March 14: let the battle for Lebanon begin

March 14 in a statement today accused Hizbullah of implementing a Syrian-Iranian agenda to overthrow the Lebanese government and prevent the formation of the tribunal. The statement, read by a defiant-looking Saad Hariri, called on the Lebanese government to endorse the tribunal’s draft plan and announced that the battle for Lebanese legitimate authority (al-shar’iya al-lubnaniya) has begun.

Saad Hariri said the withdrawal of the same party (Hizbullah) from the same cabinet over the same issue (Hariri tribunal) was not a coincidence, but an attempt to sabotage the tribunal. 

He explained that “to preserve national unity, we answered Berri’s [call to dialogue and consultations] twice. And to preserve stability, we accepted the participation of Aoun’s bloc in the cabinet. But it turned out that the intention of some parties from this dialog was not to participate or reach consensus… the hidden plan is exposed…it’s a Syrian-Iranian plan to stage a coup d’etat against the legitimate authority, to prevent the formation of the tribunal…and to stop resolution 1701 and the Paris 3 economic conference, and return the country to Syrian hegemony.”

March 14 accused “president” Emile Lahoud -- who has just announced that the cabinet is illegitimate following the resignation of the five Shia ministers -- of trying to kill the Hariri tribunal, “the way they killed Rafik Hariri and the other martyrs.”

The statement said that sabotaging the tribunal and freeing criminals and spreading destruction are the sole responsibility of a “known kiling regime.”

“No Lebanese will accept a crime to be the basis for building his nation,” the statement said, adding that “we are all free partners in exposing the truth. We are all equal partners in rebuilding our nation. There is no discrimination in our belonging to this nation. We all contributed to liberating this country from Israeli occupation and Syrian hegemony.”

March 14 described the resignation of the Shia ministers and Lahoud’s attempt to obstruct the trial as a second attempt to assassinate Lebanon. The movement called on all Lebanese to stay steadfast and vigilant, vowing that March 14 will defend their freedom, their future and their democracy. 

March 14’s statement draws a clear line in the sand. It’s about time.

The cabinet session to endorse the tribunal’s draft plan is scheduled for Monday at 8am. After initially asking for more time to study the draft, and Siniora offering to postpone it, Lahoud produced a long “legal study” that seems to have been prepared in advance, arguing that the Lebanese cabinet lost legitimacy after the resignation of the Shia ministers. This view is being propagated by Aoun and Hizbullah, but remarkably not Nabih Berri. After describing the resignation as a divorce, Berri said this was part of the democratic system, and called on the majority to rule and appoint new ministers to replace those who resigned. In fact, the resignation statement, supposedly edited by Berri, is a lot softer than Hizbullah and Aoun’s fiery speeches, which sound like editorials in the Assad regime “newspapers.”

Hizbullah, however, is now alone in threatening to take to the street, with both Aoun and Berri against this option for the time being.

If this is the final battle, the Assad regime will certainly not rely exclusively on its mainstream allies in the country. Check this out:

A group identifying itself as ‘Al Qaeda Lebanon’ issued a statement Sunday threatening ‘to destroy the corrupt cabinet that takes orders from the US administration.’  The typewritten statement by the previously unknown group was sent to the Christian Voice of Lebanon radio station.

‘We have reached Lebanon and we will work on destroying this government and all the other agents. Let them know that we are after them, with God’s will,’ the statement said.

Comments

[fubar]

Finally...the young prince has found his voice. Now we can only hope that it is heard.

[Ghassan Karam]

Its about time that the legitimate authoruty in Lebanon took a stand. I have been waiting for this for over a year. I hope that the backbone that has been rediscovered turns out to be for real this time. The majority governs and the minority takes its rightful place in the opposition. That is the way it should be. Bravo for all of those who have participated either directly or indirectly in the apparent transformation of the Saniora government into a group of statesmen that is willing to rise to the challenges and govern justly and fairly so as to benefit all Lebanese.

[e]

I am glad Aoun backed off. One bluff called. Now let's see when HA fold. The fact that they are bothering to deal with legal issues is encouraging.
e

[Ghassan Karam]

Amir,
Sadly, your analysis is basedon purely undemocratic thinking. No one wants to prevent any group or any ideology from getting its fair share and of making its voice heard. Let any community take control of the reins of power as long as the process is fair, legitimate and transparent. Win an election, become a majority and govern. There should never be anyroom for those that are intent or subterfuge, intigue and blackmail.
We cannot pretend to play by the rules when they benefit us and reject them when they do not. Remember that the question is "To be OR not to be" it is not "To be AND not to be":-)

[Amir from Tel Aviv]

Ghassan Karam,

"...The majority governs and the minority takes its rightful place in the opposition. That is the way it should be".

That is the way it should be in a parliamentary system in which people vote for a way, or for an idea.
The Lebanese voter doesn't vote for a way, but for his sect.
So it's different.
.

[Amir from Tel Aviv]

This is definitely a try by Hassan to change the political road map in Lebanon.
Lebanese politics is defined by the Taef accord of 1989; things then were fundamentally different than they are now, demography wise.
So Hassan wants to tune the politics to fit the realities on the ground.
My friends the 14 March will have to excuse me, but Hassan's doings are not completely baseless or unjust; real demography makes HZB's demands more just with every Shia baby being born; and this reality doesn't stop of moving forward.
So Hariri Junior has to set a strategic goal for decades to come.
Meanwhile, every achievement Hassan would make, will be the continuation of his 'Divine Victory™'.
.

[bad vilbel]

The signs are encouraging. The battle for Lebanon has indeed begun.

But I'm nowhere near convinced that the March 14 folks have what it takes to win this one. Their opponent fights dirty and is afraid of nothing. Which is why I wouldn't get excited just yet. Ghassan Karam, I don't know if I'm ready to call these guys "Statesmen" on account of one speech by Saad Hariri. I'm still waiting for ACTIONS.

There's a history of fancy speeches, followed by backing down and more "governing by concesus" that I'm hoping is about to change. We shall see.

[e]

BV,
Summoning the special meeting of the cabinet for Monday to discuss the tribunal inspite of the resignations is not action?
e

[charlie]

Amir,

HA has been challenging the Lebanese political agenda from the get go, they have no interest whatsoever to see it succeed. So in essence it is not about a shia representation, all HA has done and continue to do is use a Lebanese face to hijack the country and deliver it to their Faqieh, Khameini, with total disregard to the nation and its citizens.

Lebanon is not Iraq in terms of the Shia numbers, yes they do make up about 25-30%,
But that is not an overwhelming majority that allows them to have complete control over the government. The political alliances that has been forged between, Jumblatt, Harriri, Gemayel and Geagaa has produced a larger political majority than what HA alone can muster, assuming HA represents the entire shia population in Lebanon.

Let there be no mistake about it, the Syrian regime is fighting for its very existence, so they will fight till the last HA fighter. Unfortunately this puts March-14 in a situation where no political compromise will ever be good enough to help prevent a show down between HA and its opponents from taking place…

[bad vilbel]

e,

If you followed Lebanese politics for any length of time, you'd know that one meeting does not "action" make. We'll see...

[Ghassan Karam]

BV,
Technically you are right but just the fact that they did finally take a stand, although it might not hold, was a surprise that in my mind deserved encouragement. Maybe I should have said "statesman like" :-)

[Vulcan]

Pardon my naiveté, I don’t understand why Siniora doesn’t appoint other Shia ministers who are not affiliated with the Party of God or Amal, Why not? Would Nasralla or Berri dare to order their assassination with all its implications; is there no one in the Shia community with KAHOONAS to take such Job?
How about Abu Kais for Minister, we need four more any one out there?

[fubar]

Vulcan,

Welcome to Lebanon, the board game from hell.

Clearly you did not read the rules of the game before approaching the game portal.

Rule #1 - Never underestimate your opponents or the degree of depravity that they are willing to employ; death is always an option.

Rule #2 - Rule #1 is the only rule; there are no other rules.

[Maya@NYC]

i can not understand the need to be an opposition "inside" the governement. nor do i believe the honest patriotic motives of the ruling majority. politics of hypocrisy and of escalation. the louder we cry, the more we threaten to destabilize the country, the more we might achieve. threats from both side, refusing to give way. immature politics and selfish corrupt politicians.

[Shunkleash]

What nonsense!! Imagine politics in lebanon has returned to the sand box! SO WHAT if the HA resigned...good ridance! now the gov't is free to appoint people who can actually communicate with other people and get something done for the Lebanese PEOPLE instead of the syrian idiot or his midget friend in Tehran. Instead the 14 March decide that they will go to the streets too...PLEASE GROW UP!

The other retard is Lahoud...is no one prepared to call this man a fool...How can he speak legitimacy when he is himself is not legitimate...does he not know that he cannot leave the confines of babda or else he risks being stripped naked and beaten like a dog... It is high time that the press begins a hatchet job on him...and I do not understand the white glove approach to him beause of the office he holds...as far as I am concerned the fact that he even remains as President has done more damage to the office of President than any article in a newspaper could ever do.

THE FIRST step has been taken, i agree, but it is a step in the right direction. If there really is a political will it must be shown now. Marginalise Berri and HA, do NOT appease them. The Shia desrve proper representation in the cabinet (so do all Lebanese but we work with what we have)and therefore new shia ministers should be appointed. once that happens HA and the rat dog nasrallah and his mafia will have a hard time finding excuses to "take to the streets". ONE THING is for sure the little children in 14 March should not be goaded into desstroying the sandbox...but rather seek to build a castle and call it LEBANON!

AYESH LUBNAN!!!

SHUNKLEASH

[jay]

Are there any independent Shia politicians who could replace Amal and HA ministers without completely committing a political (if not literal) suicide?

[JoseyWales]

Vulcan et al,

Re new Shia ministers,

Another problem is, I believe, that the constitution from hell requires Syrian and HA stooge Prez Lahoud to sign the appointment decree.

[Ali]

There is no way that any Shia would want to take up the empty position:

1) Political Suicide
2) They would probably get assassinated
3) HA and Amal would do anything possible to harm their reputation.

I think that the majority will do almost anything to get the Shia ministers back now that they have passed the formation of the tribunal.

[Ghina halabi]

REST IN PEACE PM RAFFIK EL HARIRI!! We want:
*Hariri's investigation and the truth.
*Freedom and Loyalty towards Lebanon.
*Ministry that can guide Lebanon in the right track and that was able to defend terrorism and war that happened from July 12 till august 14! (Fouad Siniora’s ministry).
*Unity of all Lebanese citizens whether Islam or Christians.
*To have almost a perfect economical growth.
*To gain back our tourists.