Harry’s Place

Good question.
How do the “anti imperialist left” feel about Hezbollah when they’re killing Sunni Muslims?

The SSNP has these principles

First Basic Principle: Syria is for the Syrians and the Syrians are a complete nation.

Eighth Basic Principle: Syria’s interest supersedes every other interest.

Oh lord…

“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — whose country is Iran’s closest regional ally — said the unrest was a purely “internal affair” but called for dialogue.

And I’m sure he’d say exactly the same if his allies in Hezbollah had got their asses kicked.”

Given how many posts you’ve devoted to Syria not intervening in Lebanon, one has to ask what you want him to do. Apart from anything else, I really feel you’re on shaky ground with the glaziers, when you get all self-righteous about external intervention in Lebanon.

“You may remember those outright fascists from one of the posts in davem’s Syrian Journal last year.”

The only people who really fit that eurocentric billing in Lebabnon are the Phalange, who when pressed, you do do in the memorable phrase of ee cummings twitch a liberal titty about Israel’s involvement with.

“How do the “anti imperialist left” feel about Hezbollah when they’re killing Sunni Muslims?”

Probably the same as Gene and his ilk feel about the late Mr Hariri senior’s political schooling with DR George Habash, and his warm relations with members of the Hezbollah leadership. It’s an inconvenient truth.

I’m sorry to be churlish, but the idea that one can make political capital of these events in the west is risible, distasteful and pretty simply disproved.

Mike,
You don’t deny the SSNP are a fascist part do you?

Hezbollah seems to have been planning this takeover for many years by slowly building up its own infrastructure, and even its own optical fibre network, which allows secure communication between HQ and its military branches:

“Hezbollah has installed an elaborate fibre-optic telephone system that it uses to maintain contact between its headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut and its cadres in south Lebanon and elsewhere. It enabled Hezbollah to maintain communications during the month-long war with Israel, defeating Israeli attempts to jam cellphone signals and monitor the national telephone system. Hezbollah said that its internal telephone system was an integral component of its military wing, and that anyone attempting to shut it down would be treated as an Israeli spy.

Hezbollah and its Shia ally, the Amal Movement, have been infuriated by the Government’s decision to dismiss General Wafiq Shuqeir, the head of security at Beirut airport, on charges of failing to halt Hezbollah’s alleged monitoring of the airport’s runways. General Shuqeir is close to Nabih Berri, the parliamentary speaker and Amal leader. “

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3890104.ece

what are the political or military group would deliberately choose to install such a network? and why, unless they were constructing a parallel state with a long-term aim of taking over?

Apparently Hezbollah is suceeding in its takeover. They and their Syrian masters will in charge of Lebanon, not the democratically elected Lebanese government.

Tim

Everything I know about the SSNP indicates they are a pretty creepy bunch, but I tend to resist chucking European labels at non-European actors for the purposes of cutprice political expediency. As I have tried to point out to GEne when ever he throws the term fascist around in the Levant, the Phalange has by far the strongest historical link to European fascism, although one can argue about its influence on Ba’athism.

I Know I should just walk by, but I’m always slightly staggered by Gene’s selective concern for political stability and human life in Lebanon. It really depends on whose turn it is to be the asshole that month.

Foocking hell, Hasan Butt’s been arrested! What’s happening with Shiv Malik’s investigation?

Sounds like an Iranian + Syrian coup d’etat to me. None of it could have happened without the direct support of the Iranian regime.

“Sounds like an Iranian + Syrian coup d’etat to me. None of it could have happened without the direct support of the Iranian regime.”

If you say so…

no doubt, if Hezbollah does takeover Lebanon and institutes a repressive regime then we will be told by some of the faux “anti-imperialist”, that it isn’t really Hezbollah’s fault, but really the US/UK/Israel axis of evil that somehow forced Hezbollah to do it?

Everything I know about the SSNP indicates they are a pretty creepy bunch, but I tend to resist chucking European labels at non-European actors for the purposes of cutprice political expediency. As I have tried to point out to GEne when ever he throws the term fascist around in the Levant, the Phalange has by far the strongest historical link to European fascism, although one can argue about its influence on Ba’athism.

I don’t deny the Phalange has fascist roots. But really, Mike S, did you read davem’s piece on the SSNP?

I Know I should just walk by, but I’m always slightly staggered by Gene’s selective concern for political stability and human life in Lebanon. It really depends on whose turn it is to be the asshole that month.

My concern, believe it or not, is for a free and independent Lebanon at peace with all of its neighbors. The elements most likely to make this a reality are not Hezbollah and its allies.

And of course, Mike S. comes to give his anti-Israeli piece of the day.

Shhh… people, lets forget that Arabs are killing Arabs again…

You remember how bad Israel was when it disrupted the movement in Lebanon’s airport…

Now the Arab shiite fascists have done the same, and Mike S. cannot find a word for that.

And people, lets not forget that less than a year ago, the Lebanese destroyed another Palestinian refugee camp.

A plague in both their houses. Siniora is a bastard too.

The only time I was in Lebanon, at the ass end of the 90s when things were looking up, the bombed out buildings had started to grow weeds, or turn to rubble, or even got replaced by big shiny new blocks, and the soldiers had started to look bored.

Two Syrian soldiers walked into the internet cafe where I was waiting forever for hotmail to load, placing their small guns on the counter. They spent the next half hour (and probably more) gleefully and noisily blowing the shit out of Doom in 3D.

Poor beautiful fucking country.

About what has happened in Lebanon with the Hezbollah coup. I recall what a politician said in the House of Commons quite a few years ago about a somewhat similar situation in Europe.

“we have sustained a total and unmitigated defeat” -

Winston Churchill, Oct. 5, 1938, on the Munich Agreement giving the West Bank, ah excuse me, the Sudentenland to Hitler.

Yes I know Syria, even together with Iran, is not the industrial powerhouse that Nazi Germany was. Neither is the Chinless Wonder, Assad, Heriditary President of the Republic of Syria, or Achimdinejad, Hitler, however vile the latter ’s statements are. And yes what is happening in Lebanon is more like the German Anschless of Austria then the sellout of Czechoslovakia, but the essential truth remains that a democraticly elected govt. is being subverted by a powerful neighbor using a fifth column organization, the Hezbollah to achieve its purpose. Syria’s scheme has worked and it will once again call the tune in Lebanon.

Fabian, Israel’s leaders this week have stated that Israel is ready to meet any threat against it. I hope this is true, for it is likely this year, Israel will again face a two front war against Hamas and Hezbollah which are stronger then ever and perhaps Syria as well. Good luck to you all.

Fabian, please post your comments in the proper thread.

Another good blog from Lebanon,
http://beirut2bayside.blogspot.com/
http://beirut2bayside.blogspot.com/2008/04/hezbollahs-latest-useful-idiot.html on Mitchell Prothero, Alastair Crooke and Mark Perry. Franklin Lamb, anyone know his background? http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/05/lebanon-on-the-brink-blindsided-hezbollah-mulls-its-response/
by Franklin Lamb , “Lebanon on the Brink: Blindsided Hezbollah Mulls its Response. ” Dissident Voice has been publishing Atzmon.

Another good first hand blog account

http://lebop.blogspot.com/

It’s just rude. Hezbollah upending Beirut once again is like a stranger taking a shit on my kitchen floor. Rude!

Just out of curiosity, are there any Christians left in Lebanon?

I certainly recall DaveM’s brilliant post on the SSNP. Just the sort of reportage one never gets from the MSM.

“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — whose country is Iran’s closest regional ally — said the unrest was a purely “internal affair” but called for dialogue.”

Internal affair?
Look at the pictures the Hizbullah gunmen have put up around West Beirut.
Just did that for fun?

http://www.asharqalawsat.com/details.asp?section=1&issueno=10756&article=470172

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/05/09/49617.html

(The As-Sharq Al-Awsat headline is “Beirut Under 2nd Occupation”)

That looks like the SSNP in Hariris TV Station.
On to Cyprus!

I expect the security council will be in session discussing how to enforce 1701 then. Shortly after the formation pig fly-past.

David All said:

” Israel’s leaders this week have stated that Israel is ready to meet any threat against it. I hope this is true, for it is likely this year, Israel will again face a two front war against Hamas and Hezbollah which are stronger then ever and perhaps Syria as well. Good luck to you all.”

I agree, I would previously have said next year was the time but events seem to be unfolding faster than I imagined.

But some observers think that America (and others) is gearing up for action too.

http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2008/05/fleet-positions-itself-for-war.html

http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2008/05/al-qaeda-calls-for-naval-terror-cells.html

http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2008/05/completing-that-thought.html

http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2008/05/strategic-hammer-hits-hezbollah.html (I think he has this one wrong - one of the comments I fear is far more accurate)

I can’t find the link right now but the Iranian President recently said that Iran had to be ready for big events next year - and the inference seemed to be that major conflict was brewing.

I think we are Hezbollah these days aren’t we?

Fabian, Israel’s leaders this week have stated that Israel is ready to meet any threat against it. I hope this is true, for it is likely this year, Israel will again face a two front war against Hamas and Hezbollah which are stronger then ever and perhaps Syria as well. Good luck to you all.

Maybe, but this time there are 15,000 EU (mostly French and Italian), Malaysian, Bangladeshi, Indonesian and other odds and sods soldiers sitting on the Lebanon / Israel border with a mandate to let no army of any side enter into the no mans land that they guard there. Is Israel going to attack them to get through and invade Lebanon? Are forces within Lebanon going to attack them? Be interesting to see how that would play out.

Qwerty, when did a UN force ever stop any fighting in the ME?

Qwerty - I think your find David was referring to Israel being attacked not doing the attacking.

Mind you I can well imagine you would criticise them for daring to defend themselves in any event…..

Notwithstanding that if you look at the facts these UN peacekeeprs are doing nothing while Hezbollah rearm and prepare for round two and if we are being honest the odds are the UN troops would step aside, not exactly unknown is it?

Qwerty - if you look at the facts these UN peacekeeprs are doing nothing while Hezbollah rearm and prepare for round two and if we are being honest the odds are the UN troops would step aside, not exactly unknown is it?

oops ignore the first of the 2 posts from me preceeding this - I misread JR and thought I had cancelled posting

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/totten/5371
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/category/contentions?author_name=pollak
And some good guest posts here”:
http://michaeltotten.com/

I’m shocked how short this thread is.

A coup. Beirut’s spring is as crushed as Prague’s spring was. The beginning of the oppression of the whole country now, the end of democracy..

And the thread is short and you’re all arguing over WWII. WTF, Harry’s place?

anyone what the line on Hizbollah was at the demo on Sat?

Idea that “15,000 UN Peacekeepers, mostly French & Italian” are going to stop anything more determined then a bunch of girl scouts results, in the words of Philosphy Department at the University of Womera,
“HAILS OF DERISIVE LAUGHTER, BRUCE!”