinking lebanese to tell them what they can do and what they cannot do. In a world where we all walk the same path I'm starting to miss those "primitive" behaviours and I really appreciate it that some people still have the courage to throw a stone at a french soldier trying to inspect your property...these are my views regarding this specific case...and considering that SL people see HA as a necessary protection without which the shi3a would be abandoned, marginalised or forced to leave Lebanon. You must understand that HA is part of this society...

in the past HA was perceived as a danger by most shi3a, but now things changed. Most shi3a reject religious fanatism, but still even non religious shiites are willing to coexist with HA and even support them cause HA learnt how to respect and give their space to shiites with diverse mentalities. HA filled the space and they did it for good to the extent that shiites can't understand life without HA. Hariri, ja3ja3 or Jumblat are sectarian leaders who cater for their own sects...well the shi3a found HA...in fact it was the injustice, occupation and lack of equality that created HA. Who's gonna protect the shi3a and get their rights back? Nabih Berri???? come on...

what Lebanon needs is a better understanding of its creation, history, wars and suffering...we need to learn about the other's sufferings and make heavy sacrifices.

LeB-iT

July 21st, 2009, 02:16 PM

^^ohh u got something wrong :P just one thing

annie23

July 21st, 2009, 03:08 PM

Ehemmm aezzeddi ,Shi3a worship HA because they have no other choice not because they like it !!!!And you know damn I'm right

Tabouleh

July 21st, 2009, 07:41 PM

I must admit that I appreciate having a civilized approach to a discussion between these two different views for once! Usually it degenerates into insults and the thread needs a clean up and is closed for a week LOL!

As for the matter, I must admit that as a Beiruty Lebanese that has grown up in Sierra Leone West Africa, where most Lebanese are Shi3a from the south, the Southeners are the kindest most altruistic and gentle people I have met! I too would probably defend my rights in any way possible if I was to be pushed in one corner and picked on for 30 years! We as Lebanese must start thinking of one another as people of the same nation!We do need to defend ourselves one another, but not through violence! It only makes us look like savages in the rest of the world's eyes! Just yesterday, I heard a woman saying that her house was so dirty it was like Beirut! I got pissed, but what can you do? We projected this image of war and corruption for so long.... It has become a saying... Look up the adjective ''Libanisation'' in the french dictionnary... It means to seperate and tear apart!
I think that the best and ONLY way to welcome the southeners and the Shi3a community in the future state of Lebanon is to build schools, hospitals, universities and to generate jobs other than just agriculture! Education and culture is the best weapon!

The best proof is the way this discussion has been respectfull. Aezzeddi and Rabih project in their latest comments the image of educated people who know how to have a civilized discussion where the opinion of another is listened to and where you try to understand the point of view and logic of the other part! Great job you guys! :)

Hassoun

July 21st, 2009, 08:14 PM

^^ I have to agree :)

jader3283

August 3rd, 2009, 03:28 PM

would any of march 14 supporters like to "comment" about jumblatt's words
:lol:

Hassoun

August 3rd, 2009, 08:28 PM

^^ Not really,koz it doesn't make any difference,Junblat is not becoming part of March8 neither.

Beiruti

August 3rd, 2009, 08:37 PM

^^ Exactly, he is not joining the Opposition. The PSP just needs to re-evaluate their role in the political arena and position themselves to have more influence.

Hassoun

August 3rd, 2009, 08:56 PM

^^ some saying PSP and Amal are going to be "independent"

lebgurl

August 3rd, 2009, 09:44 PM

^^ I seriously, seriously doubt that they will be independent! They don't stand a chance of politically existing if they do. The druze are not gonna be happy being weaklings, and neither will the secular/wealthier class of shias.

would any of march 14 supporters like to "comment" about jumblatt's words
:lol:

Yes, I would. The guy, to those unfamiliar to him, is like wormtail from Harry Potter. It is not at all surprising in any way shape or form for him to flip ... completely predictable, and I'm willing to bet that by the time I graduate, he will have flipped again. In the end, he is gonna find himself without friends and the druze population will be in crisis.

Hassoun

August 3rd, 2009, 10:19 PM

Jumblat: I Will Not Affiliate with Another Camp, I will Join the President Instead

MP Walid Jumblat stressed a day after he announced he was terminating his alliance with the majority March 14 coalition that he was going independent and would not affiliate with any political camp, but rather join President Michel Suleiman.

"I am an independent. I will not affiliate with any other team. I will join the President who is the guarantor," Jumblat said in an interview with MTV late Monday.

"I will see an appropriate time to vote in Parliament or in Cabinet," he added.

Jumblat pointed, however, that a number of MPs within his Democratic Gathering bloc would vote in favor of the majority.

The Druze leader on Sunday announced that his alliance with March 14 forces had been "out of necessity and must not continue."

Beirut, 03 Aug 09, 20:26

lebgurl

August 3rd, 2009, 10:43 PM

^^ mmhmm yea sure ... I believe it.

alisaleh

August 3rd, 2009, 11:50 PM

Just came back from the south, was visiting the village for a couple of days.

Beirut is very very hot, like literally, the humidity just kills me, especially for a person who lives in New York, it like rains practically 24/7

The village air is relaxing...whats new? Oh yea, a UN convoy almost rammed my car, they should really drive slower...but then again, maybe i shouldn't have been drifting???

I'll think about it...rofl

melkart

August 4th, 2009, 04:35 AM

AmeriLEB

August 5th, 2009, 01:47 AM

i have a what if regading Jumblatt. What if he is saying he wants to be on the presidents side..to ensure March 14 has more control of the cabinet? He has 3 ministers which if this scenario plays out..M14 will have 18 M8 10 President 2...Based on the 15-10-5 Formula.

What if the president is in on it?

lebgurl

August 5th, 2009, 06:53 AM

^^ lebanese politics are complicated enough ... we don't need more! besides, I hope ur wrong because I don't think m8 will react kindly to seeing the pres go towards m14.

Tabouleh

August 9th, 2009, 06:36 PM

This is DISTURBING....

Summer war with Israel very unlikely – analysts
Iranian rejection of US dialogue offer could herald new conflict with Hizbullah
By Michael Bluhm
Daily Star staff
Saturday, August 08, 2009

BEIRUT: Despite escalating Israeli rhetoric, a summer war between Israel and Hizbullah appears extremely unlikely, but failures in a US push for regional peace and in negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program could well presage a new conflict here, a number of analysts told The Daily Star on Friday.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday said his country could not accept the participation of an armed militia such as Hizbullah in Lebanon’s cabinet, adding that Israel must ensure that Hizbullah does not obtain certain types of weapons and Israel would use all necessary force in any new conflict in Lebanon.

According to Paul Salem, the head of the Carnegie Middle East Center, Hizbullah clearly doesn’t want renewed violence, while in reality Israel will have to give a chance to an imminent Middle East peace plan being drawn up by its indispensable patron the United States.

US President Barack Obama “will come up with a major peace initiative in the next couple of months. He wants peace done in 12 to 18 months, signed,” Salem said.

“It’s very clear that Obama is going to be given a big chance to launch a peace initiative. There will be no wars in the region launched by Israel between now and the end of the year.”

In the view of retired General Elias Hanna, who teaches political science at Notre Dame University, Israel must have US approval to start any hostilities against Lebanon, and Obama will not assent to any attack to scuttle his peace plan and ongoing US efforts to court Syria away from its alliance with Iran.

“Any war in the South has to have the American green light,” he said. “Is Israel going to blow Obama’s plan in the region? I don’t think that there will be any conflagration in the south very soon.”

With the far-right Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu perhaps not entirely embracing Obama’s dovish plans, Barak’s comments might also serve as an unsubtle reminder to the US that the Israelis have “armed people surrounding them,” Salem said.

Barak might also have been dusting off his hardline credentials as a potential replacement for Netanyahu, if the Likud premier’s cabinet does not last, Salem added.

The series of bellicose Israeli comments on Lebanon also gives notice to Hizbullah that while Israel might be busy with US pressure to freeze settlement construction, any provocation from Hizbullah would carry dire consequences for Lebanon akin to the use of disproportionate force employed by Israel in the summer 2006 war, said Habib Malek, a history professor at the Lebanese American University and the son of former President Charles Malek.

“From an Israeli standpoint, it makes a lot of sense to say, ‘We will deal very severely with any infringement or breakdown of the deterrence equation in the north,’” Malek added, referring to the use of disproportionate force to deter Israeli foes such as Hizbullah and Hamas from attacking Israel. “Reinforcing the new deterrence equation is important for the Israelis.”

“No one really wants a war in Lebanon right now,” he added. “Much of it is rhetoric and sound and fury. I doubt that anything serious will happen before the end of the year.”

Israel would need a legitimate casus belli to commence hostilities with Lebanon, and Hizbullah doesn’t want to give the Israelis a reason for war, Malek said.

Israel’s disproportionate use of devastating military power in 2006 here and in Gaza at the beginning of this year has left Hizbullah unwilling to initiate any new conflict with Israel, Malek added.

“They are quite deterred by what happened in 2006 and what they saw in 2009,” Malek said. “They have been bending over backward not to provide pretexts. Hizbullah is deterred, and Israel knows it.”

In this light, Hizbullah’s robust arsenal – estimated by Barak at more than 40,000 rockets – figures foremost as its own deterrent against Israeli aggression, not as a sign of an impending Hizbullah assault on Israel, Salem said.

“They definitely don’t want a confrontation,” Salem said of Hizbullah. “They didn’t want one in ’06, and they don’t want one now.”

Hizbullah also wishes to avoid a war with Israel because the Lebanese status quo continues to tilt ever more in the Shiite group’s favor, Hanna said.

Hizbullah isn’t facing any real domestic momentum to disarm the group, and Hizbullah also continues to consolidate its political power, evidenced by this week’s defection of Progressive Socialist Party head Walid Jumblatt from the March 14 coalition, Hanna added.

Hizbullah’s ascent to become Lebanon’s strongest political entity has raised the country’s Shiites to a position of power from their formerly second-tier status among Lebanon’s myriad confessional groups, and so Hizbullah would be loathe to make its supporters the prime target of another round of wanton Israeli destruction, said Hilal Khashan, head of the department of political studies and public administration at the American University of Beirut.

“The Shiites in Lebanon made a remarkable achievement in Lebanon in the last 20 years and particularly after” the 2006 war, he said. “Why would they squander their achievements?”

“Hizbullah will not take the initiative. They will not invite the Israeli reprisals. They are aware of the consequences.”

With Hizbullah unlikely to prompt any conflict, the recent Israeli threats might have been aimed at Hizbullah’s benefactor Iran, as a signal to Tehran not to use Hizbullah to sow instability in South Lebanon in order to give Iran some breathing room in its standoff with the West over Iran’s nuclear program, Salem said.

Obama has given Iran until the end of September to accept an offer of direct talks over the disputed nuclear program, and a negative response by Iran would increase the likelihood of conflict breaking out here with Israel, the analysts said.

Iran’s refusal to negotiate would lead to more severe sanctions against the Islamic Republic, as well as saber-rattling throughout the region, Salem said.

If Iran rejects Obama’s entreaty, Israel might preemptively strike Hizbullah to cut off Iran from one of its major allies in resisting international pressure, Hanna said.

In the worst-case scenario, the failure to resolve the disputed nuclear program could result in Israel launching an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, and in retaliation Hizbullah would strike Israel, setting in motion the inevitably overwhelming response from Israel, Khashan said.

“If Iran is attacked, there will be reprisals from Lebanon, and Lebanon will be destroyed,” Khashan said.

Salem said that in any case, a lack of progress over Iran’s nuclear program does not augur well for security here, because significant support in Israel exists for a new campaign in Lebanon to avenge the perceived defeat in the summer 2006 war.

“The situation between Hizbullah and Israel in general is headed toward confrontation, for obvious reasons,” he said.

With this desire for revenge, Barak’s comments also represent a new peak in the tensions, showing Israel’s desire to secure international support for confronting Hizbullah, unlike the condemnation it received for the 2006 war here and in Gaza this year, Khashan said.

“It is clear that the Israelis are setting the stage for the resumption of hostilities,” he added. “For the past year their statements about Hizbullah have been accelerating.

“They are telling the international community about their intentions. They want to fight a legitimate war against Hizbullah,” he said.

In Khashan’s view, Barak was also announcing that Israel would not prosecute another war in Lebanon as it did in 2006, but rather would obliterate Lebanon’s infrastructure and launch a ground offensive at the outset of the campaign with the goal of wiping out Hizbullah’s military wing.

While Lebanon should spend this summer without any military strife with Israel, the possibility exists that – if the regional situation deteriorates – Israel would seek to begin a new conflict with Lebanon before the winter weather limits its operation, Khashan said.

“If war is to take place, it will be before the beginning of the rainy season,” he said.

lebgurl

August 9th, 2009, 11:23 PM

It seems like we're getting closer and closer each day. Couldn't they just assassinate one of their one to spark a war?

Israel will blame Lebanon for any attacks
'If one hair falls off an Israeli’s head, we will hold Hizbullah responsible'
By Patrick Galey
Daily Star staff
Monday, August 10, 2009

BEIRUT: Israel will hold Leba?non responsible for any attempt to assassinate its citizens abroad, a leading Israeli defense official said on Sunday. Speaking on Israeli Radio, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon warned that Hizbullah would be blamed for any assassination plot, implicating Lebanon itself in any incident. “It is important … to relay this warning to Lebanon, which is responsible for Hizbullah – that they will suffer the consequences if they carry out assassinations of Israelis,” he said.

An Egyptian newspaper reported over the weekend the capture of several men linked to Al-Qaeda, apparently plotting to kill Israel’s ambassador to Cairo.

No evidence was provided linking Hizbullah with the detained men, but Ayalon insisted the plot was “certainly” the work of the Shiite group.

“I have one message here: If … one hair falls off the head of any Israeli representative abroad, or even an Israeli who is not an official representative, tourists, etc., we will consider Hizbullah responsible,” he said.

“The outcome, for Hizbullah, will, I think, be of the utmost gravity,” Ayalon added. “For Lebanon too.”

Ayalon’s comments came on the same day Hizbullah warned that any Israeli aggression would provoke a far more devastating response than that of the last conflict between the antagonists.

“If [Israeli Defense Minister Ehud] Barak’s threats are serious – and I don’t think they are – he should be aware that if he commits an error or stupid act against Lebanon … he will discover the months of July and August 2006 were just a bit of fun,” said Hizbullah executive council chief Hashem Safieddin.

The 2006 summer war bet?ween Israel and Lebanon wrecked Lebanese infrastructure and killed over 1000 civilians. As the war’s third anniversary is observed, a barrage of inflammatory rhetoric is being hurled from both sides.

On Saturday The Jerusalem Post, quoting a senior defense official, claimed the heightened Israel-Hizbullah tensions were a result of the growing concern that Syria will deliver “balance-altering” weaponry to Lebanon.

“Our assumption is that whatever Iran and Syria have, Hizbullah could one day also have,” said the source. “A truck carrying a launcher and a missile can leave Damascus and arrive in the Bekaa Valley Hizbullah stronghold in just a few hours.”

Last week, Israeli Defense Minsiter Ehud Barak warned that Israel did not accept Hizbullah’s participation in the Lebanese government and promised to halt the alleged flow of arms to the group. He said it was “unacceptable” that Lebanon’s government should represent “a militia that has more than 40,000 rockets.”

Former long-term adviser to the UN Interim Force in Leba?non (UNIFIL) Timor Goksel told The Daily Star that Hizbullah’s arsenal is likely to have been consolidated since 2006.

It would be “logical”, according to Goksel, for Hizbullah to increase its aerial weaponry after suffering heavily from Israeli air raids during 2006.

He said Hizbullah was highly likely to have SAM 8 and SAM 18 rockets, the latter capable of downing high altitude aircraft.

“These are widely available in the Middle East; it would make sense and it’s logical for them to get them,” said Goksel, adding that media reports of Israel warplanes operating at higher altitudes over Lebanese airspace appeared accurate.

However, he reiterated his skepticism regarding the reported size of Hizbullah’s arsenal and the means by which it has been procured. He said that Hizbullah has continually warned of its expanding military equipment “without ever saying what this equipment is.”

“They never provide information and they know the value of giving that information to the other side. It’s important to keep them guessing,” he said. “Also, they are aware [Israel] wants to confirm numbers and [Hizbullah is] just not playing; they are not going to contribute.”

Goksel said that the recent trading of threats and insults across the UNIFIL-demarcated Blue Line pointed to two sides seeking to deter imminent conflict. Accusations of increased military power could only be approximate, he said. “It’s very clear that [the Israelis] are not sure about the information. If they did know for sure then they could come up with tactics.”

Safieddin said Sunday that Hizbullah’s military capabilities had increased in recent years.

“Today we are more powerful and this is thanks to the 2006 victory, which is why we think the Israeli threats are hollow and meaningless,” he said.

Goksel said Hizbullah could have been able to increase its armed resources by transferring weapons stockpiles and administrative positions from the southern region covered by UNIFIL’s mandate into the mountainous area north of the Litani River. “This makes human intelligence very difficult due to the terrain,” he said. “It will be for difficult [for Israel] to get to them this time.” – With agencies

alisaleh

August 10th, 2009, 12:38 AM

It seems like we're getting closer and closer each day. Couldn't they just assassinate one of their one to spark a war?

Yea, we are...everybody here (the shiites) are positive the war will start someday in Ramadan, or after it finishes....its like they are counting on it

Israel seems very hungry to start the war...I mean, to blame everything on Hezbollah? More than 3/4 of this world has something to say about Israel's actions, thats just rediculous...

Hassoun

August 10th, 2009, 12:48 AM

I don;t see a war soon.

Abdallah K.

August 10th, 2009, 01:42 AM

I see war right over the horizon

Lebanese Cedar

August 10th, 2009, 02:46 AM

^^Me too...sadly...

Beiruti

August 10th, 2009, 03:51 AM

well NO ONE expected the 2006 war and look what happened.... so you never know.

lebgurl

August 10th, 2009, 09:44 AM

Follow up on Jumblatt from NowLebanon

Iran welcomes Jumblatt’s return to Syria’s fold
August 10, 2009

An Iranian source told As-Safir newspaper on Monday that Tehran welcomed Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt’s return to Syria’s fold, revealing that Iran has sent Jumblatt a direct letter welcoming him in the Islamic Republic following his visit to Damascus.

“Iran’s relationship with the Druze did not get affected by Jumblatt’s provocative rhetoric during the previous period, since we share a historic relationship,” the letter said.

-NOW Staff

Rabih

August 26th, 2009, 07:51 PM

Fears of Shiite-Sunni violence breakout in Lebanon
By BASSEM MROUE (AP)

BEIRUT — No one knows when an international court will issue its first indictments in the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister, but Lebanese are already afraid it could spark a wave of violence between its Shiite and Sunni communities.

The Netherlands-based tribunal has kept silent on who it might charge in the 2005 slaying of Rafik Hariri. The fear in Lebanon is that it will accuse members of the powerful Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has fiercely denied any role in the killing, and the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah has warned of a backlash from the heavily armed guerrillas if the court implicates any of its members. He threatened a repeat of clashes that erupted in May 2008, when Hezbollah fighters trounced pro-government gunmen in battles that nearly tipped the country into civil war.

"Let everyone know that what we did on May 7 was only a wave of our hand. We are strong enough we can overturn 10 tables, not only one," Nasrallah said in a July meeting with expatriate Lebanese, according to two newspapers close to the group, Al-Akhbar and As-Safir.

The speculation was sparked by a report in May by the German magazine Der Spiegel, which said the court had evidence that members of Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hezbollah were behind the assassination of Hariri, who was Lebanon's most prominent politician since the 1975-1990 civil war ended.

The report did not name its sources, and the court prosecutor's spokeswoman Radhia Achouri refused to comment on it, saying "we don't take into account reports leaked through the media." Hezbollah called the report a "fabrication." Some in Lebanon believe the report was concocted to discredit Hezbollah ahead of June parliament elections that pitted a Hezbollah-led coalition against a Western-backed bloc.

The speculation may also be fueled by confusion over what direction the court will take. Many Lebanese accuse Syria of being behind Hariri's slaying, a claim Damascus denies. Four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals were jailed in Lebanon for nearly four years on suspicion of involvement and were widely expected to be the court's first defendants.

But in April, the court ordered them freed because of insufficient evidence. With their release, there are no obvious suspects in the killing.

Also unknown is when the court will take action. Tribunal spokesman Peter Foster this week said reports in the Lebanese press that indictments would come within months were based on "imagination," but would not give a timeframe. The prosecutor's office has only said the investigation is still ongoing.

Shiites say an indictment against Hezbollah would cause turmoil in Lebanon, where the sectarian divides among the Sunni, Shiite and Christian communities have repeatedly exploded into violence over the past four years. Each community makes up roughly a third of Lebanon's population of 4 million.

Lebanon's top Shiite cleric Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah warned in late July of a "major conspiracy to burn the country by plunging it into sectarian strife." He accused Israel of being behind the Der Spiegel report.

Druse politician Walid Jumblatt described the report as "more dangerous than Ein Rummaneh's bus" — a reference to a 1975 attack on a bus in a Beirut suburb that sparked Lebanon's 15-year civil war.

Hariri's assassination in a suicide truck bombing set up a spiral of political turmoil in Lebanon. It led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops and the end of Damascus' 29-year domination of the country. But that opened the door to a still unresolved struggle for power between pro-Syrian Lebanese led by Hezbollah and pro-Western factions.

The political fight is intertwined with the sectarian divisions since most Sunnis back the pro-Western bloc while most Shiites support the pro-Syrian side. Christians have been divided between the camps. Sporadic clashes between Sunnis and Shiites have killed more than 100 people in Lebanon in recent years.

There has been a relative calm since the May 2008 violence. The pro-Western bloc won the June 7 election, and its leader — prime minister-designate Saad Hariri, the slain Hariri's son — is working to put together a new government.

But there have been flashes of tension. Three weeks after the voting, a gunfight between Hariri supporters and Shiites killed a woman and wounded two other bystanders in a Beirut neighborhood. Fistfights and a stabbing have occurred between followers of Saad Hariri's Future Movement and supporters of Hezbollah and its Shiite ally Amal.

Hundreds of Lebanese troops remain deployed in tense mixed neighborhoods in the Lebanese capital's Muslim sector.

A senior Hariri loyalist, former lawmaker Mustafa Alloush, said that if an indictment blames Hezbollah elements "that are not connected" to the leadership, the group should hand them over to the tribunal in order for "civil peace not to be affected," he said.

"If they behave in a hostile way in order to cover up this matter, it will for sure lead to an outbreak of violence," he told The Associated Press.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Hassoun

September 1st, 2009, 02:59 PM

Hariri says 90 Percent of Cabinet Lineup Achieved, Only Aoun Issue Left

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has reportedly told a meeting of the parliamentary majority MPs in Qoreitem on Monday that 90 percent of the Cabinet lineup related to the majority and the President as well as Hizbullah and AMAL movement has been achieved.
The daily As-Safir, which carried the report, said Tuesday that Hariri told the conferees that the issue of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun is the only one that remains to be settled.

It said Druze leader Walid Jumblat also insisted that the statement issued by the parliamentary majority lawmakers at the end of their meeting include a phrase that urges Lebanese leaders to "refrain from embroiling the international tribunal in domestic political wrangling."

An-Nahar newspaper, meanwhile, pointed to some amendments introduced to the majority MPs' draft statement.

It said MP Nuhad Mashnouq noticed that the statement lacked a phrase on international resolutions and on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Thus Jumblat asked: "Does he (Mashnouq) mean U.N. resolutions that ravaged our homes?," according to An-Nahar.

Mashnouq reportedly replied that he was not referring to Resolution 1559, "but rather to Resolution 1701 and the international tribunal."

Following the give-and-take, Hariri was said to have stepped in to stress the need to take into account the interests of the country.

Beirut, 01 Sep 09, 12:32

Hassoun

September 1st, 2009, 04:45 PM

New Opinion: Timing is everything
September 1, 2009

http://www.nowlebanon.com/ContentPictures/Jamil-sayyed420-09109040553.jpg
Former Lebanese security services director Jamil As-Sayyed speaks during a press conference in Beirut on August 30. (AFP/Anwar Amro)

Timing is everything in this part of the Middle East, and it is no coincidence that the meeting between Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and FPM boss Michel Aoun was held after days of Syrian mischief making.

Spearheading the most recent attack from Damascus was Jamil As-Sayyed, the disgraced former security chief and one of the “Four Generals” accused of murdering former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. In what was clearly an attempt to undermine the integrity of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and slow down the latest attempts at forming a government, Sayyed poured scorn on Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, accusing him of protecting those who have perverted the course of justice. He also urged President Sleiman to be his own man, and advised all honorable opposition politicians – a nod to Aoun – not to take part in the formation of a government destined to be run by crooks and bounders.

This coming from a man who made a not-insignificant contribution to Syria’s iron rule in Lebanon in the latter years of its occupation is, to put it mildly, a case of the pot calling the proverbial kettle black, and interestingly enough, none of the March 14 media saw it fitting to give much importance to the rants of a man who represented one of the less glorious eras in Lebanon’s short history.

His comments came in the wake of further outbursts from two more of Syria’s local minions, Nasser Qandil and Wiam Wahhab, and reports that the Syrian government has assembled a legal team to scrutinize alleged falsified documents that are part of the tribunal’s ongoing investigation. Syria has not been accused of anything – for now; and yet it insists on throwing out chaff. The tribunal should not be a tool to stir up more madness. As far as we know, international justice has not, and should not, be thrown off course by the rants of agitators.

The bald truth is that this culture of disinformation and the screaming accusations have been designed to sap the will of the majority. The results of a legitimate and credible electoral process clearly show that the March 14 bloc won the June 7 polls, held under a law the opposition demanded.

And yet because the opposition lost, in the past three months it has sought to undermine the electoral process – not to mention the constitution – and progress on the tribunal by making demands that under normal circumstances it would not be allowed to make.

But, and here’s the rub, the opposition feels it can do what it wants. It has insisted on a “national-unity government” a “government of consensus”. Call it what you will, because, for a start, it sounds very touchy-feely. The words “unity” and “consensus” smack of fairness and moderation when in fact they are nothing more than a cynical smokescreen hiding the threat of violence, intimidation and deadlock that has been the calling card of an opposition that resorts to mayhem when it doesn’t get its way.

This is the culture of an opposition whose slogan is: “you must listen to us or we will get nasty.” It has been their modus operandi since 2006, and it is being used to stymie the tribunal and shoehorn Syrian and Iranian influence into a Lebanon that voted against it.

Hassoun

September 1st, 2009, 04:47 PM

^^:applause:

Abdallah K.

September 3rd, 2009, 09:21 PM

Lebanon reportedly stockpiling chemical weapons

http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss61/budkheir/news_090903_Hizbullah.jpg

Kuwaiti paper cited a report that Hizbullah possesses chemical weapons and is bringing protective gear against WMD from Iran.

Iran is providing the Lebanese based Hizbullah with weapons, and protective gear against chemical and biological weapons, a new report says.

Kuwaiti daily A-Siyassa cited European intelligence briefings that were dispatched to European capitals and officials at NATO last weekend.

According to the briefings, Iran has sent the Shia Hizbullah air lifts via airports in Syria which contain new types of weapons, thousands of gas masks to protect against chemical and biological weapons, and an alert system against weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Israel is concerned about Hizbullah boosting its weapons arsenal and the prospect of its northern neighbor acquiring chemical weapons is alarming.

However, Dr. Mordechai Kedar from the Begin Sadat Center for Strategic Studies said he did not believe Hizbullah would take any risks with chemical weapons.

"Chemical weapons are a doomsday weapon and I don’t think Hizbullah will go there,"
Kedar told The Media Line. "I can’t see them using chemical weapons against Israel because that will be the end of them. Their objective is to create a state, not to eradicate Israel, so the war against Israel is merely a means, not an aim in itself."

Kedar says chemical weapons could be a deterrence against Israel, but will not be applied.

Israel and Hizbullah fought a 34-day war in the summer of 2006, which ended with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

The newspaper is known for its strong opposition to Hezbollah.

Rabih

September 7th, 2009, 10:30 PM

Secret Israeli Report Reveals Truth about Ron Arad's Fate
http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,78647,00.gif
By Christoph Schult and Holger Stark

http://www.spiegel.de/images/image-11610-panoV9free-vyiw.jpg
Ron Arad has been missing since 1986. This photo, which was given to Israel by Hezbollah in 2008, is believed to have been taken in the 1980s.

The case of Israeli soldier Ron Arad, who has been missing for 23 years, has long been the focus of international attention. Now an Israeli journalist claims to have obtained the truth about Arad's fate.

The baby is wearing a light-colored romper suit. She is sitting on her father's shoulders, her tiny fingers gripping her father's black hair tightly. Her large, dark eyes look directly into the camera.

The photo is 24 years old. Today Yuval is a young woman with long brown hair. "I still can't bear to look at this picture," she says. Shortly after it was taken, her father, an Israeli army navigator, and his pilot were forced to abandon their stricken Phantom jet fighter over Lebanese territory on Oct. 16, 1986. The pilot was rescued, but the navigator has been missing every since. His name is Ron Arad.

The Arad case is one of the greatest mysteries in the Middle East. His fate has been considered not only by numerous Israeli governments, but also by the United Nations General Assembly. The German foreign intelligence agency, the BND, has been trying to solve the case for more than 15 years. An agent from Berlin has been plowing though old documents, questioning eye witnesses and traveling around the region on behalf of the UN to try to shed light on the case.

The mystery now appears to have been solved. A new book by Ronen Bergman, the Israeli daily newspaper Yediot Ahronot's intelligence expert, claims Arad has been dead since the mid-1990s. According to the book, this was the conclusion reached by a special military commission in 2005, but the then-prime minister, Ariel Sharon, refused to publish the results. So too did his successors, Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu. "The military censors only released the findings of the Arad case because I threatened to file a complaint with the supreme court," Bergman says.

International Dimension

The documents show that Arad initially fell into the hands of the Amal movement, a Lebanese Shiite militia based in Beirut. They openly demanded ransom money, weapons and a prisoner exchange. Arad was then abducted by the group's head of security, Mustafa Dirani, and taken to Lebanon's Bekaa Valley where he was kept in hiding. Dirani subsequently left Amal and joined Hezbollah, taking his prisoner with him. A video from around late 1987 shows Arad was still alive at that time.

In early 1988, Arad was hidden in the small village of Nabi Shith in the Bekaa Valley, where he was guarded by the Shukur clan. But his captors fled when the Israeli air force bombed the region in the early hours of May 5. Arad was left behind, hidden in bushes. When the Shukur clan returned the next morning, their prisoner was gone.

Mustafa Dirani, who was captured by Israeli commandos in southern Lebanon in 1994, told his interrogators he had then contacted a leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. He suspects the militias had picked Arad up and taken him to the Iranian capital Tehran. Hezbollah in Beirut also assume this is what happened.

In the mid-1990s, the Arad affair took on an international political dimension. Whoever solved the mystery would be guaranteed to earn kudos. Even communist East Germany took an interest in the case when it was consulted following Israel's arrest of two suspected KGB spies in Tel Aviv. The case was assigned to Wolfgang Vogel, East Berlin's top negotiator. The Stasi, East Germany's notorious secret police, also got involved, and asked the KGB to investigate the possibility of a prisoner exchange involving Arad.

Secret Talks

On May 28, 1989, Vogel and his wife traveled to Tel Aviv as the official guests of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. He even signed an agreement on East Germany's behalf together with a lawyer negotiating for the Israeli government. The document stated that Arad would be exchanged for one of the alleged KGB spies. The Israelis were apparently willing to talk about further prisoners, but Vogel was reluctant to do so. "Only the release of Ron Arad can be considered and negotiated at the present time," the agreement said. Vogel talked enthusiastically about his influential contacts. But then, just half a year later, the Berlin Wall fell, putting an end to the East German regime.

Reunified Germany continued to look into the case. Bernd Schmidbauer, at the time a senior official in the Chancellery, negotiated with Iranian Ambassador Hossein Mousavian, who gave the impression he could secure Arad's release. However talks broke down in 1995 when it became clear a German court would be handing down a life sentence to an Iranian intelligence agent accused of involvement in the assassination of three exiled Iranian politicians in the Mykonos restaurant in Berlin three years earlier.

The German government supported the search for Arad on several levels. Because part of the Shukur family had moved to Berlin, the Israelis urged the BND to question the Lebanese about Arad's fate. Israeli agents later picked up one of the Lebanese while he was on vacation abroad and made him take a lie-detector test. However they failed to obtain any concrete information.

Part 2: Shedding Light on the Mystery

For years the case lay dormant. Indeed it wasn't until 2004, when the BND helped arrange another major prisoner exchange, that Hezbollah appeared ready to cast light on the mystery, offering to provide information about the whereabouts of the missing officer on condition that Israel released several hundred Arab prisoners from its jails. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah instructed his men to search for Arad. A Revolutionary Guards commander who had been in charge of the case about 10 years earlier traveled to Lebanon from Tehran.

Shiite militiamen searched several locations in the Bekaa Valley and carried out excavations. Finally Hezbollah handed over a number of bones they had unearthed to a BND middleman in early 2005. He in turn passed them on to the Israeli government. However DNA tests in Tel Aviv revealed that the bones did not belong to Arad.

The Shiite militia's failure to find Arad or his remains also had repercussions in Tel Aviv. The head of Israeli military intelligence, Major General Aharon Zeevi-Farkash, set up a secret commission to collect and evaluate all the available information on Arad for the Israeli military.

Overwhelming Evidence

A veteran of the Israeli army, Zeevi-Farkash is a bear of a man. He is sitting behind a tidy desk in his office in the centre of Tel Aviv, wearing a short-sleeved white shirt. In 2006, after 30 years serving the state of Israel, he went solo, setting up a private security company. Ron Arad was his last big case.

In the past, Zeevi-Farkash often worked together with the BND. He values the assistance he got from Berlin. "If anyone can help in a case like that of Ron Arad, it's the Germans," he says. His comission, which consisted of three experienced intelligence agents, reconstructed the different stages of Arad's imprisonment. They re-read Dirani's statements, checked the results of the lie-detector test, sifted through intercepted messages and all the material the Israeli intelligence service the Mossad and the military had gathered to date, including information from 2004 that Nasrallah's investigation had turned up.

The evidence was overwhelming. The secret military commission's report, which remains classified to this day, concluded that Arad had died sometime between 1993 and 1997. No signs of life of Arad have been received since 1995. Hezbollah also assumes he died around that time.

The most likely version of events appears to be that a seriously ill Arad was taken back to the Bekaa Valley in 1995. The Revolutionary Guards presumably wanted to get rid of him because he was ill and the talks with the German government about the Mykonos attack had broken down. According to Hezbollah, Arad died in the Bekaa Valley, where militiamen buried his body.

'Born for Freedom'

The tragic findings were set out in the commission's final report. Zeevi-Farkash asked to speak with Ariel Sharon. "Prime Minister, we can close the case," the agent apparently told the Israeli leader. Sharon hesitated, then replied: "Leave it alone, Aharon."

The decision not to publish the report is easy to understand from the Israeli point of view. One of the military's basic tenets is that no Jew is left behind on enemy territory, whether dead or alive. It was therefore out of the question for Arad to be declared dead without having found his body or knowing where he was buried. To this day, fully 23 years after he bailed out of his plane, bumper stickers on many Israeli cars declare: "Ron Arad -- born for freedom."

Ron Arad's wife, Tami, knows about the military report. But she refuses to give up her husband until she has DNA evidence of his death.

Twenty-four years ago Ron Arad began building a house for his family in Givat Ela, a small village in northern Israel. His wife finished it. But she says she won't move in until Ron returns.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,647423-2,00.html

NorthPole

September 10th, 2009, 10:32 PM

from independent.co.uk:
'Lebanon's Madoff' bankrupted after bouncing $200,000 cheque to Hizbollah

Businessman promised customers a 40 per cent return on their investment

By Robert Fisk in Beirut
Tuesday, 8 September 2009

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00239/Salah-Ezzeddine-EPA_239923t.jpg
EPA
The financier Salah Ezzedine heads one of Lebanon's most prominent publishing houses of religious books

Everyone trusted Salah Ezzedine. A billionaire Shia Muslim businessman and financier from southern Lebanon, he organised pilgrimages to Mecca, ran a major Beirut publishing house and a children's television station, held major investments in east European oil and iron conglomerates, and – much more to the point – was a close personal friend of very senior leaders of the Hizbollah. Indeed, many members of the world's most powerful and successful guerrilla movement, along with the families of their "martyrs" in the war against Israel, placed both their faith and their inheritance in Mr Ezzedine's hands.

To the deep embarrassment of the Iranian-financed and Iranian-armed militia, however, Mr Ezzedine turns out to be an "Abu Madoff", declaring himself bankrupt, to the tune of $1.195bn (£760m), after promising his trusting investors an astonishing 40 per cent interest on their deposits – which, according to judicial officials in Lebanon, he eventually could not pay.

The Hizbollah have remained as silent as the grave – of which there are a lot in Lebanon – as well they might. For both Mr Ezzedine's radio station and his publishing business were named after Hadi Nasrallah, son of Hizbollah's general secretary, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed leading a brave but suicidal attack on Israeli occupation troops in southern Lebanon.

But things were worse than this. It now appears that Mr Ezzedine's financial collapse became inevitable after he wrote a $200,000 cheque to Hussein Haj Hassan, one of Nasrallah's closest political advisers and a Hizbollah member of parliament. The cheque bounced. The response to this within Hizbollah's bunkers can only be imagined.

The movement, created in 1982 as a result of Israel's Lebanon invasion, had built up its prestige in the Arab world on its squeaky-clean reputation for financial and political probity. Middle East dictatorships and the third-rate leadership of the Palestinian Authority may salt their millions away in foreign bank accounts, but not the incorruptible Hizbollah. Or so the world thought, until the scandal that burst around Salah Ezzedine. He is now being interviewed by the Lebanese judiciary, and is allegedly being held in the grim old prison at Roumieh, north of Beirut.

The story seems a familiar one. Flushed with massive profits in the oil business, Salah Ezzedine – so say economists in Beirut – began investing the savings of Lebanon's Shia population, rewarding them with 40 per cent interest on their deposits – with the money from yet newer investors attracted by the rewards of his scheme. Whether Salah Ezzedine did this with the calculation of a Bernard Madoff or with a charitable desire to spread his own wealth among the largest single community in Lebanon, we do not know.

The Hizbollah – the "Party of God" in Arabic – has been strangely silent this past week, an unusual characteristic for such a publicity-conscious movement whose own millions – faithfully shipped in US currency bills to Beirut from Tehran – rebuilt dozens of Shia Muslim villages destroyed in Israel's bombardment of southern Lebanon in 2006. Hizbollah members could be seen handing out bundles of newly minted hundred-dollar bills to villagers and thousands of home-owners in the Dahiya area of Beirut whose property was "rubble-ised" in Israel's bombing. Many of these civilians, Lebanese newspapers are reporting, have now lost their money with Salah Ezzedine's collapse.

While traditionally ignored by the country's government and living in the stony hills of southern Lebanon – many grow tobacco crops – as well as the Bekaa valley, members of the Shia Muslim community have been emigrants to west Africa, Brazil and Holland and have made fortunes abroad (especially on the Antwerp diamond market). The size of their remittances home is made manifest in many of their ancestral towns. Villas of unseemly conspicuous wealth – replete with marble colonnades, Greek pillars and manicured lawns – sit on desolate hillsides, sometimes only metres from the Israeli border.

Of course, there is another reason why Hizbollah might want to keep quiet just now. Many Muslims believe that bank interest is un-Islamic, which is why the Lebanese Shia put their money in businesses run by Salah Ezzedine, who was known as a "pious" man – an optional extra for all friends of the Hizbollah – and whose Haj pilgrimages had become an essential element of that fixed part of the Muslim calendar in Lebanon.

Hassoun

September 11th, 2009, 01:46 AM

Hariri Steps Down as PM-designate

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/0/e4bd43fee041555ec225762d001ebba8/Body/0.82?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=jpg

Saad Hariri announced on Thursday that he was stepping down as Premier-designate after the opposition rejected the cabinet lineup he proposed earlier this week.
"Given that my commitment to forming a government of national unity has run up against difficulties that everyone now knows about, I announce that I have informed the president of the republic that I have abandoned trying to form a government," he told journalists following talks with President Michel Suleiman in Beiteddine.

"I hope that this decision will be in the interest of Lebanon and will permit a relaunch of dialogue," Hariri said.

The opposition "had no wish to advance one step forward," Hariri said, adding his rivals proposed "impossible conditions."

The conditions set by the opposition sought to undermine the entire election, he told reporters.

The announcement comes after 73 days of fruitless efforts to form a government following the June 7 elections.

Suleiman will have to start consultations from scratch with lawmakers on naming a new premier.

"When it comes to principles I am very stubborn and will never ignore political issues related to Lebanon's independence and stability," Hariri told an Iftar in Qoreitem on Wednesday.

He revealed that he would take "decisive steps in the coming two or three days that are in the best interest of the country."

The daily An-Nahar said Thursday that the major obstacle preventing a cabinet deal is the telecommunications ministry issue and the Free Patriotic Movement's insistence on the reappointment of Jebran Bassil in the same post.

It said that despite other knots facing government formation, including the opposition's keenness to name its ministers, the telecoms portfolio remained the major problem.

Hariri on Monday presented a cabinet lineup for President Michel Suleiman's approval. The proposal, however, was quickly rejected by the opposition.

The premier-designate, nevertheless, said he was still open to negotiations with the opposition concerning the cabinet makeup.

Hariri reiterated that any government proposal "should be in proportion to the outcome of the June 7 parliamentary elections."

Following the Iftar banquet, Hariri met with Hizbullah official Hussein Khalil and AMAL movement representative Ali Hassan Khalil.

An-Nahar on Thursday said Bassil was "excluded" from the meeting in Qoreitem which lasted well into the early morning hours.

As-Safir newspaper, however, said Hariri's advisor, Nader Hariri, conveyed to Bassil an invitation on behalf of the premier-designate to join the meeting in Qoreitem.

It said that following consultations with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, it was decided that Bassil "apologizes" for not attending the Hariri-Khalils meeting.

Al-Akhbar newspaper, for its part, said talks between Hariri and the two Khalils failed to produce a deal.

"Talks ended with no understanding on any point. They did not even agree on a new meeting date," a well-informed source said.

Beirut, 10 Sep 09, 08:33

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Now,Hariri and March 14th are obstructing Cabinet's formation,RIGHT???!!!

I am sick of March 8th,,,Those WOODEN MINDED creatures!!!!

Seriously,enough is enough,and they say they r Lebanese.

Because of Jibran Bassil, Lebanon won't have a " National unity " government.they just don't want it,So,March 14 won,but they can't form a cabinet in which all political parties including March 8 are presented.
i mean if people in Lebanon can't see this,then we desperately need the Expats votes in 2013,i guess we'll unfortunately need to wait till 2013 to become a REAL FREE COUNTRY.
i just can't believe it,INNO 3NJAD.

Lebanese Cedar

September 11th, 2009, 03:37 AM

Because of Jibran Bassil, Lebanon won't have a " National unity " government.they just don't want it,So,March 14 won,but they can't form a cabinet in which all political parties including March 8 are presented.
i mean if people in Lebanon can't see this,then we desperately need the Expats votes in 2013,i guess we'll unfortunately need to wait till 2013 to become a REAL FREE COUNTRY.
i just can't believe it,INNO 3NJAD.

Until countries stop meddling, Lebanon will never be a free country, elections or not.

Hassoun

September 11th, 2009, 04:23 AM

^^ and why do we give Iran the chance?? let's face it,it's not a coincidence that all that happened when Iran is facing the danger of even more sanctions by the security council later on this month,this is a message to the world,not to mess with Iran,koz they can fuck it,i mean,,,ISN'T IT OBVIOUS FOR FUCK SAKE???!!!!!

Abu 3Leish

September 11th, 2009, 02:02 PM

^^ shut the F*** up and go play in ur pink world :)

Jayme

September 11th, 2009, 05:22 PM

pink world... what does that mean ?

melkart

September 11th, 2009, 05:27 PM

Umm Hello Moderators? anyone?

melkart

September 11th, 2009, 05:31 PM

Until countries stop meddling, Lebanon will never be a free country, elections or not.

foreign countries can meddle all they want, It's what the Lebanese at the end do that matters. It's sad to see Lebanon manipulated in such a way. It's no one's fault but the Lebanese People who choose to be pawns of their foreign masters.

melkart

September 11th, 2009, 05:34 PM

Rockets hit Israel from Lebanon, no casualties

Tyre, Lebanon (Reuters) – At least two rockets from Lebanon struck northern Israel on Friday, prompting Israeli artillery to shell the fruit groves from which they were fired, security officials on both sides of the border said.

No casualties were immediately reported by Israeli police, who said two rockets landed. Lebanese security sources, who reported at least two outgoing missiles and 15 incoming Israeli shells, did not say who may have fired the rockets.

Israeli television later reported a third missile damaged an electricity pylon.

An Israeli military spokesman said there were several rockets but no casualties and confirmed the Israeli army returned fire. The Israeli army holds the Lebanese government responsible, the spokesman said.

U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon and the Lebanese army deployed extra troops to prevent any escalation, a spokeswoman for the UNIFIL peacekeeping force said.

"UNIFIL is in contact with both sides, urging them to exercise maximum restraint, uphold the cessations of hostilities and avoid taking steps which would lead to further escalation," Yasmina Bouziane said. UNIFIL was investigating the incident.

It was the first time since February that rockets had been fired from Lebanon into Israel, raising tensions along a border that remains volatile three years after a war between the Jewish state and Hezbollah Islamist guerrillas in Lebanon.

Occasional salvoes since then have been blamed by Israeli, Lebanese and U.N. peacekeeping forces in the area largely on fringe militant groups rather than on Hezbollah, the Iranian- and Syrian-backed Shi'ite movement which remains a powerful force in Lebanon, especially in the south.

During Israel's offensive against Hamas Islamists in the Gaza Strip in January, Hezbollah denied responsibility for several rockets fired from Lebanon. Security officials have said small groups active among Palestinian refugees or with links to al Qaeda were more likely to have mounted the attacks.

(Reporting by Nadim Ladki and Tom Perry in Beirut and Ori Lewis and Allyn Fisher-Ilan in Jersualem; Writing by Alastair Macdonald)

Lebanese Cedar

September 11th, 2009, 08:22 PM

foreign countries can meddle all they want, It's what the Lebanese at the end do that matters. It's sad to see Lebanon manipulated in such a way. It's no one's fault but the Lebanese People who choose to be pawns of their foreign masters.

This is assuming the Lebanese are a strong united force who have complete control of their country. The Lebanese are not united and never have been.

Lebanon has always been weak and countries have exploited this trait of Lebanon to settle their differences amongst each other. Countries have been meddling in Lebanon going back to the early days of the Cold War in the 1950's and I don't see this changing soon. The Middle East is a hot conflict zone.

Hassoun

September 11th, 2009, 11:48 PM

^^ shut the F*** up and go play in ur pink world :)

ok,according to u we should let Lebanon a playground for Israel,Iran and syria,correct? since this is the real world,and u really like it and defending who wants it.is that u r COLORLESS WORLD ??? i don't want to live in it. and tell me what do u know about the other side of the story? since u really think i only see it from one perspective,and another Q. why don't u look at it in different why?

Abdallah K.

September 12th, 2009, 04:28 AM

^^
^^

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c159/Kazutria/Stupid%20Yet%20Funny/panda.jpg

Abdallah K.

September 12th, 2009, 04:30 AM

Sleiman to launch consultations for PM
Hariri accuses opposition of obstructing government formation

BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman called on Friday for another round of parliamentary consultations to nominate a new premier following Saad Hariri’s resignation from his post as premier-designate. The presidency’s press office issued a statement saying that the president would conduct on September 15 and 16, in accordance with the Constitution, binding consultations with parliamentary bloc to nominate a new premier.

According to the statement, Sleiman would meet on Tuesday with the Liberation and Development, the Future Movement, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), the Loyalty to the Resistance, Lebanese Forces, “Zahle in the Heart” and Phalange Party blocs.

Meanwhile, Hariri slammed the opposition on Friday for obstructing the cabinet’s formation, adding that he stepped down as premier-designate in defense of the Constitution.

During an iftar in Downtown Beirut, Hariri said that despite many compromises by the majority to facilitate the formation of a cabinet, the opposition still obstructed the process.

“We gave up a two-thirds or an absolute majority as well as most of the service portfolios but the opposition’s response was to impose conditions on the president and the premier-designate,” Hariri said.

The Future Movement leader added that he resigned in defense of the Constitution since he rejected its false interpretation which consequently renders the president and the premier-designate a “mail box.”

“I stepped down in accordance with constitutional norms and in defense of the president and Lebanon’s democratic regime rather than religious faction or individual,” Hariri said.

Hariri stepped down as prime minister-designate on Thursday, accusing the opposition of hampering his efforts to form a government.

Hariri also stressed later during an iftar that he “would reveal matters in a manner that leaves no room for doubt” ahead of the upcoming binding parliamentary consultations to nominate a new premier.

Meanwhile, Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader MP Walid Jumblatt stressed that he would not take part in a majority cabinet while he emphasized that the 15-10-5 cabinet formula remained valid.

The formula that had been agreed by both the majority and opposition during previous rounds of negotiations grants the majority 15 ministers, the opposition 10 and the president five seats; the formula denies both the majority and the minority respectively an absolute majority or veto power while guaranteeing Sleiman the tipping vote.

“Only a cabinet of partnership would safeguard Lebanon from threats, particularly Israeli ones,” Jumblatt said.

“Some American and Arab parties did not want a Syrian-Saudi understanding,” the PSP leader said, adding that “such an understanding would preserve Lebanon’s civil peace as well as the Taif Accord.”

While Jumblatt has moved to a more centrist position lately, some March 14 figures have been urging Hariri to form a majority cabinet.

Similarly, on the opposition side, a source close to Parliament Speaker and Amal Movement leader Nabih Berri told The Daily Star on Friday that opposition groups were so far still committed to the 15-10-5 structure until further notice.

Jumblatt added that the majority would nominate Hariri again as premier-designate.

Hariri is expected to be re-appointed as premier-designate since figures of the opposition and the majority voiced support for his nomination.

Berri of the opposition said earlier this week that his Development and Liberation bloc would only nominate Hariri, while caretaker Premier Fouad Siniora, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and the Phalange Party voiced support Thursday for Hariri’s reappointment.

However, Future Movement MP Ammar Houri told The Daily Star on Friday that no decision has been made yet with regard to Hariri’s re-appointment.

“The issue is being considered first by Hariri himself, then the Future Movement bloc and the majority forces,” Houri said.

When asked about the continued validity of the 15-10-5 cabinet make-up, Houri said “it is up to the new premier-designate to decide upon the cabinet’s structure.”

Meanwhile, Siniora warned during an iftar on Friday against the introduction of new conventions to the Taif Accord and the Constitution as “it would open the doors wide for unnecessary amendments,” a reference to the debate over the premier-designate constitutional powers.

Siniora called for the premier-designate to deliberate with political parties prior to the cabinet’s formation but the consultations are not binding.

Future Movement and FPM officials have been arguing lately over the constitutional powers of the premier-designate with regard to the cabinet formation.

Hariri had reiterated on several occasions his alliance’s opposition to the nomination of candidates who lost in the elections and insisted on the principle of rotating ministerial portfolios among political parties.

FPM leader MP Michel Aoun insists that caretaker Telecomunications Minister Jebran Bassil, his son-in-law, be reappointed for a second term at the ministry.

Bassil, who ran for one of two seats in his hometown of Batroun, lost to March 14 MPs.

Aoun said Friday following his return from Europe that “Hariri has been wasting time as requested by foreign powers.”

Meanwhile, FPM MP Ibrahim Kanaan said on Friday that his party would not nominate Hariri as premier as they did not in the first round of parliamentary consultations.

Kanaan also stressed the presidency’s role, adding that the FPM rejected the president’s marginalization.

“The president prerogatives state that he cooperates and agrees with the premier-designate in order to form a cabinet so the presidency’s position should be respected,” Kanaan said, adding that “we do not ignore Saad Hariri and he cannot ignore us.”

According to the Constitution, the cabinet’s formation decree is signed by the president and the premier-designate.

FPM ally Hizbullah’s number two Sheikh Naim Qassem stressed that the new appointed prime minister-designate would confront the same obstacles that faced Future Movement leader Saad Hariri whether the later is re-designated or not.

“Given the country’s sectarian based regime, it can only be governed through consensus which necessitated mutual compromises and cooperation by all parties,” Qassem added.

Qassem underlined the need to from a national-unity cabinet based on an accord throughout all the steps of the formation process starting with the distribution of ministerial portfolios and the nomination of candidates, adding that opposition groups were united in their stance.

Qassem slammed “loud” political rhetoric by some leaders who become prisoners of their own statements that do not serve Lebanon’s interests, a reference to calls by some March 14 figures to form a majority cabinet.

“The government is not a gift to anyone or to the [June 7] election outcome but rather to those who succeed in managing the country based on a national-unity government,” Qassem said.

Separately and following a meeting earlier on Friday with Hariri, United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams expressed the UN’s regret for the failure of the Lebanese political sides to reach an agreement on the formation of a new government.

“We now return to the beginning of the process and the designation of a prime minister by President Sleiman; I regret that the efforts of parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri were not successful,” Williams said.

However, the special coordinator added that the UN strongly believed that a solution could be achieved.

“We hope that the consultations which the president of the republic, General Sleiman, will resume with the different parliamentary blocs will be successful in placing the process of government formation back on track,” Williams said.

Williams added that he had agreed with Sleiman on Wednesday that dialogue must be maintained to keep Lebanon away from days of polarization and crisis

“If the Lebanese remain committed to the objective of a national unity government and work towards this goal, I believe it will be achieved,” Williams added.

Abdallah K.

September 12th, 2009, 06:20 AM

Israel, militants in Lebanon trade rocket fire

No injuries are reported on either side of the border. It is the first exchange of fire between Israel and militants in Lebanon since February.

http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss61/budkheir/111111222.jpg

Israeli policeman and soldiers gather around a rocket that was believed to have been fired from southern Lebanon near the northern Israeli town of Nahariya. (Yaron Kaminsky / Associated Press / September 11, 2009)

Reporting from Jerusalem and Beirut - Two rockets were fired into northern Israel from southern Lebanon on Friday, and Israel responded minutes later by launching a barrage of 14 rockets and scrambling fighter jets across the volatile border, Lebanese and Israeli media reported.

No one was reported injured on either side of the border, often a stage for conflict between Israel and Lebanese or Palestinian militant groups across the rocky frontier.

It was the first exchange of fire between Israel and militants in Lebanon since February, highlighting heightened tensions. Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah have been warning in recent weeks that they will retaliate if the other side sparks hostilities.

Israeli police said the two rockets landed in the northern Galilee region, one just outside the town of Nahariya. Israel's Channel 10 showed a toppled telephone pole near a kibbutz not far from the border.

The Israeli military said it fired back at the site from where the rockets were launched, in the village of Kleili, south of the Lebanese port city of Tyre.

A monthlong 2006 war sparked by Hezbollah's capture of Israeli soldiers on the border left more than 1,000 dead, mostly Lebanese civilians.

But Israel has largely blamed fringe militant groups rather than Iranian-backed Hezbollah for the occasional cross-border salvos since then. Israel, however, is worried that Hezbollah will become part of the new Lebanese Cabinet and use the U.S.-backed government as cover to safeguard and bolster its stockpile of heavy weaponry and its intelligence apparatus.

Efforts to build a Cabinet collapsed Thursday after Lebanon's prime minister-designate, Saad Hariri, quit, complaining of intransigence by the Hezbollah-led opposition.

Israel and the West have called on Lebanese authorities to disarm Hezbollah, as demanded by the United Nations. Hezbollah says it needs weapons to defend Lebanese civilians from Israeli incursions.

A statement issued by the Israeli military said it "considers the Lebanese government and Lebanese military as accountable to prevent such attacks."

Lebanon's official National News Agency said the Israeli shells hit uninhabited areas and that "tranquillity was restored" except for continued Israeli warplane flyovers.

At the U.N., Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the rocket fire into Israel, and appealed to all parties to exercise maximum restraint. He said that the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon is investigating the incident.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said U.S. officials "strongly condemn these attacks," and viewed them as a violation of a U.N. resolution that ended the conflict three years ago between Israel and the militant group.

Crowley said the incident underscored the need for the Lebanese government to extend its control over all armed groups within its border, and for world powers to support the U.N. mission in Lebanon.

melkart

September 14th, 2009, 01:43 AM

This is assuming the Lebanese are a strong united force who have complete control of their country. The Lebanese are not united and never have been.

Lebanon has always been weak and countries have exploited this trait of Lebanon to settle their differences amongst each other. Countries have been meddling in Lebanon going back to the early days of the Cold War in the 1950's and I don't see this changing soon. The Middle East is a hot conflict zone.

That's precisely my point! We need to overcome our diffrences and learn that Lebanon as a state matters.

jb_nl

September 14th, 2009, 09:13 AM

Unite! And make a real democratic system. So without that the pre-minister needs to be a sunni and so on. It doesn't matter what religion, the most important thing is that the person who fits the position should get it!

Also why don't you have parties like the socialistic party, social democrats, conservatives etc etc? That would be much more easy then al those ethnic/religious partys.

lebnani

September 14th, 2009, 12:19 PM

wow it seems like a revolution is starting. Well if anyone wants to start a revolution or a coup of some sort tell me I am free the rest of the this week with the exception of wed night, I have tix to a concert.

lebnani

September 14th, 2009, 12:30 PM

I am a huge supporter of a non confessionalist system, it might help loosen up the system of clans we have in place. But the thing is this confessionlist sectarian system goes beyond the governmental system, it actually is ingrained into the society itself at this point. I can't even begin to count how whenever I say someone's name or an area the first thing some people do is try to figure out or ask me what their religion is. I also knew some people in beirut that would not go into a store and buy something they needed if the owner was of a certain sect.

Again I am all up for the change, but apart of me says that we would abuse that system of democracy. I will repeat what I told my family in a very angry lecture I gave them once. If there is gonna be any change in the country it will start from the bottom (the people) up (to the government) not the other way round. Unfortunately, we vote to assert our sectarian clannish systems, and then spend the rest of the year bitching how they don't do anything for us and how there is sectarianism everywhere. Only in Lebanon does the average citizen work for the politician. 3anjad. balad el 3ajayeb! (IT REALLY IS THE LAND OF WONDERS) its time that we begin to expect more of ourselves and our politicians.

melkart

September 14th, 2009, 07:08 PM

melkart

September 18th, 2009, 04:57 PM

Lebanon’s kick ass traits:

Lebanon, the country of lively, beautiful cities, matched with beautiful mounatins,valleys, and cedar forests, topped with 10 thousand year-old ruins.
Lebanon, the land of excitement
Lebanon, the land of diversity
Lebanese pride, the strongest in the world.
Lebanon,its diversity, culture, history and life unmatchable in the world.
We have the best language in the world, and no one can resist saying yalla, or khalas.
Lebanese exaggeration strongest in the world, by far!!
Going to Lebanon=Strongest feeling of excitement in the world.
Lebanon, its Separation anxiety the strongest in the world.
And most of all the love Lebanese share for their country=unmatchable in the world.
Happiness(and crazy things you do) when you are going to Lebanon unmatchable in the world.
And much more(add to the list)

Lebanon’s kick ass traits ^^^ has stood up, defeated and kicked out America, France, and Iael from our cherished country. But we can not seem to unite and address the local problems of our country. It is our duty to preserve our natural resources, preserve our country. At the end of the day without our country Lebanon, Lebanese are nothing. But no matter what we will always have our country, we will always kick out foreign force, Lebanese will always have the highest positions in the world, and most of Lebanon
‘s and Lebanese’s kick ass traits will never dissolve. Simply because we are not Europeans, not Americans‘, not Arabs, we are LEBANESE!!!!

Oh you mean kicked america out when hisballah bombed the Marine barracks killing 250 innocent soldiers, who were stationed in lebanon as a peace keeping force. Is that what you mean? Look at where our pride has gotten us nowhere!

Lebanese Cedar

September 18th, 2009, 06:13 PM

Oh you mean kicked america out when hisballah bombed the Marine barracks killing 250 innocent soldiers, who were stationed in lebanon as a peace keeping force. Is that what you mean? Look at where our pride has gotten us nowhere!

The Marine Barracks bombing was a horrible and criminal act, no question about it, but the American forces were not acting like a peace keeping force which is supposed to be neutral. They were acting like mercenaries of right-wing militias and this only inflamed the war.

melkart

September 18th, 2009, 08:09 PM

The Marine Barracks bombing was a horrible and criminal act, no question about it, but the American forces were not acting like a peace keeping force which is supposed to be neutral. They were acting like mercenaries of right-wing militias and this only inflamed the war.

Lebanese Cedar, The American forces did not fire a single shot, either way they were not an occupying force. They were asked to come in by the Lebanese government, along with the french and other foreign nationals. They suppliedf militias with weaponry but did not participate in the war. Therefore the term mercenary is completely misleading!

Lebanese Cedar

September 18th, 2009, 08:32 PM

Lebanese Cedar, The American forces did not fire a single shot, either way they were not an occupying force. They were asked to come in by the Lebanese government, along with the french and other foreign nationals. They suppliedf militias with weaponry but did not participate in the war. Therefore the term mercenary is completely misleading!

The American forces did engage militarily, the most prominent example being the battleship USS New Jersey which was used to shell Druze forces as well as their allies. Much of the damage you see around Souk el-Gharb today was caused by this shelling.

And as you mentioned, they did supply militias with weaponry, that alone violates the integrity of a peacekeeping force. Imagine what would be said of UNIFIL today if they were arming Hezbollah or if they were helping the Israelis?

The French forces played a much more productive role as part of the Multinational Force, although a number of their serviceman were also killed in the 1983 Marine barracks bombing.

The intention of the Multinational Force was great, but unfortunately, the U.S. used it as an opportunity to push an agenda.

alisaleh

September 20th, 2009, 09:03 PM

Oh you mean kicked america out when hisballah bombed the Marine barracks killing 250 innocent soldiers, who were stationed in lebanon as a peace keeping force. Is that what you mean? Look at where our pride has gotten us nowhere!

I'm sorry, but Hezbollah was officially founded in 1985, so to blame them on something that happened in 1983 wouldn't exactly be accurate. Now there might be some argument on whether or not those who bombed the barracks later became affiliated with Hezbollah. I am not returning to my old debating habit, but either way they were known to have taken sides, and you can find much documentation on this. Please make your argument more clear.

Anyways, guys, enough of these arguments, when are we going to learn how to live in this small country together? Must we go back in time to the civil war? Is that what we really want to go back to?

You guys are wasting your time here covering topics which Lebanese citizens today, themselves don't give a two shit about. Let there be peace :)

Kol 3am wa antoo bkhair :banana: :cheers:

jader3283

September 20th, 2009, 09:29 PM

wtff,melkart cant u read the dang happy comment, and getcha smile on and say, "yeah lebanon is a awesome country, and lebanese are great" instead u read a positive comment, and directly went to politics. and like alisaleh said ur wisdom has dried up, and once again ur argument is pointless.(hezbollah was not there) so i tell u listen to lebnani and enjoy ur country and quit trying to point out what u think are "negative march 14 comments"

melkart

September 21st, 2009, 02:41 AM

The American forces did engage militarily, the most prominent example being the battleship USS New Jersey which was used to shell Druze forces as well as their allies. Much of the damage you see around Souk el-Gharb today was caused by this shelling.

And as you mentioned, they did supply militias with weaponry, that alone violates the integrity of a peacekeeping force. Imagine what would be said of UNIFIL today if they were arming Hezbollah or if they were helping the Israelis?

The French forces played a much more productive role as part of the Multinational Force, although a number of their serviceman were also killed in the 1983 Marine barracks bombing.

The intention of the Multinational Force was great, but unfortunately, the U.S. used it as an opportunity to push an agenda.

In July 1983, the Druze in the Shouf Mountains began to shell the Marines in their vulnerable outpost, causing numerous casualties. The Marines returned fire in self-defense on August 28, 1983, drawing a sharp response from Walid Jumblatt who “announced on September 1 [1983] that the Marines would henceforth be considered enemy forces.

It was in self defense! The Marine barrack's bombing was an act of terrorism! and was in no way a justification.

melkart

September 21st, 2009, 02:42 AM

jader3283

September 22nd, 2009, 10:29 AM

melkart

September 22nd, 2009, 03:04 PM

if u truly believe that Lebanon is not a great country, and u do not believe that Lebanon, is beautiful with its diversity, and strength, than i must ask what are u doing on this forum? Last time i checked this is the lebanon forum discussing Lebanon's real estate projects, architecture, and other lebanese discussions in the ceedar cafe. but now u come here and say lebanon does not have anything positive about it. what is ur point? :?

That's not what I said genius! I am simply stating that I refuse to pretend that everything is nice and rosy. We should be self critical. You can't go on pretending that we are the greatest people that has ever lived. That's just naive and unrealistic. also while the Lebanon forum is mainlty about architecture and development this particular post is about Lebanese statistics, facts and humor. and from what I recall i responded to your ridiculous statement about how everything is the west's falt. so with all do respect beat it!

jader3283

September 22nd, 2009, 06:04 PM

ur reply is ridiculous:lol::lol:.
your political unawareness and proportional, extremist political views, have took ur ability to read away from u. ur negativity that i have been talking about has led u to completly misinterpreted my original paragraph which was about the great things of lebanon as a whole. u are the only one has miserably failed to intrepid the paragraph the logical way. Then u come and state political statements, that where later proven completley false by alialeh. Then for the icing on the cake u begin to argue with my positive comment about about how u should not associate politics with a comment elaborating on the greatness of our country. and then u come back and say "thats not what i said" when indeed it is.("Jader I can pretend all I want, but it ain't so! ") We should be self-critical, but not to the point that u want to start a unjustified argument, from a positive comment displaying great traits, and the strength of the Lebanese people. So in fact, and with extreme respect, i think u should "beat it" :)

Lebanese Cedar

September 22nd, 2009, 07:43 PM

In July 1983, the Druze in the Shouf Mountains began to shell the Marines in their vulnerable outpost, causing numerous casualties. The Marines returned fire in self-defense on August 28, 1983, drawing a sharp response from Walid Jumblatt who “announced on September 1 [1983] that the Marines would henceforth be considered enemy forces.

It was in self defense! The Marine barrack's bombing was an act of terrorism! and was in no way a justification.

Americans were shelling the mountains around Beirut long before July 1983 and did so at the request of Amin Gemayel in his efforts to crush the leftist forces that opposed him.

I am in no way justifying the Marine baracks bombing. It was criminal and cold blooded murder. The U.S. intentions for entering Lebanon were good as Lebanon really needed an international peace keeping force to diffuse the conflict between the opposing sides, but the U.S. force failed when it sided with Amin Gemayel against leftist forces that were in opposition to him. This was at a time when Gemayel had little legitimacy in Lebanon.

Go read some of the books written by Thomas Friedman and Robert Fisk. They write extensively about this issue and how the American forces miserably failed in Lebanon. Both of these authors have very different views regarding the situation in the Middle East, but provide great insight when it comes to Lebanon as they both spent many years there and have seen the recent history of Lebanon unfold.

At first the American forces acted as objective peacekeepers. But gradually, the Reagan administration gave in to pressure by the Gemayel government to take its side against Druze and Shiite Muslims in central and southern Lebanon. American troops, welcomed with rice and roses in the Shiite slums of Beirut, slowly became pariahs in Shiites’ eyes. Mistrust turned to outright belligerence once American forces used their firepower to shell Druze and Shiite positions in the mountains surrounding Beirut.

http://middleeast.about.com/od/usmideastpolicy/a/me081026d.htm

Please research their books, I am a big fan of Robert Fisk, although Thomas Friedman, despite his more pro-Israel leanings, has a lot of great insight as well.

melkart

September 22nd, 2009, 07:57 PM

Americans were shelling the mountains around Beirut long before July 1983 and did so at the request of Amin Gemayel in his efforts to crush the leftist forces that opposed him.

I am in no way justifying the Marine baracks bombing. It was criminal and cold blooded murder. The U.S. intentions for entering Lebanon were good as Lebanon really needed an international peace keeping force to diffuse the conflict between the opposing sides, but the U.S. force failed when it sided with Amin Gemayel against leftist forces that were in opposition to him. This was at a time when Gemayel had little legitimacy in Lebanon.

Go read some of the books written by Thomas Friedman and Robert Fisk. They write extensively about this issue and how the American forces miserably failed in Lebanon. Both of these authors have very different views regarding the situation in the Middle East, but provide great insight when it comes to Lebanon as they both spent many years there and have seen the recent history of Lebanon unfold.

http://middleeast.about.com/od/usmideastpolicy/a/me081026d.htm

Please research their books, I am a big fan of Robert Fisk, although Thomas Friedman, despite his more pro-Israel leanings, has a lot of great insight as well.

Lebanese Cedar I read Robert Fisk's Pity the Nation at age 13. as for Thomas friedman I am a huge fan! again The americans only bombed those mountains after they were shot at in self defence. They were only permitted to shoot in self defence. Either way My point earlier was in reference to jader who highlighted The ousting of the USA, France, and Israel. He failed to mention Syria. He is obviously in favor of the other side.

melkart

September 22nd, 2009, 08:01 PM

Beiruti

September 22nd, 2009, 09:05 PM

jader3283

September 22nd, 2009, 11:37 PM

First of all melkart, i am not 12, i am 17.(not that relates to anything) Second of all, melkart it looks like u are the one eating ur own words. U said-"Oh you mean kicked america out when hisballah bombed the Marine barracks killing 250 innocent soldiers, who were stationed in lebanon as a peace keeping force. Is that what you mean? Look at where our pride has gotten us nowhere!"

Then me and alisaleh pointed out that this statement is false.

The fact is thay u and beiruti are diverting from my point.
To beiruti, would u care to tell me where in ur mind do see a political view in my original comment.
Why wont u guys get that i was posting a happy non political comment inm the beginning. The only person who though that my comment was political was u two. i mean seriously where in ur right mind do u see something political in my comment::
Lebanon is the country of lively, beautiful cities, matched with beautiful mounatins,valleys, and cedar forests, topped with 10 thousand year-old ruins.
Lebanon, the land of excitement
Lebanon, the land of diversity
Lebanese pride, the strongest in the world.
Lebanon,its diversity, culture, history and life unmatchable in the world.
We have the best language in the world, and no one can resist saying yalla, or khalas.
Lebanese exaggeration strongest in the world, by far!!
Going to Lebanon=Strongest feeling of excitement in the world.
Lebanon, its Separation anxiety the strongest in the world.
And most of all the love Lebanese share for their country=unmatchable in the world.
Happiness(and crazy things you do) when you are going to Lebanon unmatchable in the world.
And much more(add to the list)

Lebanon’s kick ass traits ^ has stood up, defeated and kicked out America, France, and Iael from our cherished country. But we can not seem to unite and address the local problems of our country. It is our duty to preserve our natural resources, preserve our country. At the end of the day without our country Lebanon, Lebanese are nothing. But no matter what we will always have our country, we will always kick out foreign force, Lebanese will always have the highest positions in the world, and most of Lebanon
‘s and Lebanese’s kick ass traits will never dissolve. Simply because we are not Europeans, not Americans‘, not Arabs, we are LEBANESE!!!!

WHERE IS THE POLITICAL COMMENT???
WHERE IS ANYTHING OFFENSIVE???
This aurgument:
1. I post a joyfully,respective, comment.
2. Melkart like usual comes in with his negative comments WHICH BRinG IN THE POLITICS!!!(beiruti fails to realize this)
3.Melkart disagrees that lebanon has positives to it.
4. Then u go on to deny when the DANG COMMENTS ARE RIGHT THERE!!!!!
This is the true contradication beiruti, not ur "makebelief edit that NEVER HAPPENED, DOES IT SAY EDIT ON THE BOTTOM??!!!

melkart u are the only one on this forum who would make an argument off a comment praising lebanese. And truly u dont even have a aurgument.

melkart

September 23rd, 2009, 03:15 AM

Jader you're just a bad seed! and you're right I don't have an argument!

Beiruti

September 23rd, 2009, 04:24 PM

jader3283

September 23rd, 2009, 10:45 PM

The edit, proves nothing as it has not been edited out of the currently existing comment. The comment of kicking forces out of our country, came after and before comments displaying unity, diversity, and greatness of the Lebanese people as a whole. Therefore, the comment displays the strength of the Lebanese people as a whole. I also have lived in America for my whole life and respect and enjoy Americans, and conisder myself at least half american but ur views have gone to far, ur closed-mindnesses has gone to far. Because my comment was not intended and did not offend most people on this forum. And becuase honestly, i feel bad for people who take this kind of a comment that was inteded to praise all the positive aspects of Lebanese, negatively.

jb_nl

September 24th, 2009, 09:47 AM

About those UN forces, I saw some french ones in Beirut. And I don't like them ,they never do anything! Where were they in 2006? They should have protected Lebanon! They should fight! They're soldiers!

Jayme

September 24th, 2009, 03:15 PM

They are Peace keeping forces..they are not there to fight.

jb_nl

September 24th, 2009, 06:28 PM

And how on earth do you keep the peace if you don't fight against those who start a war over and over again? They should fight and disarm israel! That would start peace!

Abdallah K.

September 25th, 2009, 12:51 AM

^^ ive seen a few UN Peacekeepers at the airport (Italian) they looked pretty cool :lol:

jb_nl

September 25th, 2009, 06:58 AM

I saw some bored french guys near ir-rawshi and tried to talk with them but they didn't want to answer my critical questions why they didn't defend the country. :lol:

alisaleh

September 25th, 2009, 07:37 AM

I was in the village, and this convoy just stopped infront of one the only mini markets, and a couple of soldiers stepped out and bought Uno mango Juice.

jb_nl

September 25th, 2009, 08:50 AM

So the only use of those useless UN troops is that they stimulate the economy by buying goods in our markets :lol:

alisaleh

September 25th, 2009, 09:02 AM

pretty much :lol:

melkart

September 25th, 2009, 10:32 PM

And how on earth do you keep the peace if you don't fight against those who start a war over and over again? They should fight and disarm israel! That would start peace!

There supposed to be monitoring and observing what goes on there as a third party! It's our job to defend our own country and no one elses. Also the UN has provided plenty for Lebanon, training, huminatarian aid, water projects, judo lessons, yoga, etc. They get all my respect!

jb_nl

September 26th, 2009, 08:35 AM

Why then do they send soldiers? They could then also send people who controll if you paid your parking bill :lol:

melkart

September 26th, 2009, 04:32 PM

Why then do they send soldiers? They could then also send people who controll if you paid your parking bill :lol:

because soldiers aren't just trained to fight. They are also trained to provide relief and aid locals. they have the expertise, not to mention they are subsidized by their governments and provide cheap labor.

Lebanese Cedar

September 26th, 2009, 06:40 PM

melkart,

You are correct in what you said about UNIFIL, but they are also tasked to prevent violations on BOTH sides of the border and that includes using force when necessary to prevent the violations. That is why they are armed with much heavier weaponry than the Lebanese Army.

I don't have anything against UNIFIL and I still think it is better that we have them than if we didn't. They provide crucial observer and eyewitness accounts.

lebnani

September 26th, 2009, 08:59 PM

Martyr. The fact is the mosque is more of a monument to Harriri than an actual mosque, yes it is a mosque but when people refer to it, they call it the harriri mosque, when you look at it you think harriri. Its like a pyramid to a dead pharoah actually. then there is his burial site being built in the square, ALSO the entire western area of the bcd is full of security gaurds that don't allow you to take pictures because the harriri mansion is close by, then there is the Saad harriri's private garden that you are not allowed to set foot in. All these monuments have put a very harriri stamp on the entire area, and quite frankly as a sunni myself I can say that the area has become very sunni muslim and exclusive, I am just worried that martyr's square will become a big empty round-about when it should be a place of gathering. And I think that the mosque should not have been built in that area, a) there are a thousand other mosques in bcd and around that area, b) the mosque is a clear stamp of to what religion that area belong too. I am not against a huge cathedral mosque, just not in a square that is meant to be for all. I mean I met christians this summer who see no need to go downtown because everything that is in downtown is in achrafiyeh and it doesn't make them uncomfortable. And its the same thing for people like my mom for instance who doesn't see a point to step into achrafiyeh because as she says to me "its not for us". IS THIS REALLY WHAT WE WANT. we need to think about these things when we are building.

Hassoun

September 26th, 2009, 10:18 PM

^^ you are making a fuss out of nothing really.
right next to the Mosque there's the Saint George Maronite Cathedral.how does that make the area,"a Hariri exclusive" one ? :crazy:
that Mosque is one of Beirut's Top touristic attractions,and its normal place is the BCD.

melkart

September 28th, 2009, 04:19 AM

Lebanese Cedar

September 28th, 2009, 07:06 AM

Lebanese Cedar when was the last time you heard of unifil soldiers firing or engaging in a gun fight other than self defence? and i mean anywhere in the world!

What do you mean "anywhere in the world???" UNIFIL is a Lebanon only force, it stands for United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. Other conflict zones have their own UN peacekeeping forces. Syria for example has UNDOF. Cyprus has UNFICYP.

UNIFIL soldiers have very rarely engaged in any armed battles, you're right, but you're missing the point here. UNIFIL is mandated to prevent violations by BOTH sides and that includes the use of force when necessary. To prevent violations from Lebanon, UNIFIL has the jurisdiction to intercept rocket launchers and their operators and to use force if necessary. They have on numerous occasions together with the Lebanese Army, dismantled rockets that were set on a timer to fire on Israel.

Believe it or not, UNIFIL is armed with anti-aircraft missile systems. These were expanded after the 2006 conflict. What else could these be for if not to prevent violations by Israel? Like I said, there is a difference between having the equipment and the political will to use them. For reasons that are obvious, UNIFIL doesn't have the will to use them. But they have them because they are mandated to. Do you really think Lebanon would accept a peacekeeping force that was mandated to protect Israel only? Of course not.

jb_nl

September 28th, 2009, 12:36 PM

Then they should use those weapons and shoot those israeli's out of lebanon!

melkart

September 28th, 2009, 03:26 PM

What do you mean "anywhere in the world???" UNIFIL is a Lebanon only force, it stands for United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. Other conflict zones have their own UN peacekeeping forces. Syria for example has UNDOF. Cyprus has UNFICYP.

UNIFIL soldiers have very rarely engaged in any armed battles, you're right, but you're missing the point here. UNIFIL is mandated to prevent violations by BOTH sides and that includes the use of force when necessary. To prevent violations from Lebanon, UNIFIL has the jurisdiction to intercept rocket launchers and their operators and to use force if necessary. They have on numerous occasions together with the Lebanese Army, dismantled rockets that were set on a timer to fire on Israel.

Believe it or not, UNIFIL is armed with anti-aircraft missile systems. These were expanded after the 2006 conflict. What else could these be for if not to prevent violations by Israel? Like I said, there is a difference between having the equipment and the political will to use them. For reasons that are obvious, UNIFIL doesn't have the will to use them. But they have them because they are mandated to. Do you really think Lebanon would accept a peacekeeping force that was mandated to protect Israel only? Of course not.

Lebanese Cedar I understand the difference between UNIFIL and UNFICYP. What I am saying is that United Nations forces anywhere in the world do not engage in gun battles, except for self defene.
now as for theire ROE: check the article below.

United Nations Peacekeeping in Lebanon and Somalia, and the Use of Force
Ray Murphy1
1 Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, National University of Ireland, Galway

The article analyzes the use of force in traditional peacekeeping operations, and second-generation peace enforcement operations. It examines two operations in particular, UNIFIL in south Lebanon, and the UN operations in Somalia. Although both missions had different purposes, it is surprising how the interpretation of the rules of engagement (ROE) and the right to resort to force in self-defence were dependent on subjective variables. In the case of Somalia, once the operation was approved under chapter VII, this had a significant impact on how commanders viewed their role. In the case of UNIFIL, early confrontation with armed groups set a precedent that to a large extent determined the nature and extent of force used by the peacekeeping force thereafter. However, in the case of both operations, the actual wording of the relevant Security Council resolutions was remarkably vague. This in turn influenced the application of the ROE, which by their very nature lent themselves to either restrictive or expansive interpretations. The publication of the Brahimi Report, and the report on events that led to the fall of Srebrenica, have questioned the traditional response of UN forces to the use of force and advocated the formulation of a more robust doctrine. The experience of UN forces in Somalia and Lebanon shows that the non-use of force except in self-defence principle has proved controversial and difficult to apply in practice, not least because of its correlation to the other characteristics, especially the need to maintain impartiality.

melkart

September 28th, 2009, 03:29 PM

Then they should use those weapons and shoot those israeli's out of lebanon!

Both sides need to respect UN resolutions. Not just Israel!

Lebanese Cedar

September 28th, 2009, 06:51 PM

Lebanese Cedar I understand the difference between UNIFIL and UNFICYP. What I am saying is that United Nations forces anywhere in the world do not engage in gun battles, except for self defene.
now as for theire ROE: check the article below.

United Nations Peacekeeping in Lebanon and Somalia, and the Use of Force
Ray Murphy1
1 Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, National University of Ireland, Galway

The article analyzes the use of force in traditional peacekeeping operations, and second-generation peace enforcement operations. It examines two operations in particular, UNIFIL in south Lebanon, and the UN operations in Somalia. Although both missions had different purposes, it is surprising how the interpretation of the rules of engagement (ROE) and the right to resort to force in self-defence were dependent on subjective variables. In the case of Somalia, once the operation was approved under chapter VII, this had a significant impact on how commanders viewed their role. In the case of UNIFIL, early confrontation with armed groups set a precedent that to a large extent determined the nature and extent of force used by the peacekeeping force thereafter. However, in the case of both operations, the actual wording of the relevant Security Council resolutions was remarkably vague. This in turn influenced the application of the ROE, which by their very nature lent themselves to either restrictive or expansive interpretations. The publication of the Brahimi Report, and the report on events that led to the fall of Srebrenica, have questioned the traditional response of UN forces to the use of force and advocated the formulation of a more robust doctrine. The experience of UN forces in Somalia and Lebanon shows that the non-use of force except in self-defence principle has proved controversial and difficult to apply in practice, not least because of its correlation to the other characteristics, especially the need to maintain impartiality.

This article you quoted is from 2003.

Please go read UNIFIL's updated mandate. After the 2006 war, UNIFIL's mandate was modified to allow it to use force beyond self-defense in order to implement its mission. Each UN peacekeeping mission has its own mandate which specifies what it can and cannot do, so bringing up other UN peacekeeping forces is irrelevant. We are talking about UNIFIL and what UNIFIL is tasked to do. Not other UN peacekeeping forces.

This is why the present UNIFIL force is much more heavily armed than it was prior to 2006. This is why it is armed with self-propelled howitzers, main battle tanks, and anti-aircraft missile systems.

jader3283

September 28th, 2009, 07:11 PM

28/09/2009 Lebanese daily As-Safir revealed on Monday that the United States was working to establish an American airbase in Lebanon and transform the country into a field for the US schemes and strategic military plans in the Middle East.

The Lebanese daily said that the Americans were doing their base to establish such military airbase in the country for "suspicious" reasons. As-Safir noted that the airbase would be located in the region of Hamat, in the northern Batroun.

The daily went on to emphasize that the US officials do not have a favorable opinion of the official airport, Beirut International Airport, due to its location at the Airport road, where Hezbollah is believed to be dominating. The status of the Lebanese military and security institutions is another reason for the American complaint, the daily added.

As-Safir, meanwhile, quoted a well-informed source as saying that a Lebanese air force officer submitted a written request to the Lebanese Army Command in which he called for establishing an airbase in Hamat and for restoring the Qoleiat airfield. The source said that the Army Command immediately created a committee to consider the request and that a civil person started working to remove the airbases from the control of the Shiite spheres of influence.

Informed sources reported that the US is seeking to restore the Qoleiat base in order to avoid keeping the planes together at Beirut’s international airport and Riaq airport because the two are considered to be under Hezbollah's control.

The sources added that the priority is the airport in Hamat for a number of reasons, the most important of which being that there is no "Islamic influence" in the area, the process of taking off and landing passes via the sea and not Syria, and the distance between the base and the shoreline is small.

The idea of the airport in Hamat goes back to the late Bachir Gemayel when he was a leader of the Lebanese Forces, when he felt "under siege" and the crossings between areas were closed.
According to As-Safir daily, a Russian delegation will also arrive in Beirut within the next few weeks in order to survey Lebanon's military airports "to carry out the promise of equipping Lebanon with MiG 29s."

melkart

September 28th, 2009, 08:01 PM

This article you quoted is from 2003.

Please go read UNIFIL's updated mandate. After the 2006 war, UNIFIL's mandate was modified to allow it to use force beyond self-defense in order to implement its mission. Each UN peacekeeping mission has its own mandate which specifies what it can and cannot do, so bringing up other UN peacekeeping forces is irrelevant. We are talking about UNIFIL and what UNIFIL is tasked to do. Not other UN peacekeeping forces.

This is why the present UNIFIL force is much more heavily armed than it was prior to 2006. This is why it is armed with self-propelled howitzers, main battle tanks, and anti-aircraft missile systems.

You mean this:

Resolution 1701 on Lebanon is a very complex example. It established a cessation of hostilities in the war
between Israel and Hezbollah in mid-2006. The resolution, after reiterating the Council’s responsibilities and
determining that the situation in Lebanon constitutes a threat to international peace and security, also:
• laid out the elements of a comprehensive ceasefire;
• mandated the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to monitor the ceasefire and accompany and
support the deployment of Lebanese forces in southern Lebanon as Israel withdrew;
• authorised UNIFIL to “take all necessary action” in its areas of deployment and within its capabilities “to
ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind, to resist attempts by
forceful means to prevent it from discharging its duties under the mandate of the Security Council, and
to protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, ensure the security and
freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, humanitarian workers and, without prejudice to the
responsibility of the Government of Lebanon, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical
violence;”
• mandated UNIFIL to assist the Lebanese forces to establish a demilitarised area between the Blue Line
and the Litani River;
• at the Lebanese government’s request, further mandated UNIFIL to assist the government with securing
borders and other entry points to prevent the entry of arms and related materiel; and
• decided on a number of measures designed to prohibit the supply of arms to Lebanon.

Please provide me with a link that demonstrates your point. You might be right, but I can't find any references regarding UNIFIL's role as a fighting force.

Lebanese Cedar

September 29th, 2009, 04:00 AM

You mean this:

Resolution 1701 on Lebanon is a very complex example. It established a cessation of hostilities in the war
between Israel and Hezbollah in mid-2006. The resolution, after reiterating the Council’s responsibilities and
determining that the situation in Lebanon constitutes a threat to international peace and security, also:
• laid out the elements of a comprehensive ceasefire;
• mandated the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to monitor the ceasefire and accompany and
support the deployment of Lebanese forces in southern Lebanon as Israel withdrew;
• authorised UNIFIL to “take all necessary action” in its areas of deployment and within its capabilities “to
ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind, to resist attempts by
forceful means to prevent it from discharging its duties under the mandate of the Security Council, and
to protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, ensure the security and
freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, humanitarian workers and, without prejudice to the
responsibility of the Government of Lebanon, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical
violence;”
• mandated UNIFIL to assist the Lebanese forces to establish a demilitarised area between the Blue Line
and the Litani River;
• at the Lebanese government’s request, further mandated UNIFIL to assist the government with securing
borders and other entry points to prevent the entry of arms and related materiel; and
• decided on a number of measures designed to prohibit the supply of arms to Lebanon.

Please provide me with a link that demonstrates your point. You might be right, but I can't find any references regarding UNIFIL's role as a fighting force.

There is nothing really complex about Security Council Resolution 1701. You can read it in full here:
http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/1701%282006%29

It specifically transformed UNIFIL from an observer force to an active force and it was upgraded from 2,000 troops to up to 15,000 troops along with respective new heavy combat armament. The new force is called UNIFIL II.

Here is an FAQ about the updated UNIFIL force:
http://unifil.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1508

And here is a good article about how UNIFIL may now use force to implement its mission:
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/story/AA07B4563A652D9EC22571FC00562C5E?OpenDocument

The UNIFIL of today is a VERY different force from the one before the 2006 war which was just an observer force armed with only light armament. It's now a much bigger force that is armed with heavy combat armament, everything from French-made Leclerc main battle tanks to American-made M109 howitzers. UNIFIL's armament is now more advanced and lethal than anything the Lebanese Army has.

melkart

September 29th, 2009, 04:34 AM

There is nothing really complex about Security Council Resolution 1701. You can read it in full here:
http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/1701%282006%29

It specifically transformed UNIFIL from an observer force to an active force and it was upgraded from 2,000 troops to up to 15,000 troops along with respective new heavy combat armament. The new force is called UNIFIL II.

Here is an FAQ about the updated UNIFIL force:
http://unifil.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1508

And here is a good article about how UNIFIL may now use force to implement its mission:
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/story/AA07B4563A652D9EC22571FC00562C5E?OpenDocument

The UNIFIL of today is a VERY different force from the one before the 2006 war which was just an observer force armed with only light armament. It's now a much bigger force that is armed with heavy combat armament, everything from French-made Leclerc main battle tanks to American-made M109 howitzers. UNIFIL's armament is now more advanced and lethal than anything the Lebanese Army has.

ughh such a nerd! :)

Beiruti

September 29th, 2009, 04:36 AM

jb_nl

September 29th, 2009, 10:21 AM

Both sides need to respect UN resolutions. Not just Israel!

But that is the problem, we never act against israel so they just go on! We never act fair! We are like the dog of israel.

melkart

September 29th, 2009, 02:25 PM

But that is the problem, we never act against israel so they just go on! We never act fair! We are like the dog of israel.

who's we?

Jayme

September 30th, 2009, 02:06 PM

Has anyone read this artcle ?

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=107482&sectionid=351020203

That Poll is BS.... its very obvious only one sect was survyed.

jader3283

September 30th, 2009, 02:47 PM

---

Jayme

September 30th, 2009, 02:59 PM

with thing with Israel fair enough...but Syria and Iran second and third most friend nation...I dont agree with.

jader3283

September 30th, 2009, 03:05 PM

^^idk if its true it might be 60 x 40 or something.

Beiruti

September 30th, 2009, 07:06 PM

Has anyone read this artcle ?

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=107482&sectionid=351020203

That Poll is BS.... its very obvious only one sect was survyed.

The reason why Egypt dropped is obviously because they detained Hizballah, etc.

This poll is clearly biased. I think a real poll would indicate Syria as the #2 enemy behind Israel.

Hassoun

September 30th, 2009, 09:08 PM

lol, 5% dislike an armed Hizbullah? :lol:
well,,,that says it all.

Rabih

October 1st, 2009, 09:22 AM

It's an Iranian news agency! that's expected..

jader3283

October 1st, 2009, 01:19 PM

Lebanon is too complicated to just plane out say, seconds, or thirds of anything. any survey only surveying 200 people in Lebanon will be inaccurate.

Rabih

October 1st, 2009, 07:50 PM

Very disturbing article, but some how i find it hard to believe that that's the reason UAE deported them! Why would UAE need intel on Hezbollah?!
****

Lebanese say UAE pressed them to spy on Hezbollah
http://www.google.com/hostednews/img/ap_logo.gif?hl=en
By BASSEM MROUE (AP) – 48 minutes ago

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/media/ALeqM5ilGexYeZH959SP70ingB39sI3Gng?size=l

BEIRUT — A Lebanese businessman alleged Thursday that he and several hundred other Lebanese were expelled from the United Arab Emirates country because they refused to spy on the Shiite militant group Hezbollah and other fellow citizens.

Hassan Alayan said more than 300 Lebanese — mostly Shiites — have been forced to leave the Emirates over the past three months. He said most of those deported said UAE authorities asked them to inform on fellow Lebanese Shiites living in the country and on Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

Authorities told the Lebanese they were being deported for security reasons, but they believe their refusal to spy was the real reason, Alayan told a news conference in Beirut. The Emirates refused to comment on the allegations, and Lebanese officials said they were contacting authorities there over the matter.

One of those deported, Zuhair Hamdan, said his residency permit was rejected after he refused to give authorities information about fellow Lebanese or possible Hezbollah sleeper cells in the UAE.

"I told them I have been living in the UAE for 33 years. How can I have information about Hezbollah," said Hamdan, who lived in the Emirates since he was 2 years old and worked as a traffic policeman.

The UAE is among several predominantly Sunni Arab nations wary of Shiite Iran's growing regional clout — which Iran partly maintains by supplying weapons and cash to the powerful Hezbollah in Lebanon.

A statement by a committee set up to represent the deportees suggested the decision by the Emirates could be the result of U.S. pressure to try to choke off routes of funding for the anti-American and anti-Israel Hezbollah. The U.S. considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

The Emirates is close to the United States and has cooperated with Washington in trying to shut down networks smuggling weapons to Iran, U.S. officials have said.

Alayan said some of those deported were forced to leave even after Lebanese President Michel Suleiman sent a military delegation five weeks ago to the UAE to try resolve the matter without success. More than 100 people who said they were deportees, as well as two Hezbollah legislators, attended the news conference in Beirut.

"In whose interest is it to ask Lebanese to spy on one another and on the resistance of Lebanon and Palestine?" said the committee's statement.

Alayan alleged UAE authorities have also deported Palestinians who refused to spy on the militant Hamas group, which rules the Gaza Strip. He said the Palestinians recounted similar pressures by authorities to inform on Hamas.

Some Arab media have reported that those who were deported were sending money to Hezbollah, a claim denied by Alayan and Ali Faour, another member of a committee representing the deportees.

Faour told reporters that most of those deported have been living in the UAE for decades and most were business owners.

Hezbollah, the largest and most powerful Shiite group in Lebanon, came to the defense of the deportees because most of them are Shiite. The deportees had been silent for a few months but last week started meeting with Lebanese officials to complain about their treatment.

Lebanon's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, urged UAE President Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to take "a quick initiative to rescue hundreds of Lebanese families."

Hezbollah's deputy leader, Sheik Naim Kassem, described the deportations as "clear injustice" and called on the UAE to be fair with people who are not suspected of working against their host country.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Rabih

October 1st, 2009, 07:53 PM

Tyre Samba show, Canceled!

Lebanese Muslim scholars object to samba
http://www.google.com/hostednews/img/afp_logo.gif?hl=en
(AFP) – 4 hours ago

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/media/ALeqM5hh-NyM4Mr5x6f_wqjxdxdFAMkSkg?size=l

TYRE, Lebanon — A group of Lebanese Muslim scholars on Thursday forced the cancellation of a planned performance by a Brazilian samba troupe in the southern coastal city of Tyre on moral and religious grounds.

"This is a pornographic dance group that goes against our ethics," Sheikh Ali Yassin, one of 50 religious leaders who had called for the cancellation, told AFP.

"We fear that once they start dancing nude in the streets, there will be trouble," Yassin added. "Our society will not accept such a parade.

"The city of Tyre is a city of resistance and its history is that of a conservative Muslim city."

The Brazilian troupe has been performing throughout Lebanon since September 23 as part of a festival and planned a final performance in Tyre on Thursday evening.

Roberto Medeiros, ministerial adviser and cultural attache at the Brazilian embassy in Beirut, told AFP that measures had been taken to respect the sensitivities of the mainly Muslim population in Tyre, including having the dancers cover their bodies rather than perform in skimpy clothes.

"We met with the local authorities and informed them that the dancers would dress respectfully with all their bodies covered," Medeiros said.

Yassin, however, said he had been shown photographs of the costumes and still deemed them inappropriate.

The mayor of Tyre, Abdel Mohsen al-Husseini, said the show was called off after consultations with local authorities as well as Brazil's ambassador to Lebanon.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

Hassoun

October 1st, 2009, 08:18 PM

^^ Only in Tyre.

Hassoun

October 1st, 2009, 08:32 PM

^^ Well, Iran occupies 3 Emirati Islands.

connection between Iranian regime and Hizbullah?

The gloves are off
September 30, 2009

So, amid what is unfolding into a regional nuclear missile crisis, the gloves are finally off, courtesy of an Iranian “diplomatic source” who confirmed to NOW Lebanon what we all know but what many Lebanese would not care to admit: that Hezbollah’s military wing is to all intents and purposes a branch of the Iranian armed forces.

The official line is oft parroted: that Hezbollah won legitimacy and the unwavering support from the majority of Lebanon’s Shia by taking up the banner of Resistance and ending Israel’s occupation of South Lebanon in 2000. In doing so, it gave the Shia a greater voice in the nation’s affairs.

But there was always a question mark as to where party’s ultimate loyalties lay. Now, despite its oft-flaunted patriotic credentials – and as a nuclear-hungry Iran ramps up the pressure on the West before the crucial Thursday meeting in Geneva with the launch of a long-range missile and a suitcase full of solutions to regional problems it created – the question appears to have been answered.

The source told NOW Lebanon that Hezbollah would be part of Iran’s response to any attack launched against the Islamic Republic’s many nuclear facilities, presumably by Israel. His logic and his candor were chilling. Hezbollah, now elevated to the status of “regional power”, is, he said, “fundamentally tied to the Iranian regime.” Then, as if to demonstrate this new and open spirit of détente, the source said that any attempt by the Israelis to neutralize Hezbollah before a strike on Iran would be considered a “declaration of war” by the Islamic Republic. The government of Lebanon, a sovereign state and UN member, would presumably have little or no say in the matter.

Hezbollah the autonomous regional power? In a part of the world where madness is par for the course, this recent designation, if we are to believe the source – and there is no reason why we shouldn’t – must once and for all start Lebanon’s collective alarm bells ringing.

Now is definitely not the time for Hezbollah apologists – with all due respect to the Free Patriotic Movement – to roll out the excuses they have used to justify Hezbollah’s previous acts of mayhem and culture of obstruction, most of which were carried out at Iran’s bidding: the 2006 July War, the 18-month downtown sit-in between November 2007 and May 2008, and, last but not least, the “glorious” May 2008 civil unrest. And those – again with all due respect to the Free Patriotic Movement – who would argue that Hezbollah is no more menacing than any other Lebanese party or who posit that the real threat to Lebanon comes from radical Sunnis and not the oh-so-open-minded Shia, should wake up to the enormous danger the current standoff poses to Lebanon.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Iran has all it needs to produce fission weapons. “It has acquired the technology to make the explosives needed for a gun or implosion device, the triggering components, and the neutron initiator and reflectors. It has experimented with machine uranium and plutonium processing. It has put massive resources into a medium-range missile program that has the range payload to carry nuclear weapons and that makes no sense with conventional warheads. It has also worked on nuclear weapons designs for missile warheads.” If it does nothing to calm international fears – and there is no indication that it will desist from its avowed nuclear road-map – then it is hardly unlikely that Israel will roll over and die, especially in light of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s prophetic declarations of annihilation.

Let us assume however that the talk is simply posturing ahead of the Geneva meeting, that it is merely robust rhetoric designed to raise the stakes in the regional crap shoot, and that there will be no Israeli air strike on Iran and that Lebanon’s southern border remains in its state of relative calm. This might be all well and good, but those Lebanese who claim to strive for a sovereign, democratic and free nation, and yet who tolerate Hezbollah’s mischief, can no longer avert their eyes to Hezbollah’s Iranian connection, essentially the manipulation by a regional superpower of what purports to be a wholly Lebanese political party for its own, potentially apocalyptic, grand plan.

The Lebanese – not least the Shia who have put their faith in Hezbollah countless times but who are the first to feel the consequences of their adventurism – should today be concerned. This is not about the Shebaa Farms or defending Lebanon’s borders. It is not even about Palestine. It is a super-power stand-off pure and simple.

We would do well to stay out of it.

LeB-iT

October 1st, 2009, 08:39 PM

^^that's just the start...just wait till these idiots take over the country

lebnani

October 1st, 2009, 09:51 PM

WHY DO RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS HAVE CONTROL OVER SUCH MATTERS. It reminds me of something my cousin said "in lebanon we have freedom, but no democracy" interesting how a few decide what s moral for everyone else.

Leb10452km

October 2nd, 2009, 12:01 AM

Abdallah K.

October 2nd, 2009, 01:37 AM

Abdallah K.

October 2nd, 2009, 01:43 AM

Omg...now who the hell is behind this one?!!

http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss61/budkheir/37f3b6e0e3.jpg

Reports emerged on September 21 that Lebanon’s Forces de Sécurité Intérieure (FSI) had been placed on high alert in Beirut following the discovery of an alleged plot to assassinate Lebanon’s most prominent Sunni cleric, Grand Mufti Shaykh Muhammad Rashid Qabbani (al-Anba’a [Kuwait], September 21). According to a security source, the plan was to kill the Grand Mufti by way of a suicide bombing inside the Muhammad al-Amin mosque in downtown Beirut !!!!!

Jayme

October 2nd, 2009, 04:48 AM

there no fun !

alisaleh

October 2nd, 2009, 05:30 AM

@Hassoun:

Whenever I see Geagea speaking on the news, I know he will say something controversial, something provocative...blaming Hezbollah, pointing the finger

I think that for this country to progress, Geagea should be taken out of the face of politics

Please don't be the Geagea of this forum, I mean what will you really benefit from provoking Hezbollah? possibly attempting to disarm this resistance would put this little country of ours in total chaos, you saw what happened in May 7th.

Lets just try to govern the country and stop acting as if Lebanon's problems center around Hezbollah's weapons, and that if Hezbollah were to disarm, Lebanon would become a Utopia.

We have other problems right now, and when Hezbollah is disarmed, we will have even more, so for now lets try to live together in this small country, in harmony.

jader3283

October 2nd, 2009, 11:26 AM

yeahhh unfortunately only in shi'aa areas, you guys know that the French embassy in Lebanon has a list of hotspots like restricted areas in Lebanon where the French tourists are advised not to go ... and they're only shi'aa places :S

Leb10452's famous racism strikes again. First of all did the people of tyre make this decison no. The sheiks made this decison. Do u honestly think that sunni sheiks would go on the streets and start dancing with the Brazilian dancers. No. So in fact this was not a decision, by the people but of tyre but my the conservative religious scholars. ur ignorance to the subject has gone to far. And the moderator's biasness is really striking again. If anyone said something even a little as racist as u said about sunnis this forum would go crazy. All of u always preach, how in order for stability to reached in this country, all lebanese have to respect each other. well guess what u dont have a ounce of respect for anyone but urselves.

Leb10452km

October 2nd, 2009, 07:39 PM

LOOL had you read any of my "Racism" attacks before, you wouldn't have thought i am Sunni, brother i am a Shi'ii and hell i can talk and criticize all i want, not only Shi'aa but any person who lives on Lebanese soil, because i am Lebanese before anything else. On the one hand, umm let me guess who said anything about the Sunni sheikhs being better than the Shi'ii ones, if you ask me, they along all other "religious scholars" they shouldn't even have the right to express their minds, because it is only the fact that religious scholars from all religions want to stick their noses in all aspects of life starting by politics and not ending by the way of living, it is this fact that dragged Lebanon into the on-going conflicts and disputes between the Lebanese as well as being an additional reason behind the retardation of the Lebanese mass and killing any chance for our country to advance.
On the other hand, just the other day we all saw the very same Brazilian dancers, dancing right next to the Mosque in dt, and well i didn't notice the moufti or any other Sheikh saying they should stop.
My point is that this is not what Lebanon is about, just the other day our "Religious scholars" or precisely hezballah, they threatened Gad almaleh and the guy never showed up because of them, what is next ??? preventing any kind of art performing in Lebanon ? You and I know very well that even music is forbidden for many shi'aa and particularly hezballah supporters, i admit that i might have made a mistake when i said shi'aa areas, i should have said Hezballah areas, for i am definitely a shi'ii but there is no way on the planet earth that i would accept to be classified as a supporter of hezballah, and i know there are many like me. So dude if you really seek stability and you're looking for a mutual respect between the Lebanese, try first of all not to consider any criticism as a threat from others, and try dealing with your own issues before you reach out to other sects and deal with theirs...

melkart

October 2nd, 2009, 10:18 PM

jader accuses everyone of being a racist, because he is the biggest racist on this forum!

jader3283

October 2nd, 2009, 11:29 PM

for leb10452km
where in ur right mind, i MEAN SERIOSLEY what kind of STUPID ASS statement is: You and I know very well that even music is forbidden for many shi'aa and particularly hezballah supporters:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

what he hell? im not even going to attempt to challenge that statement. and im hoping u made a error my writing it.

The fact is about 80 percent of hezbollah supporters do not agree with the religious part of hezbollah. And what u have depicted in ur last comment, is that true u are shia, but either u have not been to jnoub in a long assssssssssssssss time, or ur just plain blind. and obvisouley u are the conservative one. becuase ur comment was describing the Taliban, not Hezbollah. for u to turn such a blind eye on hezbollah supporters, and shias, to actually convince urself that hezbollah-supporting areas are like u said, there is something wrong. and if u still believe that hezbollah, and shia areas are like that, i will and can OVERLOAD U with info that proves otherwise. i mean seriusley not alloowed to listen to music who are u kiding :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
its not even worth having this debate with u, if ur going to say things like that

second, now u are trying to contradict urself, by saying that u said all religious scholars are the same, when u specificely pointed out shia sheiks earlier.
thirdley, march 14, freaking corrupted march 14 is the party of problems in lebanon. Harrir, and his buddies are the problems of lebanon. When will u get that Harri is a doubass at politics, when will u get that harriri doesnt give a shit about his country. when will u get that he only cares about his personal profit and gain, and when will u get that he is a freakin toy, for saudi arabia. when will u get that Men like saad dont care about the people and are willing to do anything for the sake of their political/financial gain. his little saudi "private visits" shu badek yani, for lebanon to be a saudi proxy.( he spend one-fourth of his time trying to form the cabinet, abroad under the pretext of private vacations in saudi arabia) this selfish piece of crap has done absoulutley nothing for lebanon since he made the foolish mistake to go into politics. what a disgrace to his father. wealth for nothing. has he spend one penny, one damn penny for any project, and charity, ANY ANYTHING FOR HIS COUNTRY. NO, NO, AND NO. He is corrupted for no good cause. His dad was corrupted for the well being of country. I know everyone in this forum is for him, becasue they think that he will spend some, at least "SOME" of his money towards the development of his country. well wake up and smell the cofee. but i guess i should start listening to alisaleh and leb.fr, u guys never will. and i guess i should listening them and stop debating u guys. because if anything, u guys have the closed-mind, u guys are the conservative ones, because u fail to see beyond the surface of march 8.
and to melkart ur comments have always cracked me up, and this one is no exception, dont u think its a bit ironic, who always comes in with the negativity, and the politcs??? why dont u provide me with a real statement, that makes sense, instead of randomly stating stupid unbacked false comments, for once!

Hassoun

October 2nd, 2009, 11:56 PM

^^ REALLY???WOW!!
well,so,it's what Hizbullah wants or war?? alright then,to be fair all Lebanon political parties should seek arms from foreign countries,u say Lebanese Forces are israelis,why can't they get weapons from Israel or America then?? because they WANT PEACE,on the other hand we've seen what hizbullah done in May 7 2008.something that u r proud of.not sadly,because to be honest with you,i don't think people like you are Lebanese,YES,if u were Lebanese, would have asked Hizbullah to give its weapons to Lebanese Army,so that weapons won't be use against any other Lebanese.
if you couldn't see the truth from the article i posted above,then u will eventually when u grow up more.

melkart

October 3rd, 2009, 12:05 AM

Hassoun

October 3rd, 2009, 12:06 AM

Beirut! please move this to EAYOR thread.

jader,so Hariri did nothing to Lebanon??and yes,i am talking about SAAD.
ok,answer this please?

How many bridges after the Hizbullah made war in 2006 did SAAD HARIRI rebuilt for Lebanon?? go and get the answer and write it down here.

-How many schools he built in Akkar? and i am still talking about Saad here. and in Batroun?

-The Road between Rashaya and Bekaa ( more than 20 km at an altitude of 1200 meters) there was never a road there before.Who paid for it?

-the Francophone games now,who paid 1000000 dollars to complete final touches on many sports venues across the country.

I can continue with this and we would need a thread of hundreds of pages.

P.S : Try to convince nasrallah to get out of his hole in iran before talking about Saad Hariri visits to Saudi Arabia.

Jayme

October 3rd, 2009, 12:15 AM

I find Geagea to be very Charismatic in his speechs, as what Melkart said Nassrallah allways threats and gets people worried...apart from his loyal sheep... ohh how akward I mean supporters. Aoun is a crazy person who barks like a dog in his speechs

alisaleh

October 3rd, 2009, 01:31 AM

^^ wow...um I am not Lebanese? you dont tell me whether or not I am Lebanese alright Geagea...I mean Hassoun..who the hell are u

And btw...I noticed how you put more than one thing into my mouth...and its like WTH??? when did i EVER say that the Lebanese Forces are Israelis...nor does any1 think this, and if this is honestly your argument then you should get your head checked.

I did not attack you, I was just trying 2 send out a message not only 2 u, but the whole forum
But if this is the way a person with an opposing view is treated around here, then I will take pride in not participating around here anymore.

Hassoun

October 3rd, 2009, 01:39 AM

^^oh,you didn't go to Dahyeh then and hear what they say about Lebanese Forces and anyone who's against Hizbullah,these people are just BRAIN-WASHED.they say they r even worse than israelis,this is what iran wants,Lebanese hate each others,and u simply like that.

and yes,if you want hizbullah to keep its arms after May 7,then DEFINITELY U R NOT LEBANESE.and i proudly say that .

Hassoun

October 3rd, 2009, 01:41 AM

alisaleh

October 3rd, 2009, 01:42 AM

YES I WANT HEZBOLLAH TO KEEP ITS WEAPONS AFTER MAY 7th

I want them to kill all the Lebanese, except the Hezbollah Supporters ofcourse

I want Lebanon to be strictly shiite

I want Lebanon to be a part of Iran

Please....Hassoun, am I missing something here? please, continue on my list of wants for Lebanon

I am more Lebanese than you will ever be, "mark my words"

It's impossible to talk to you in a civilized manner, inta bit 3assib

alisaleh

October 3rd, 2009, 01:44 AM

Oh,and did i mention the Hizbullah game and which they RAISE THEIR KIDS on how to kill Hariri-Geageag-Jumblat with the rest of Israeli leaders??? what's that?? HA?? fed up with all this brain washing shit,that u guys like and better die for it rather join the rest of the Lebanese in building a truly independent strong country.

WTF??? why would we want to kill old Jumblatt lol

and um the games they made in no way mention Lebanese political figures

Its all War against the Israelis

Hassoun

October 3rd, 2009, 01:45 AM

^^ Well,,,Ironically enough,the acts of ur Hizb lead to all what u stated above,if u can't see this,then u r blind,Lebanon is a country of different faiths and factions,for one sect. to have weapons and keep them,is a VERY DANGEROUS THING,a 1 year old kid would know that,don't tell me it's not true.

alisaleh

October 3rd, 2009, 01:48 AM

Blah blah blah blah blah...

Hassoun

October 3rd, 2009, 01:51 AM

WTF??? why would we want to kill old Jumblatt lol

and um the games they made in no way mention Lebanese political figures

Its all War against the Israelis

Stop defending them,,,i saw the game with my own eyes,it has weapons and the target is to kill Hariri,Geaggea and Jumblat.

Hassoun

October 3rd, 2009, 01:52 AM

Blah blah blah blah blah...

this is what u got,kuz u r obviously younger than 1 year old.

Leb10452km

October 3rd, 2009, 02:47 AM

ok well first of all Jader, being disrespectful to others doesn't prove anything ,as a matter of fact it only proves your arguments to be weak and based upon anger and blindness, that being said, my statement is not fiction nor created by my fertile imagination, you may deny all you like, but that does not change the fact that many Shi'aa and precisely those who are committed to hezballah and the "Wilayet al fakih" do not listen to music, and if you need a proof for that, you can go check the "Fatwa" of Sayyed "Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah" which says that any talks about forbidding music is nonsense, and yes i have been to south Lebanon, to Da7ye and to Baalbeck and i have met people who don't listen to music in all 3, moreover you said that 80% of Hezballah supporters do not agree with its religious agenda, although i am not pretty sure of that, and although this statement does not really help hezballah, for it sounds as if the supporters of hezballah are supporting it either for its resistance(which is great) or for the money that they get paid(which is a disgrace), i am glad that you were specific and that you said 80%, and now you can go read again what i said : "You and I know very well that even music is forbidden for MANY shi'aa and particularly hezballah supporters" i don't know if you noticed the MANY, which does not really mean the majority or the minority it just means many and furthermore no one said anything about forbidding people to listen to music, all i said some people just do not listen, out of self-commitment they forbid themselves, no one else forbids them, now probably you should try to understand what others write before making your judgments.

That leads us to our second point, and again it seems you have not been actually paying attention to what i wrote, i never said anything about the SHEIKHS in my first contribution, you can go check it again, i just said shi'aa areas, and then i corrected it by saying hezballah areas. And i am not contradicting myself for i am a liberal man and religions mean nothing to me, and yet the reason why i pointed out the "hezballah areas" is because the only VETOs to such events are made by hezballah or some of the shi'aa sheikhs who follow hezballah, and in this specific case it was about a shi'i city, period.

As for the third point, i really cannot find the relevance between what we are talking about and the 14th of march or anything that's got to do with politics, and since you brought it up out of the blue it only shows that all what motivates you is hatred, but since the subject is already in the open, lets see...
-14th of march are corrupted, well who are you kidding is there any party in Lebanon that's not corrupted? actually is there any politician in the world who's not corrupted? come on dude, if you seriously don't realize that men get into the political arena for power and money then you do not know much about the deal mate. Moreover, so the printed little Benjamins that Iran sends to hezballah, excuse me what do you call that again? "PURE MONEY" ??? let me tell you something my friend, if i had to chose between two parties, one of them is only claiming and just claiming that it wants a country of institutions while it is corrupted, and the other one pointing at one objective only and that's to keep my country a battle field until palestine and syria are free and until Iran gets its nuclear weapon, whereas being corrupted at the same time, i will definitely go for the first.
Finally for heaven's sake man, why are you trying to sound as if you loved "Rafik Hariri" while deep down you know you can't even stand saying his name, come on bro, i know these tactics most of my relatives do them " oh we love sheikh Rafik, but not his son " whereas the truth is they curse him day and night, and last but not least, come on man when you have a whole party clarifying to the whole world that they're proud to be a part of " Wilayet al fakih " how could you accuse anyone else of being a puppet to another country... seriously man double standards have a short life ...

Jayme

October 3rd, 2009, 02:52 AM

ufffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff lol thats a big post.

Jayme

October 3rd, 2009, 02:53 AM

I would assume he is around 17 years old.

LeB.Fr

October 3rd, 2009, 04:06 AM

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

jader3283

October 3rd, 2009, 12:21 PM

I dont understand how u dont consider ur first comment unrespectfull, i dont understand how ur first comment was blind, how it wasnt ignorant. and woooooooow u have been to baalback and dahiyeh and spoke to a few people, let me break that to u, thats absoulutley nothing, and thats not even in the jnoub!!! i mean wtfff i still do not believe i am having this debate on such a subject!!! especiaally with someone who has never been to the jnoub!!! I really want to aurgue with u about the subject, but its such a ridiculous argument. I really though u made a mistake when u said that, now i just feel bad for u, that u have actually convinced urself that many people who support hezbollah do not listen to music. that statement is probalery true for less than 1 percent of hezboillah supporters. and fell free to continue ur ignorant aurgument, becuase if u want i can provide with.. actually i wont even waste my time.. instead i just tell u go to the jnoub, and put ur stereo all the way up to akon, and report back to me and tell me if u still mantain ur fairytail that someone is offended. U say many dont listen to music because of self-commitment, this statement is false, because many do not, less the 1 percent do. and i will not continue the music aurgument, until u actually educate urself of the people of jnoub.

Second, i think u are smart enough to understand why the sunni sheiks will can not cancel these types of event, close to a mosque in beirut.

Thirdily, and most importantley, i did not pick up politics out of the blue u dedicated a whole paragraph on how hezbollah is the party of problems in lebanon. And about corruption. I said " rafic harriri was corrupted for the well-being, and devolpment of his country" While on the other hand his son is corrupt, for the well-being of saudi arabia, corrupt for making lebanon a saudi proxy. Therefore your whole argument about corruption, is false. Its false because march 8, is not for Lebanon, they are for making Lebanon a Saudi Arabian, and western play pen. And lebkm u and i both know what happens when countries become western playpens, we both know what happens, when economic hitman are allowed to come into the equation.(or do u) And lebkm i tell u know AND I TELL U STRONGLY WITH FULL FORCE that when rafic harriri was killed I SHARED THE GRIEF with many other hezbollah supporters when he died. Becuase he addressed all of the problems of lebanon, he rasied charity for his country, he devolped his country, and he understood that without hezbollah what the jnoub of lebanon would be today, he understood the aggression, he understood that israel have broken the most un resoultions, he understood that israelis have ravaged palestains for the last 60 years, and he understood that if it was not for hezbollah, jnoub would still be under the control of the barbarians of israel, he understood that israel would still be stealing ruins from tyre, he understood that shia in southern lebanon would still be tortured in the khiam jails, and relatives would take hours and hours to reach their familys because of road blocks, and sometimes just plain closing the road. He understood that israel was the country of war, and if it was not for hezbollah, NOWHERE in their right mind would israel leave lebanon, shia would still be tortured, and forced to live a horrid life. he understood that this is what is happening to palestains, and we should be patient with them. that is why i support rafic harriri. he understood, but u guys the people of march 14, that can not look beyond the surface of march 14, u guys who cannot understand that march 14 is not for the people of lebanon but for the foerign powers of saudi arabia, and the west. And lebkm i say without despair, without doubt HE IS A SAUDI ARABAIN DOLL. And iran and syria do send money, and do support us, as we support them, because just like rafic they understood, and they understand israel and with their help we know that israel will NEVER be able to torture, and humiliate us again. And then u lebkm wonder why i showed anger in my first comment. When the fact is when u guys especially melkart, say that hezbollah should disarm, WE KNOW that with a party like march 14, if hezbollah would disarm,shias would be in deep shit. But you guys are too selfish, and ignorant, to understand, and take in both parts of the equation.

jader3283

October 3rd, 2009, 12:32 PM

Hassoun the only thing i ever see coming out of ur mouth is lies. U depict march 8 as jungle animals, and march 14 as a group of angels. And the only thing u are doing here is spitting unbacked, unreferenced statements, that in fact portray that u are the extremist here, as u fail to seee the whole equation. And the funny thing is u and melkart actually come back and say that me and alisaleh are the extremists.
I mean seriously who do u think u are?? to say that alisaleh is not lebanese. A statement like that is just plain stupid and ignorant.

Hassoun

October 3rd, 2009, 02:39 PM

^^ U R SUCH A HOPELESS CASE.

Allah yer7am Lebnen.

So , a party who gets ALL ITS MONEY AND WEAPONS FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY.I.E: IRAN. is not trying to take the country to the ' EASTERN SIDE ' of the conflict?? a puppy for the Iranian regime is not LEBANESE.again a one year old kid would know that.

on the other hand,i don't see any March 14 party that gets WEAPONS and MONEY and rely COMPLETELY on a foreign country, does that ring any bell?? or u r really such a hopeless case?

Hassoun

October 3rd, 2009, 02:43 PM

^^ Well,if u like what happened in May 7,when "Lebanese" people with arms , invaded other parts in Lebanon to kill other LEBANESE.then , HELL,YESS,U R NOT LEBANESE.

if you can't see what happened,then u r SO FREAKING BRAIN WASHED,and u need to get ur head examined,SERIOUSLY.and u don't deserve the Lebanese air u r breathing.

Beiruti

October 3rd, 2009, 06:07 PM

Dont you guys get bored? We all know where everyone stands and no debate we have will convince anyone to change their minds.

jader3283

October 3rd, 2009, 08:35 PM

^^ :lol: thats a good point

jader3283

October 3rd, 2009, 08:38 PM

^^ my reply is already in my previous post.:)

Hassoun

October 3rd, 2009, 08:52 PM

^^ That's not a reply,that's just Al Manar news intro.

Abdallah K.

October 3rd, 2009, 10:20 PM

^^ :nuts: lol

Leb10452km

October 4th, 2009, 05:15 AM

once again i talk about facts and provide evidence and all you can come up with is some poetry, well let me break it down to you dear friend, the shi'ii community is not only about your "JNOUB", there are 210.000 shi'i in the jnoub and another 290.000 in nabatieh out of a total number of 850.000 all over Lebanon, and the "JNOUB" is not only about TYRE, i mean seriously pal stop saying the jnoub the jnoub the jnoub, for a second there i thought you were talking about vegas, and who on the planet earth told you, i haven't been to jnoub, and i am sure people in tyre would love to listen to akon but i am also sure no1 has heard of him in 3dayse or 3abesiye or lwaize or any other village so yeah they have no reason to get offended, besides if someone doesn't listen to music it doesn't mean they can force me not to listen either, so if you turn up ur stereo and pass by some people who don't listen to music it doesn't mean they're gonna kick your ass.
And will you please stop giving me your (i duno where on earth u get them) statistics, 80% of hezballah supporters do not agree on its religious agenda and now less than 1% don't listen to music, i mean who are you? the general secretary of the UN or what exactly? and just for your information, even less than 1% could be referred to as MANY:) .... and who told you that i want an education about the people of jnoub, who said i give a damn??? i mean by the people of jnoub do you mean those who embraced and welcomed the palestinians, then embraced and welcomed the israelis and now embrace and support hezballah? nah dude seriously i don't need such an education thank you though...

did you say you didn't relate what we were talking about to politics?? hahaha for a second you made me doubt that i had to go read the posts again, i never said anything about the corruption of hezballah until you brought up the discussion hahaha, you're being delusional, you started talking about 14 march and hariri while no1 was saying anything about politics, i was just talking about the events that hezballah are stopping and the picture they're reflecting about Lebanon.
So now Saad hariri is working for the well-being of saudi-arabia and not lebanon, umm although i am against any kind of intervention from any country, please tell me what is the Saudi plan for Lebanon? where are the weapons that are flooding from saudi to lebanon? oh wait a second there is instead the saudi money, that hezballah supporters get the biggest share of everytime, hmmm weird although it's a dirty money.
And please be kind to tell me how does a country become a playpen in the hands of the west, i remember that the communist regimes in eastern europe used to threaten their people from the USA and the IMPERIALISM using the same phrases, be aware of becoming a puppet for the USA, the americans will take over ur countries and they will enslave you, but what i see is that after the fall of the communist regimes and once the eastern european countries have fallen in the hands of the bad evil americans, these countries have grown an economy, they have built stronger armies, they have created more liberty and freedom of speech, they have advanced technologically and scientifically and culturally, i under no circumstance accept that my country becomes a toy in the hands of any other country, but pal isn't it ironic that your ally the syrian regime has always been the puppet of the USA, isn't it ironic that you defend and praise and thank the syrian regime and feel proud to be his ally, while all what this regime is trying to do is to get back to the american laps, and while this regime still stands and is protected by israel ??? isn't it ironic that the Iranians negotiate with the evil imperialist Zionist americans, and if an american politician sets foot on lebanese soil you call it treason, whereas you are so happy when a very small american diplomat visits syria??

forgive me not to believe all the compliments about rafik hariri, for god's sake hezballah never gave the man their trust for forming a government, they gave his son but not him hehe which is pretty awkward giving that ur saying he was the good one and his son isn't, and you say a lot of sweet talks that Iran and syria are helping you to face Israel... hmmm that's so romantic, i didn't know iran and syria are doing charity work lately, they just send all that money and all those weapons just to help you, because they're so in love with you, they want nothing in return from you, they just support the resistance movements in the world against the devilish usa and israel.... well let me tell u something, there's a french proverb that says " CELUI QUI DONNE, ORDONNE " which means that who gives, orders... so when you're getting all those weapons and money from Iran and syria, you just have to follow their orders in return, and if syria was really into fighting israel, tell me again why did they never ever try to fight to get their 2.000 square km land back from israel that's been occupying it for over than 40 years ??? oh i guess the syrians love the south of lebanon more than they love the golan heights...
Look no1 as much as me wants to see every inch of lebanon free and secure, but just like you have been under the israeli oppression in the south, i have been under the syrian oppression in every other part of lebanon, so if i had to trade the israeli for the syrian i am sorry to say no, i wouldn't trade one criminal for another. so i guess you should start seeing the whole picture, and you're the selfish one for you only care about the south but you don't give a damn about the rest of lebanon, it's ok with you that all lebanon except the south lies under a syrian occupation as long as the south is safe, well i don't want the south to be under any kind of occupation but i also want all lebanon to be free, once you start thinking that way you can call yourself a lebanese and a patriot.

Abdallah K.

October 4th, 2009, 05:30 AM

^^ that took me like 3 minutes to read

Rabih

October 4th, 2009, 09:29 AM

NOT EAYOR!

http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6400000/Eeyore-Wallpaper-disney-6432522-1024-768.jpg

youssefkaram

October 4th, 2009, 09:48 AM

woow u guys really like fighting! :p lol

Jayme

October 4th, 2009, 11:35 AM

I dont know how you guys find the time to post something that long..... dont you have better things to do.

jader3283

October 4th, 2009, 02:56 PM

:lol::lol: nabitieh is in the jnoub. u dont even know the basic geography of ur own country. so once again i am forced to reinforce my earlier point, educate urself about the jnoub, before speculating about their people. So in fact ur a the one not providing facts.

And i tell u once again i WILL NOT have this pathetic, debate about music with u. Because i will not waste my time trying to broaden ur slim ultra-conservative though bubble on the subject.

Once again i say ur political views, are foolish. Because in no way ur "imperialism", "communism", have to do with the current scenario in Lebanon. In fact they are polar opposite situations. And be my guest pull up a chair, and start explaining how these two subjects relate. Because what u are saying is that america should take over, and enslave lebanon, so that lebanon can develop after they leave??? go ahead and explain because those comments, where unrelalvant, unexlpained, and unrelated. And to be honest, i am interested to find out the reasoning behind ur bogus paragraph. And wait it gets better !! While u are at it, u might as well explain how syria is america's puppet, as u cleary stated that in ur reply. Provide some reasinin and elaboration on ur statements. Lebkm the only american puppets here are the dolls of saad harriri and Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. And in no means syria. And lebkm, in no way im i like u and hold radical views. If u didnt notice i am a lebanese-american, and respect, and love the country. And do not consider it treason when american officials step in lebanon, hoeever i am aware that they are not here for the well-being, nor care about lebanon. But i do contain hope that the american goverment, one day will care, and work towards the action against the aggression, and complete horrificidily(if thats even a word) and work towards the innocence and despair of the palestains. But of course this is extremely far-fetched, for obvious reasons we both know. And look, i really dont care if u dont believe what i say about rafic harriri, becuase its ur problem, and yet another example of ur conservative political views. And let me tell u something, about ur selfish talks, u have no right, absoulutley NO RIGHT, to say we are the selfish ones, and it makes u even more selfish to post that, becuase hezbollah walla ma khason with ur problems. While on the other hand, the rest of lebanon have didnt give a shit about the jnoub.GO AHEAD NAME ME UR PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE CAUSED U. and for march 7, who started it who striped, what from the other. ha. why dont u tell me more about ur makebelive "Syrian oppression) Let me tell u something, if u actually hold these views, u are SELFISH one, u are THE CONSERVATIVE one. so dont u dare come in here and say i am not seeing the whole picture, because not only u are only seeing half of the picture, u are illustrating the half.