Holiday celebrations in Lebanon

If you're bored this holiday season, watch Lebanese politics. You got the parliament speaker refusing to accept a proposal by the government to amend the constitution, on grounds the cabinet is illegitimate after the resignation of Shia ministers. You got Berri's people calling the majority MPs and their leader "midgets" who have no right to attack their "masters and the patriots who liberated the land".  You also got a Maronite bishop calling Aoun a "Hizbullah tool", an Shia MP Amal official telling the bishop to "shut up", and a foreign-funded fundamentalist militia (guess which one) wanting to prosecute the government and the parliament majority on charges of "high treason".

The commotion started when the Siniora government passed a draft law to amend the constitution (reportedly, the move was to preempt any future claims of unconstitutionality by Aoun MPs should Suleiman be elected president without cabinet approval). All that forced Walid Jumblatt to get off the crucifix and lash out at liberation-obsessed Aoun and at "silly attempts by some in the international community to reach a settlement with the oppressive Syrian regime…" (If you followed the link, the rest of the quote from al-Khaymah was denied by Jumblatt).

And just when you started to believe in Santa Claus and in Aoun being in charge of "negotiations" on behalf of the opposition (and has the conditions in his pocket), pro-Syrian Sunni fundamentalist Fathi Yakan meets with Hassan Nasrallah and announces the opposition's conditions. Nothing new: a national unity government, prior agreement on the identity of the next army chief, who should be an "anti-Zionist pro-Arab Lebanese patriot", and a timeline to amend the electoral law and hold elections.

International efforts to mediate have taken a break, as many of us did, even though Lebanese politicians didn't and continue to exchange insults and predict mayhem. Syrian "media" is even predicting the crisis will continue until the 2009 parliamentary elections. That's days after it predicted civil war. I will spare you a strange report in al-Seyassah saying that the EU and the US will push for Samir Geagea as president. Someone ate too much ham this Christmas. However, I will leave you with this report that appeared in Kuwait's al-Watan. According to the daily, a Qatari delegate arrived in Beirut on a secret mission, during which he offered Walid Jumblatt a "grant of $10 million" to accept Qatar's mediation between him and  Aoun. Walid Jumblatt reportedly did not say yes or no. He just smiled. Judging from Jumblatt's latest attack on Aoun, I will assume that was a no.

Comments

[Sumwan]

Concerning the Nasrallah-Yakan alleged meeting, don't you think it is a bit suspicious that Nasrallah went so long without a public speech ? Don't you think that this silence lends some credence to the claims the Iranians demoted him ?

[Bad Vilbel]

I laugh when I read Hizballah's claims to want to try the government for high treason. I laugh (a sad, almost hysterical laughter) because I remember back when the July 06 war was underway, myself and others had wondered why the Lebanese government didn't arrest Nassrallah and try him for high treason... Ah the irony.

[Ex-Aounist]

Hello everyone,

though I am an old reader of AK blog, it is my first comment,I always thought the guys are doing a great job....:) especially with that LOVER BRAINWASHED SHEEPLE ( Sheep + People) !

However, this "TRY THE GOVERNMENT for HIGH TREASON" is JUST beyond MY CAPACITY to DIGEST or STOMACH and just brush it aside like all the opposition's blah blah and PREPOSTEROUS NON-SENSE....THIS IS BEYOND MY CAPACITY to STOMACH...hence my hurling...

Bad Vibe,
What you wrote was my exact same thought at the time, and STILL IS! MORE NOW ! I think The Army should arrest them all ( "opposition"'s Bozos ) and try their sorry a$$ for more than obvious High TreasonS ( after their riots , circus in DT, 23-25 Riots, Closing the Parliament, refusing to apply the consitution ... being the agents of Iran and syria), not to mention that starting a war on their own ( for the benefit of their Masters ) is an act of PROVED TREASON ALL BY ITSELF etc...etc...etc....)the list is so long, but I guess we all knows their "achievements" !

About trying the Goverment for high treason...LOL HizbTZ is applying ( to the letter ) the Arabic adage :" Sh@rm*&TA wa BIT'HADER bel 3EFFEH " ..if not "PATRONA...."

I apologize in advance for the foul vocabulary but as far as Hizzies are concerned it is the only INSPIRATION I get from them.

Ps. Thanks AK for your blog, without it I would have gone CRAZY in this Bloody country! Great Job Man ..God Bless!

[Andre]

The Qatari mediation b/w Walid bey and Gen. Aoun is intriguing but I have a feeling that when Walid bey countered by asking for 100 million given the crap that he would have to go through to get to Aoun the mediation fell apart:-)

[danny]

Andre,

If Jumblut asked for $100 million than he was shorting himself. atar could have gotten that on a loaner from HA....
I guess Jumblat asked for equal share with Aouny...
As far as: a foreign-funded fundamentalist militia (guess which one) wanting to prosecute the government and the parliament majority on charges of "high treason". LOL. The arragonce of these black turbans...Freaking sheep herders. Who are they to judge others???
Next move: Add New Ministers. Let them stew. I havenot heard the Orangehead lately.It seems dull..

Happy New Year