Some twitter reports say that some of the security forces they are coming up against are Arabic speaking, presumed Lebanese and Hezbollah.
If true this is disturbing. It shows how desperate Ahmadinejad is getting for a start and desperate men do very bad things.
It is also quite startling. I had Sheik Hassan Nasrallah down as a clever politician who would therefore steer away from taking sides in such an issue. You can say what ever you like that is bad about him, but he knows how to play a power game, even if he does not always win. This strikes me as a lose lose, which makes Nasrallah a desperate man or a fool.
Looking on the bright side, if the protesters in Iran succeed, and Hezbollah are involved with Ahmadinejad then they will be badly damaged.
Showing posts with label Lebanon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lebanon. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 08, 2009
March 14th movement beats Hezbollah coalition in Lebanese elections
Well, I am pleased that the group with Hezbollah lost, but I would not have commented on that before the election unlike the United States which seemed to want to interfere.
I can understand that the US would not treat the Lebanon quite the same way if Hezbollah won, I doubt many would, but to say so is troubling for democracy.
The BBC has this.
I can understand that the US would not treat the Lebanon quite the same way if Hezbollah won, I doubt many would, but to say so is troubling for democracy.
The BBC has this.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Has Nasrallah played his last card?
Hezbollah are on the streets of Beirut, taking control of the whole of the western half, including Sunni areas.
Hezbollah's guns have been turned on Lebanese of all varieties who do not agree with them.
This is crucial because all militias were disarmed after the Taif accords of 1989 except Hezbollah who kept theirs as they were a resistance movement to Israel's occupation of Southern Lebanon which only finished in 2000. The basis on which they kept their guns was that they were for resistance against Israel and would not be used against Lebanese. Even then of course the fact that they had the guns even if they were not to be used against Lebanese does not mean they are not able to intimidate.
Prior to the 2006 Israeli Hezbollah summer war pressure was growing
on Sheik Nasrallah to disarm, and the cynics* amongst you may wonder if that war was not engineered to maintain an excuse for keeping the guns.
After the war Hezbollah could sell themselves as being victorious and so ensure that they kept their guns. It worked. Ehud Olmert fell straight into Nasrallah's trap.
The thing is that Nasrallah has done what he said he would not do which is to use those guns which were held solely for resistance against his own people. (By that I mean Shia, Sunni Druse and Christian who are not on his side). he has broken his agreement and now the political pressure will grow to disarm Hezbollah. It will take a lot of time, but it will happen. Legitimate resistance is no longer an excuse as those guns have now been misused.
*Well, to be fair you don't need to be much of a cynic to think that.
The BBC has this.
Hezbollah's guns have been turned on Lebanese of all varieties who do not agree with them.
This is crucial because all militias were disarmed after the Taif accords of 1989 except Hezbollah who kept theirs as they were a resistance movement to Israel's occupation of Southern Lebanon which only finished in 2000. The basis on which they kept their guns was that they were for resistance against Israel and would not be used against Lebanese. Even then of course the fact that they had the guns even if they were not to be used against Lebanese does not mean they are not able to intimidate.
Prior to the 2006 Israeli Hezbollah summer war pressure was growing
on Sheik Nasrallah to disarm, and the cynics* amongst you may wonder if that war was not engineered to maintain an excuse for keeping the guns.
After the war Hezbollah could sell themselves as being victorious and so ensure that they kept their guns. It worked. Ehud Olmert fell straight into Nasrallah's trap.
The thing is that Nasrallah has done what he said he would not do which is to use those guns which were held solely for resistance against his own people. (By that I mean Shia, Sunni Druse and Christian who are not on his side). he has broken his agreement and now the political pressure will grow to disarm Hezbollah. It will take a lot of time, but it will happen. Legitimate resistance is no longer an excuse as those guns have now been misused.
*Well, to be fair you don't need to be much of a cynic to think that.
The BBC has this.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Result in Lebanon's by elections
Members of the Lebanese parliament who support the government, and are anti Syrian seem to have a higher death rate that those of the opposition.
3 have been assassinated so far, reducing the governments majority.
There have been 2 by elections today to replace Pierre Gemayel, a member of the cabinet, and member for Metn shot dead, and Walid Eido, member for Beirut's second district.
In the latter al-Amin Itani has won a landslide victory for the ruling coalition.
However in Metn the position is less clear. Michel Aoun of the Free patriotic movement claimed victory for his candidate Dr. Camille Khoury, however this is disputed by the Phalange party and its candidate ex-President Amin Gemayel, father of the murdered Pierre.
Until a few late ballot boxes were opened Gemayel was clearly in the lead.
The result is key, as the government needs to retain its majority and elect a new president in December. However whilst the pro western governing coalition has a simple majority in parliament, it does need two thirds of the MP's to turn up to make the vote corate. There will be more political trouble ahead.
For more see The Beirut Daily Star here for Metn and here for Beirut's second district, whilst the BBC has this.
3 have been assassinated so far, reducing the governments majority.
There have been 2 by elections today to replace Pierre Gemayel, a member of the cabinet, and member for Metn shot dead, and Walid Eido, member for Beirut's second district.
In the latter al-Amin Itani has won a landslide victory for the ruling coalition.
However in Metn the position is less clear. Michel Aoun of the Free patriotic movement claimed victory for his candidate Dr. Camille Khoury, however this is disputed by the Phalange party and its candidate ex-President Amin Gemayel, father of the murdered Pierre.
Until a few late ballot boxes were opened Gemayel was clearly in the lead.
The result is key, as the government needs to retain its majority and elect a new president in December. However whilst the pro western governing coalition has a simple majority in parliament, it does need two thirds of the MP's to turn up to make the vote corate. There will be more political trouble ahead.
For more see The Beirut Daily Star here for Metn and here for Beirut's second district, whilst the BBC has this.
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