The breaking of a country: Hizbullah takes to the streets of Beirut

Hundreds of thousands of Shias from the south have flooded two squares in downtown Beirut. According to LBC, the Christian participation is weak, with even lesser participation by Beirut Sunnis.

The Lebanese army had to redeploy units from the border with Israel to protect the Lebanese government building and businesses from possible riots.

In southern villages, mosque preachers called on people to join the demonstration. In the north, Michel Aoun supporters united with supporters of Bashar Assad's buddy, Suleiman Franjieh. According to LBC and Elaph, they failed to mobilize enough Christian protesters. They probably heeded the calls of the Maronite patriarch yesterday who spoke against the protest.

In fact the Sunni Mufti, the Maronite Patriarch and the anti-Hizbullah Tyre Shia mufti have all spoken against "street protests". The Shia mufti, Ali al-Amin said the protest served the political interests of its organizers and not the people or the country. In a show of solidarity with the cabinet, the Sunni Mufti today led prayers in the government building (Serail).

The Maronite Patriarch, Nasrallah Sfeir, yesterday addressed a group of widows and relatives of assassinated March 14 leaders, saying protests such as the one planned by Hizbullah never solved anything in Lebanon, "a country of 18 sects" that have to "live side by side". Following Sfeir's speech, Pierre Gemayel's mother told the assembled that "Any Christian who demonstrates on Friday will be digging Lebanon's grave".

In reaction to the Sfeir statement, Franjieh said on Hizbullah's TV that the patriarch must have been "turned on" by the widows and mothers who visited him.

It is no wonder then that many Christians stayed home after such insults were hurled at the patriarch-- an act seemingly condoned by Aoun, who, in addressing the Shia Islamists and pro-Assad crowds, wore his secularist garb and delivered a boring and defensive speech.

"My conscience is clear," he began his speech. Many in the Christian community believe the former general sold his conscience for his presidential project.

Dwarfed by Hizbullah and Amal deputies on either side, he berated TV stations for differentiating between Christians and Shia in counting the number of protestors. Many stations reported that hundreds of thousands of Shias descended on the central district, as opposed to only "a few thousands" of Christians. He unsuccessfully tried to justify the smaller Christian participation by arguing that there is no difference between Christian and Shia since they're all Lebanese. This is coming from the man who constantly brags about representing the majority of Christians and speaking in their name.

Aoun called on the cabinet to resign and PM Fouad Siniora to "be replaced by another Sunni with better knowledge of the Lebanese composition." He claimed that his criticism was not directed at the Sunni community.

Aoun inexplicably claimed he was not seeking to isolate the ministers (!) but wants to put the country on stronger foundations and restore the "free decision". He described any international support for the cabinet as "not friendly" and "conspiratorial". He did not comment on Hizbullah's hijacking of decision making in July, or the Iranian-Syrian support that his Islamist ally openly brags about. Hizbullah's 30,000 rockets were also absent from his speech.

LBC quoted protest organizers as saying they were planning on keeping groups in downtown Beirut on a rotational basis until the government resigns.

Hizbullah has convinced its supporters that the cabinet conspired against Hizbullah during the war.

Hezbollah has criticized Siniora's cabinet over what it says was its failure to back Hezbollah during the July-August war with Israel. "The government was negligent during the war. That's why we want a national unity government," Ali Aboud, from south Lebanon, told Reuters.
"We're here to bring down the government. We, the resistance, don't want any influence from the United States," opposition supporter Najwa Bouhamdan, 41, said.

Downtown businesses, which suffered great losses during Hizbullah's summer season war, are not happy. It is unlikely that Shia villagers will frequent the posh nightclubs and restaurants. Many companies located in downtown will be forced to shut down.

The plan is to paralyze life in the country until the government resigns. Finance minister Jihad Azour has warned that the country stands to lose $70 million per day.

March 14 asked all its supporters to stay home and stay calm.

"This an attempted coup but we will remain strong… We will stay home, we will hang Lebanese flags ... and when they decide to return to dialogue, we will welcome that…" said Walid Jumblatt.

He said the Lebanese army had to pull back some of its units from south Lebanon to beef up security in Beirut, wondering whether this would lead to pulling out all Lebanese troops from the south which could "hamper implementation the mandate of the U.N. peacekeeping force" in the volatile region bordering Israel.

"Maybe they don't want to implement (U.N. Security Council Resolution) 1701 and they don't want to implement the Taef accord," which ended the 1975-90 civil war.

The Taef agreement called for reviving the 1949 armistice accord with Israel which bans both nations from using their respective territory for acts of war against each other.

Jumblat said: "They want south Lebanon to remain an arena for an open war so that it can be a commodity used for negotiations by the Iranian and Syrian regimes."(Naharnet)

He said dropping an article in the Hariri tribunal plan that would have classified the assassination as a crime against humanity provided immunity to heads of states such as Bashar Assad and Emile Lahoud.  "This wasn't enough for them… now they want to save the rest of the criminals."

Although they don't admit it, Hizbullah and the pro-Syrian parties are going out of their way to sabotage the formation of the international tribunal, and this protest is one facet of it. The Shia ministers resigned right before a cabinet session tentatively approved the plan, and described another session that approved it following UNSC endorsement as "unconstitutional".

The plan needs to be approved by parliament, but the parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, is a Hizbullah ally and generally follows Syrian and Iranian orders.

The sit-in/protest official slogan is "we want a clean government."

Finally, this joke, courtesy of Assad's representative in Lebanon, puppet-president Emile Lahoud, who is openly calling for civil disobedience.

Lahoud also accused Saniora's government of being a puppet administration controlled by the United States and France. "It must be replaced, but what is holding it together is pressure from the United States and France," he said.  I have received many death-threats, and feel betrayed by this government, but it's my duty to be here, because if I went, believe me, it would be much worse," said Lahoud.

At the end of the interview, Lahoud said: "What I want for Christmas is a miracle: that Lebanon be left alone by external forces to decide its own future and live with a new government in peace. (Naharnet)

Update. The Hizbullah militia has laid siege to the government building, trapping the prime minister and cabinet ministers inside. Roadblocks were set up by Hizbullah members in what can only be described as coup d'etat.

The Lebanese army had to call Nabih Berri, and the Saudi King had to intervene through his ambassador, to "partially" remove the siege. Hizbullah "tents" are still on the roads, isolating the government building.

The Saudi king phoned the cabinet and spoke to all ministers one by one, affirming his support. The only countries NOT supporting this government are Syria and Iran.

March 14 is "watching and observing".

Meanwhile, Fairuz refused to cancel a scheduled performance of her play "Sah El-Nom" today at BIEL in downtown Beirut. The play was scheduled to begin on July 12 in Baalbeck, but was canceled because of the Hibzullah-Israel war.

Comments

[Battal Agha]

Sad to see how the majority is being kidnapped and screwed by Hizbollah/Amal, helped by Aoun/Frangieh/kanso. While the majority was busy trying to appease and find ways to resolve the crisis, these thugs were preparing for "war". Yes, let us nt be afraid to use this word. They were preparing for civil war.They have the weapons, and they have the thugs helped by the Palestinians. What is next? abdicate our rights to a Free Lebanon? Abdicate our rights (simply stated)?? Ya Abu Kais, on your past posting, you suggested to march on Baabda. Sure, that would be an alternative.. A sit in in down town and a sit in in Baabda...

[Walid]

The "villagers from the south" are not good enough for you? You must have been living in your "gated community" to long :). Go read some Plato so you can feel good about accusing your fellow citizens of destructive selfishness because they did not listen to the dictates of the nobility that was appointed by the gods to rule them.

[Abu Kais]

Walid, most of my family are villagers from the south. None of them participated, and no, they are not "neocons", they just didn't follow the "dictates" of Nasrallah the divine. So big "whatever" to you and the Hizbullah you like so much.

[Umm Kais]

Walid--you do not belong here. You come here to insult someone you know NOTHING about. Excuse us for not wanting to brainwash our Shia son, whose relatives are "villagers from the south".

[charlie]

Walid,

When I read your comment, I can't help but wonder what is it that YOU (Not Syria or Iran) want from this government, to which you feel so disappointed you didn't get and drove you to support the need to hit the streets to take it down??

[Amir from Tel Aviv]

March 14 is the majority indeed, at least in parliament, but they suffer of malignant lack of leadership.
Yesterday I saw May Shidiak at the gathering of 'women in black' ; how wonderful she looks, how elegant and dignified with her shining blond and the walking stick.
Compare her with the ugly birded Hassan, with the bagel wrapped around his head.
It's ObiWanKenobi vs. Darth Vader.

Run May Run.
.

[RebLeb]

Walid,
Some of my good friends live in gated communities. It's great, you should try it if you ever have the chance, which is doubtful.

[RebLeb]

Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Kassem to Al-Manar TV station:

"We have several steps if this government does not respond but I tell them you will not be able to rule Lebanon with an American administration,"

An American administration? wowowow easy there Mr Sheikh! who is American? is Jumblatt American, is Gemayel American? is Siniora American? Maybe he sees foreigners everywhere in Lebanon because he's Iranian

[Doha]

I always thought all along since the summer's war that it's so easy for HA to continue with its war by turning to the Serail and staging a coup. It's easy with all the arms and rockets they have. And people wonder why other Lebanese have to resort to UN security council resolutions to protect them against their own brethren. Sad!

[Ano]

Btw isn't Berri an american citizen?

[Enough BS]

I propose to have elections now.

If the Christians elect LF, Kornet Shehwan or whatever March 14th MPs, then we can get rid of Lahoud.

[e]

1) How long can so many people not work? Where do they drink and eat? Where do they go to the bathroom or take a bath? I think the logisitical problems of such a large sit in are going to sink it. In the end, just a few thousand hard core individuals will stay. With a little luck there will be a huge rain fall/storm to make the sit in uncomfortable and hasten its end. What is the weather predicted for the next days?

2) The Syrians are really worried about the tribunal. I can't wait to see the indictments.

e

[NoSleep]

e
weather forecast looks sunny for a week, unfortunately. They are probably going to rotate the people, every day another batch of "villagers from the south".

[e]

NoSleep,
That is ufortuante. However, the batches cannot be as large as the initial one. I think traffic jams on the roads to the south will hamper the rotation. Any enterprising March 14 people out there? The Litani bridges are a convenient choke point.

Think logistics and how to hamper it. That is the best way without violence to finish the sit in quickly.
e

[Hassan]

e,
we might need your country's expretise to build a "fence" around Riad Soloh square.
All joking aside, this is turning very ugly. And more disappointing is March14's appeal to Saudi Arabia to remove the Serail's seige. Where is the control over the security forces?!?!
Hizballah i taking over and we're just standing there, watching.

[Amir from Tel Aviv]

Now I understand why there weren't ANY yellow flags in the rally.
Watch BBC world news; they caught this Fascist scene, that reminds me of Mussolini's Italy or the 3rd Reich.
Hzb's secret policeman / undercover agent / Mukhabarat is shown dragging a guy that tries to raise the yellow flag.
Disgusting!!!
This is chilling example of the Totalitarian regime and system they want to impose on Lebanon.

[charlie]

I guess this may explain why Hezb and their dogs are getting so aggressive in wanting to take the government down now. Basically March-14 could be growing some teeth and the Hezb and their masters in Syria are trying to nip things in the butt now before it gets tougher. Aoun is the biggest asswipe I have seen, calling the ISF militia and gangs, simply because they can get in the way of his brothers who promised to carry him to Baabda. As much as I hate to say it, the fricken Syrians should have killed this dog when they had the chance. I would much rather deal with Aoun dead and martyred than a flip-flopping swine

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fg-lebsunnis1dec01,1,3870446.story

[Why?]

My Dear Baby Charlie,

Neither the March 14 group, nor the Aoun group are growing teeth , they are both being nipped. The first by the Americans and the latter by Siniora's government. The real loosers are the Lebanese people. Syria is barra baby.

The American ambassador in Lebanon, should have been kicked out "barra" during the barbaric invasion by the Zionist entity . Or Lebanese cannot live with out a master?

It is America and its proxy power that the Lebanese must turn their anger on, and rightously so.

Aoun, Hizbullah, Saniora and the rest are all part and parcel of the Lebanese community, love them or hate them, you cannot kick them out.

[charlie]

Why???

In the past Germany had to deal with a fascist cancerous cult called the Nazis. Even though they were Germans, they had to be flushed out for Germany to flourish and move forward. I will take an alliance with America over your idiotic Hizballah Iranian cult any day..
Only a simple minded fool believe Syria is Barra.. The fact you are saying it tells me how pathetically childish you are…

[A disgusted lebanese]

Different TV stations conducted live interviews with different people down at the demonstration. None of them even seemed close to understanding what they were doing down there. They all wanted to bring down "houkoumet Veletman".
So the stage today belongs to the brainwashed. Happy demonstrating.

[Jeha]

Not to be a contrarian, but I tend to be optimistic; Hezb is limited as to its options, like a M1 tank stuck in mud, it has no choice but to keep running its threads...

Not to say that this will end easily, or well; the sides are too stuck in "bottom line positions" to compromise. Yet, it is a sign of their weakness when the main argument becomes how many Christians either one has. They are in desperate straits; Future tended to take Christians for granted, Hezb used to intimidate them with Syria's "satour" crowd. Another good sign is Hezb backing down after a few well publicized "phone calls".

On balance, it is a "guerre d'usure"; like the trench warfare of the WW1, the two sides will wear themselves out, till a new entrant comes in to tip the balance.

[Tonyb]

The sad part about this is that Siniora had to call Berri to intervene in opening the blocked roads leading to the Serail. The army should have moved in and remove them by force. LBC reported that Hezb discipline men told them they only take orders from Hezb and not the army. Another sign of weakness by the government.Isn't this policy of appeasment what got the situation to its current status? The majority should rule as such.

[BeirutDude]

I hope it doesn't happen but these Shias camped out in public squares are easy targets for Sunni bombers. What would Hezbollah do then, if there is a big attack?

[C Sullivan]

Maybe America does act the imperialist at times, only being happy and sunny when we get our way. The difference between us and Hizbollah, well the most vital one here is that we will leave the Lebanese people generally alone, you know because its your country and stuff? Hizbollah can't hide the scary totalitarian darkness that keeps peeking out from its oh so righteous agenda and the overall Lebanese people seem to already get that.

I for one cheered when Saniora publicly snubbed Rice. He was absolutely correct to do so and that showed he is a true statesmen. Unlike the present occupiers of the white house, most Americans have a sense of fair play, and if Lebanon truly is an ally and friend we should have treated you like that. Not all of us are poodles for Israel, s'all I'm saying.

This is a power play and people can smell that. One of the most attractive things about Lebanon is its cosmopolitan sophistication. That woman won't cancel her play I say right on. You guys have a very alive cultural life, great history, and I really want to go to Beirut, just can't afford to yet.

It was wrong to belittle those from the southern part of the country, but I have a question. Why if you just don't like the northern half do you think you get to impose your will on it? Isn't democracy supposed to mean that not everyone is going to get what they want all the time, yet they ACCEPT the legitimate results of elections. As in no matter how righteous Hizbollah thinks it is, beating Israel does not a campaign win make.

[JoseyWales]

As usual our options as Lebanese all suck, because no vision anywhere out there.

Now "our" side has to root for Milquetoast Seniora again because he is the "least worst" alternative??

Like Hassan and others said (paraphrasing): screw this gvmnt that can't pee without talking to Paris/Washington/Saudi.

Good God! Seniora commands (in principle) the ISF and the army and he needs to ask Saudi and Berri to get security around HIS office???

I am supposed to root for this guy, follow his "leadership", and believe him when he say "we are steadfast and staying"??

What is your plan of ACTION man? Besides "I am staying" (and on the international phone).

And please DON'T frigging say to me "what do you want him to do?"

I posted a zillion times on it, and furthermore: if he can't do anything FUCKING GO. (and yes I Worry what happens next but then I am very worried NOW too).
.
.

[fubar]

I made it just in time. I had to personally escort the delivery of a rush order of Lebanese flags. Imagine my surprise when the delivery address was Hezbollah HQ. lol

But look at all the product placement in these photos of the protesters.

http://www.snappedshot.com/archives/490-Hezbullahs-Blatant-Manipulation-of-the-Press.html#extended

In a spin on Where's Waldo, see if you can find the Hezbollah flag that got missed by the Hezbollah flag enforcers.

[charlie]

Fubar,

They must have found out that it was your delivery…Check out the Video posted on Beirut Spring to see how much they respect the flag of their own country..
Listen to the crowds cheering. As much as they try to wrap themselves in a Lebanese cover, their true sentiment comes out… It is really a sad scene to see that..

the link on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipDellud-VY

[fubar]

Charlie,

Sad does not begin to cover that act of sedition.

Why do they even bother with the Hezbollah flag? Why not just go all the way, say what you mean, and put up the Iranian Republican Guard flag?

/And after I spent all that time ripping off all those little Made in the USA labels. = (

[e]

Josey Wales,
Have you heard of Aikido? It is really different from Judo or Karate but it is a marital art nontheless. Saniora is using this type of methodology. It requires patience, but should not be mistaken with doing nothing.
e

[charlie]

e,

I agree. If he was doing nothing, then Hezb and Syria will be very pleased and will not be going after him. The LA Times article, the one I referenced earlier, clearly indicates they are trying to work around the Syrian security system. The Syrians and their Lebanese puppets spent 30 years putting that apparatus together, it is unrealistic to expect Siniora and his 14-March alliance to undo it over night.

[JoseyWales]

e,

I think you mean Jiu Jitsu. I hope you are right though I think it's wishful thinking more than anything.