State of panic

Yesterday I watched a report on Future TV in which residents of southern Lebanon were interviewed vowing to stay put, war or not. The report contradicted reports of intending Shia migration to "safer" areas in the north, especially Sunni, Christian and Druze areas. Foreign media had also reported an increase in the number of passport and visa applications. This state of panic that the Future TV report tried to hide, had reached Nabih Berri and Hizbullah leaders, who reportedly instructed their media not to cover statements predicting an outbreak of war in the near future.

Al-Quds Al-Arabi said that Shia leaders in Lebanon, especially Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, have been trying to assure residents of the South that a war similar to the one in July 2006 will not take place. The daily said that these Lebanese leaders have demanded their media outlets not to over cover statements predicting the outbreak of a war in the coming months, and the fact that Hezbollah has taken intensive security measures to protect its leaders.

According to the paper, this has come about due to the recent large-scale movement of southerners to Beirut and North Lebanon for fear of vulnerability in the event of another war. “A number of Shia families have left the South and headed to Christian areas in Kesrouan, Jbeil and the Metn, and to Sunni and Druze areas in Mount Lebanon, looking for places to rent,” the daily said.

“Families with foreign passports have been making contacts with their respective embassies and the Lebanese General Security to obtain visas to be able to leave Lebanon,” the paper reported. (Now Lebanon)

It all started when Nasrallah declared an open war on Israel. The deployment of the US war ships off the coast of Lebanon, and the Hizbullah-linked Jerusalem attack fueled rumors that a war similar to the July 2006 war was being planned.

Below are excerpts from a Now Lebanon report:

Although politicians are downplaying fears of a renewed war, the As-Safir newspaper, which is close to the opposition, summed up the general feeling in a commentary Tuesday.

"The Lebanese are worried about the situation and are acting as if war was imminent as they set up emergency plans: getting their passports ready, seeking visas, renting apartments far from what they believe will be the battle front and changing their whole way of life," the newspaper said.

Mohammed, 43, is a resident of the southern village of al-Qlayle, which was heavily bombed during the 2006 war. He said he was looking to rent an apartment in Aley, west of Beirut, for the coming months out of fear the crisis will escalate into a full-blown war.

Several residents in the eastern Bekaa region, which has a strong Hezbollah presence, said they were looking for housing in Christian villages in the area, where they believe they would be safer in the event of Israeli air strikes.

"I rented a house in a Christian village near Baalbek for me and my five children in case we have a new war," 70-year old Abu Ali Balluk said.

Baalbek resident Mona, 40, has three children and a husband who works in Saudi Arabia. She is stocking up on food.

"I live alone with the kids and far from the main market," she said, as she held 10 bags of bread outside a bakery. "I am putting food in the freezer and stocking up just in case war erupts."

An official at the passport office in Baalbek said he has seen a 30% surge in the number of passports issued in recent weeks. In Tyre, a security official said his office was receiving up to 400 requests a day for passport renewals, compared to 75 previously.

"Demand has peaked since Nasrallah's speech on February 14 threatening Israel with a new war," said the official, who requested anonymity.

Mohammed Issa, a mechanic who lives with his five children and his parents and sisters near a Hezbollah position in the Bekaa said he has readied passports for the entire family and visas to Turkey.
"We'll head there via Syria," he said.

Mohammed Jaafar, 54, says he is taking no chances.

"My nerves are shattered, especially when I think of what we went through in 2006," he said, standing outside the passport office in Tyre. "Tomorrow, me and my family are boarding a plane to Abidjan (Ivory Coast), and it won't be for tourism.”

"I'll be starting fresh there, working with my son." (Now Lebanon)

If war does break out, I don't expect the Shia to receive the same welcome they found in 2006. You have Nasrallah's occupation of downtown Beirut and the ensuing sectarian tensions to thank for this. The fear of a Shia exodus might have fueled the Future TV report, a telling sign that no one can in Lebanon can afford another "divine victory".

Comments

[Andre]

To be honest, I do not believe that war is imminent at this time. HA knows all too well that another conflict on the same scale as July 2006 would be catstrophic for its own constituency and may even demoralize a majority of its supporters, coupled with the fact that Orangey will probably be sidelined as well against another war. The only way that a war breakouts is if Israel lanches the opening salvo, but the israeli public is also wary of having to deal with long range missiles that will almost certainly disrupt civilian life and cause casualties. The rumors of war are out there but the intention or the will to wage it appears to be remote at this time. Of course, you can't blame civilians for wanting to protect themselves andtheir loved ones either. Sad state of things when you have irresponsible leaders that call for open wars from the safety of their own bunkers, even though they do know that it will inflict massive suffering on their people not to mention their country.

[JoseyWales]

"This state of panic that the Future TV report tried to hide,..."

How dumb are these M14 people? (Don't answer that) So now Future TV is doing favors to Hezbolllah and Berri in the propaganda war (the lost a long time ago)?

Also, wanna guess who most of these people quoted above and fleeing their homes voted for in the last election??? Just asking.

[Bad Vilbel]

As usual, I must echo Josey's comment. Specially that last bit.

I am dumbfounded by the hypocrisy. These same asshats who vote/support "Sayyed Hassan", and believe Christians love Israel and Sunnis want to naturalize Palestinians, are looking to rent from said Christians and Sunnis and Druze because "they think they'd be safer in a Christian/Druze/Non Shia village"????

I hate to sound so callous, but I hope they don't get the same welcome they did in 2006. My response would be "If you don't want a fucking war in your village, go kick out all the Hizb cadres and stop supporting Nassrallah. Don't come hiding in my house."

Cowards and hypocrites...

[Amir in Tel Aviv]

Channel 10 yesterday quoted IDF sources: Israel warned HZB that any "revenge operation" against Israeli citizens will result in IDF attacks on HZB, inside Lebanon.
.

[Meghwar]

Danny,

Remember that Hizb Cadres were making sure all of their families are out of the danger zone ( Beqaa Dahieh and South...) I posted this a couple of weeks ago along with the passports' rush before anyone got hint of it!
Hassoun knows that Israel won't let him rest in his bunker and declare open wars (Should have kept his mouth SHUT ) especially after the last shooting in that "Religious" School and the killing of students, by the new wannabe "martyrs" in the name ( and footsteps ) of rotting Mughhniyeh....and dying Gaza.
Pay Back will come but after school is over in Israel ( June ). ...favorite period for Israeli to OPEN Turkey Shoot Season !

It is not going to be in South this time but in Beqaa, it is Hizb who is going to want to save Hamas from the next round and it is coming...Hizb knows it, and that is the frustrating part THEY DO NOT CARE neither about the country nor the people in Lebanon !

Ehud Barak through his history is known to want negotiations with syrians yet wants to crush Palestinians, but in Beqaa this time.

Ahmad Gibril and his Mercenaries are an important and main pipeline through which many of Hizb arms are being smuggled , they can stop palestinians in Kossaya and Naameh, stop arms smuggling from syria and clip its claws without endangering the regime itself , and hizb would be facing alone Israeli bombing, ( no UNIFIL and much less Lebanese Army in Beqaa) hence it is going to be UGLY and bear in mind there was no CEASE-FIRE in the 1701, but only ending hostilities, aside from that, Lebanese who are already loathing Hizb and are fed up with wars won't show the same humanitarian accord and Charity with the "victims" after being insulted by the latter’s leader non-stop!!! Hizb if not crushed totally, their military resilience, and munitions will be more than agonizing and on its last legs, ( just like in 2006 they litteraly begged Saniora to stop the war ….and the bastard obliged ) Their myth of "resistance and divine crap" would go down the toilet drain where it should have stayed in the 1st place. They cannot come up with a new DIVINE CRAP this time, and convince THEIR OWN POPULACE with it, their POLITICAL survival ( as a party ) after this blow….is to be seen

This summer is going to be VERY VERY HOT if not an INFERNO LITTERALY! Thanks to Hassoun and his "Divine psychotic visions"!

And Still I say ...in all honesty I HOPE I AM 100%WRONG ...MAYBE there's some sanity that creeps back when you leave the bloody country!

[Bad Vilbel]

Actually, I hope you're 100% right, Meghwar.

It has gotten to the point where I WANT to see this big war, because that's what these fucks deserve. They got away easy last time, they begged for mercy, as you said, and as soon as Saniora/Israel obliged, they started insulting both and talking about victory.

So this time, I sure hope they get wiped out and eradicated completely and that no idiot shed any tears for them or try to put a stop to it as they did last time. Let the damn thing run its course. The cancer needs to be excised and slapping a small band-aid because we're "afraid of surgery" is simply not enough anymore.

[Meghwar]

BV,JW,
Same here....
French adage goes like :" comme on fait son lit on se couche"
Let'em Frigging sleep in Nassrallah's rear end ... they should feel more secure there, than in the "traitors'" areas …the dickheads!

[danny]

Mehgwar,

I do not think the war will be initiated from Israel. It seems to me it is in a bigger and broader "brush".
As far as Shias finding solace and comfort in Christian villages and towns, I'd welcome them with the condition that they stuff they yellow flags up their asses!!
Some of you have articulated that this is the perfect opportunity to win these people over. I'd say perfect! Everything costs money; I think all these small Shiite parties from Free Shia to Kamal Assad's should be bankrolled to welcome these people to the "LEBANESE" fold away from the death culture!

Getting back to the war; my feeling is that Iran has been placed on a reverese ticker and Syria as well is feeling the stiff winds up their collective behinds...

Separate yet effective moves are being made by EU/USA/Arabs in isolating and squeezing Syria. In the previous post I suggested that oil war was being priced in, into the markets. I think a $140/barrel will light the fuse. It seems this is the one way street with cliffs on both sides...No escape route. War Haasan wants? Let him put it out! By "opening" his war he challenged himself to produce results...What a dumb asshole.
I have said it before, HA is sinking rapidly and if there's ANY kind of confict they are Poof!!If HA survives the Lebanese have no one to blame but themselves!!NO one is asking people to discriminate against Shias only against the death cultured sheeple of HA!!

Ohhh.. IT!!!!For once the freaking dumb asses have gotten it right! Time for a change in the map of middle east. I hear there's lack of parking lots in Isfahan and South Lebanon..

TIK TAK...Tik tak...BOOOOM

[Meghwar]

Danny,

As far as I am concerned, I was not talking about Shias, I was talking about each and every frigging "Lebanese" who is following blindly the opposition, hizb, and cl-aoun to the abyss, whether he/she is shia'a, druze, christian, sunni, or any of the 18 " Kroud Soud " sects Lebanon is cursed with !
For the Free shiaa Mouvement to Kamal Al Assaad I am with you on this point...at least to save who wants to be saved ...you know MANY don't !!
-----------------------------------------------------

As far as israel is concerned here are some excerpts on what Israel is soon to face ( if not already facing ) ....

Abdullah Iskandar Al-Hayat - 12/03/08//
Israeli Estimates for Undermining Peace

"On the morning following the presentation of the annual intelligence report on the dangers surrounding Israel, the Israeli newspapers reported that a few ministers were unable to get any sleep. According to these newspapers, some of the ministers had never seen such a bleak picture of the Israeli situation; one minister even pointed out, in reference to the sea, that the west was the only side that carried no threats to the Hebrew state.

The bottom line is that on all territorial fronts, Israel is now surrounded by forces that rely on missile capabilities that cover the entire territory of Israel. Moreover, while these forces harbor deep hostility toward the Jewish state, they are continuously increasing their destructive capabilities. The estimate also indicates that conventional ground confrontations in which the Israeli army used to maintain superiority have become unlikely. .....
The estimate also notes that the anti-Israel forces are represented by Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas, highlighting the predominantly political Shiite characteristic of these forces. The report predicted that with the fall of the Gaza Strip under Hamas' control, Lebanon would face a similar fate at the hands of Hezbollah given "the stability of the Syrian regime." With this, the circle of the "rocket siege" against Israel would be complete.

According to Maariv, under such a situation Israel will find itself within a year or two surrounded by "a terrorist zone that is armed, trained, equipped with missiles and enjoying the support of two bordering states, Syria and Lebanon, and an Iranian nuclear umbrella."

If Israeli intelligence agencies enjoy any credibility in the eyes of the government and the political elite in the Jewish state, the conclusion of these estimates imply one of two options: waging a war along the region where the danger lurks, which includes Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and all the way to Iran; or weighing the means to ward off such a war whose outcomes would be unpredictable (based on the nature of the confrontations and the preparations of the enemy). In other words, these estimates simultaneously propose the options of an all-out war or a comprehensive peace, along with the obligations each option entails.

However, the Israeli leadership, which allegedly voices its commitment to this choice, is effectively undermining its foundations on a daily basis. First, it does so politically by imposing insurmountable conditions in its negotiations with the Palestinian Authority and through the acts of excessive violence in dealing with security matters on the one hand. Secondly, it undermines this choice by fueling uncertainty and reluctance with respect to the negotiations with Syria and by perpetuating the occupation of the Golan Heights. Thirdly, it undercuts this choice by adopting a stubborn stance with respect to the remaining occupied Lebanese territories and the pending issue of the Lebanese prisoners despite international resolutions, the last of which was Security Council Resolution 1701.

In other words, Israel's declaration of its commitment to peace is not only at odds with its actions on the ground, but is also systematically undermined by these actions."

To read the whole article :
http://english.daralhayat.com/opinion/OPED/03-2008/Article-20080312-a3c08f01-c0a8-10ed-017c-4324e2df5f9f/story.html

[Andre]

Meghwar,

Israel is confronted with difficult choices and mostly because of its own policies. Israeli leaders have got to learn that resorting to force alone is no longer a working option given the ever changing military balance in the region. Israel's border enemies are better equipped and have a stockpile of weapons that are getting more sophisticated over time thanks to Iran. This is no longer a fight with a ragged militia like the PLO was back in the 70's and 80's, rather these militias are well trained and show extreme resiliency in the art of warfare....things have really changed and it is going to take some time before Israel accepts the fact that the need to try and negotiate along with some use of force is better at resolving issues rather than just use the old classic "scorched earth" policy which is not working in its favor any longer. Things have changed and Israel is having a hard time adjusting.

[JoseyWales]

I am not sure what happens, but something is brewing and I hope the outcome sets a totally new stage (even if it is PARTITION of some kind).

HOWEVER, I don't see the SEEDS of anything DIFFERENT. I see the seeds of mayhem but not of CHANGE:

-Israel worried about rockets and Hezbo and still playing footsie with Assad

-Saniora/M14 can't even spin the "Shia leaving the south" to their advantage on their own fucking TV station. Saniora/Suleiman getting ready to do another UN stupid routine to help Hezbo

-Suleiman's army wants to defend Syria

-The usual suspects/morons, now totally silent at Leb blogger Forum and elsewhere will come out when/if the war starts with their emotional nonsense "save Hezbo" and "blame Israel/Bush" and "attack M14/Joumblatt "...

Where the hell are they before and after the STORM??? Waiting for the Bekaa to be blanketed by cluster bombs before they have anything "intelligent" to say?

Cluster bombs are wrong and should not be used in my view, but avoiding war is also better and smarter and surer way to avoid them and deaths, rather than yelling Amrika-Amrika-Zionists after it's too late.

Of course when war starts, WE those who DO NOT want it will be accused of war mongering!!!

I for one want to be on the record: the next dead and destruction are the responsibility of: Nasrallah and his supporters, Saniora/gvmt, Berri and Suleiman in that order for doing NOTHING, not even media war to stop the madmen.

[Bad Vilbel]

Yup.

[Don Cox]

Yup again.

All this anti-Jew mania is so exactly like the tirades of Hitler (which were supported by most Germans) in the 1930s and 1940s. I don't know how this bizarre obsession can be removed from the world.

[VOR]

I take issue with this article. Future TV like the governement has no interest in spreading rumors of people wanting to flee the country b/c of a perception of war, after all that is what the enemy wants. From an economic standpoint,it isn't wise either to promote instability when there is a need to reassure the population in times of distress. Everyone here si quick to crticise one party or the other but lacks the understanding of what is really happening on the ground. People's lives are at stake and you need to be sensitive to this.

[danny]

VOR,

Rebuttal???
You just did the scolding...any constructive comments?

[Bad Vilbel]

So that March 14 "conference" today turned out to be...*drum roll please*

A bunch of hot air!

[Meghwar]

Danny,

I agree with you, and I am on the same wave length concerning the Israeli attitude, but this does not exclude the fact (and many analysis point in that direction) the odds of war are getting higher and higher ... It is almost a do or die situation to Israel ( especially with a Nuclear Iran )...hence...

BV,
Have you been expecting any other "outcome" from these bozos other than hot air ???

[Meghwar]

Danny,
I think you would be very much interested to take a look at this article !
But here are some passages...from a VERY LONG article :)

Miscellaneous News with Significant Meanings and Implications

Returning to the radical polarization within and in the name of Palestine, what stands out as remarkable is the developing "truce," "negotiation" or "deal" between the government of Israel and Hamas in its two headquarters, the first in Gaza where it is represented by Ismail Haniyyeh and the second in Damascus where it is represented by Khaled Meshaal. It is not the peculiarity of the deals or understandings between Israel and Hamas that is remarkable, especially since Israel had encouraged the formation of Hamas to weaken the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). What is remarkable is that the "calm" or "truce" may be aimed at the common objective of circumventing the process of negotiations.

The Israeli government share with Hamas and its allies one common goal: to thwart the peaceful negotiations. There are those within the Israeli government who do not want to reach peace with the Palestinians or to implement the Road Map leading to the establishment of the Palestinian state. In the same vein, the Hamas camp and the radical alliance group every party that rejects the two-state solution as well as the peaceful negotiations and wishes to go away with the "Palestinian Authority" headed by Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayad. The Israeli government, especially Defense Minister Ehud Barak, has no willingness to accept the Palestinian state or peace. At the same time, Hamas does not even have the least inclination to accept a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel.

Hamas wants to perpetuate its roles that represent a natural contradiction between armed resistance, peaceful negotiation, and religious and spiritual leadership. It is willing to offer everything possible to survive.

Meanwhile, the stances of the Israeli government are incredible if it truly seeks a peaceful solution through negotiations. The requirements of such a peaceful solution are crystal clear and its vehicle is none but moderation. Consequently, if the Israeli intelligence estimates indicate that the radical Arab-Iranian alliance represented by Iran will encircle it on five fronts, it is very strange that Israel is not getting engaged in serious negotiations with the Palestinian Authority to achieve tangible results that would go away with extremisms and reinforce moderation.

http://english.daralhayat.com/opinion/OPED/03-2008/Article-20080314-addf4720-c0a8-10ed-017c-4324507c43e8/story.html

[Bad Vilbel]

Of course not. I just like pointing out the obvious :)

[Andre]

From a post above by Meghwar:

"The Israeli government share with Hamas and its allies one common goal: to thwart the peaceful negotiations."

This paragraph is so true and highlights the double edged sword that the Israeli- palestinian conflict represents. These two parties do not want real peace b/c it would take away the rationale behind their policies and existence. Israel wants to continue to get billions upon billions of $$ in aid from the US and Hamas needs a constituency in the occupied territories that will provide for its existence, and the only way to do it is if there is an enemy in sight that it must fight...Hamas gets a lot of money and support from extremist states like Iran and Syria who wwant to see another thorn on Israel's side.

[danny]

However as Meghwar and others have pointed out time is getting close to a MAJOR confortation. I am not one of those who think that any war on/with Iran will be a long one. Iran could be pushed towards a regime change much like it could be done with Syria. Persians are severely nationalistic people and will not perish for the sake of Mullahs!!
Dergam and Choucair put the finger on the wound! Again time is of the essence. It has nothing to do with the nitwits called lebanese...but strategic interest and survival of the Jewish nation.

Again all indications are converging towards a clean up of the Iran/syria axis. I'm afraid limited nuclear warheads might be used sometime in the next two years...Israel will NEVER ALLOW IRAN TO BE NUCLEAR!!! If anyone thinks there's a middle ground, PLEASE wake up!

[Ken]

Hezb just admitted it ordered the hit on the Jewish school. If you weren't worried before, now might be a good time to start.

[Meghwar]

Andre,

Same applies to hizb as well.

Ken,

When and where did you read the news, please, could you provide a link?

[Ken]

Meghwar

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3519164,00.html

On closer reading it appears to just be speculation at the moment so I may have spoken too soon. But it does look fishy.

[vodka]

http://www.annahar.com/content.php?priority=22&table=makalat&type=makalat&day=Sat

[Meghwar]

Ken , Vodka thanks guys for the links...

[Jay]

To all the fools here that think Israel can be destroyed by terrorists like Hamass, Hezbollah etc,. you all dont realize what you are up against.
During the last Lebanese war Israel used less than 5% of its firepower against the cowards Hezbollah. Imagine the destruction they could of done if they had used 15% or even 30% Luckily for the terrorists, we have the appeasing fool Olmert running our country that bows down and obliges any whim Bush asks, hence the Lebanon pullout just when we could of finished Hezbollah off. The same thing happened in Gazza a few weeks ago.....Olmert obeyed his master............but all that will change soon as Olmerts days are numbered. With Bibi at the reigns, the Arab terrorists wont know what hit them. Hopefully it wont be too long.
Let all the families leave Sth Lebanon.....Hezbollah wont be able to use them as shields like the last war......less propaganda for them!

[Min Canada]

The US House Of Representatives held "a rare secret session to discuss what they termed classified security matters. It marked the first time a secret session was held in a quarter of a century and only the sixth time in the House’s history."

Hmmm, I wonder what they were discussing?

[Abilama]

Syrian FM: Israel had most to gain from Mugniyah's death

Walid Muallem tells Kuwaiti newspaper: Damascus does not control Hizbullah.

'Israel tops list of those who benefited from assassination," Walid Muallem tells Kuwaiti newspaper, adding that Damascus does not control Hizbullah
Syrian Foreign Minster Walid Muallem hinted on Sunday that Israel was behind the recent assassination of arch-terrorist Imad Mugniyah, saying "any time a major crime is committed one must ask who gained the most from it. Israel tops the list of those who benefited from the crime."

Investigation

Syria: 'Important results' in Mugniyah murder probe Damascus plans to wait with publication of findings of investigation into Hizbullah commander's assassination until after Arab League meeting next week. Sources say probe points to involvement of Arab country in killing

Mughniyah, a senior Hizbullah commander, was killed on February 12 by a car bomb blast in Damascus.

In an interview with Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anba, Muallem denied Syria had any interest in having Mugniyah eliminated, saying "anyone who claims this doesn't know the facts".

Muallem said the assassination was not the result of a failure on the part of Syrian intelligence. "Such crimes occur in many capital cities around the world, and I cannot describe (the Mugniyah killing) as an intelligence breach.

"Moreover, Mugniyah was not protected and did not conduct himself in accordance with any special security procedures. He would come and go under different aliases."

During the interview the FM said Hizbullah was "a friend to Syria", adding that the militant group is loyal to Lebanon and is not controlled by Damascus.
Referring to the possibility of another Israeli attack on Lebanon, Muallem said "In light of the crazy policy encouraged by the US, any rational person knows that any scenario should be taken into consideration and prepare accordingly."
What about the assasination of Rafiq Hariri and others in Lebanon. The list is long. Does the creep apply the same standards in these cases?

[Abilama]

Why do you not grow up. Israel has no designs to attack Lebanon. All this is HA propaganda to justify their rearming and refusal to abide by Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701.

If Hizbullah plans to engage in a spectacular act of terroism after the 40th day of the death of Iranian agent Imad Mughniyeh, on orders from Iran, Israel intimated it will be an all out war. This was done to pevent HA from such a perilous adventure.

[Abilama]

Israël aurait sommé secrètement la Syrie de retenir le Hezbollah
Les autorités israéliennes ont récemment averti la Syrie, via une tierce partie, qu’elles la tiendraient responsable d’une éventuelle agression de la part du Hezbollah libanais, a-t-on appris hier de sources israéliennes et européennes dans une dépêche Reuters datée de Jérusalem.
Le message, dit-on de mêmes sources, a été transmis par au moins un intermédiaire européen après l’assassinat de Imad Moghniyé, haut responsable de la milice chiite pro-iranienne soutenue par Damas, et avant l’offensive menée récemment dans la bande de Gaza.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, chef de file du Hezbollah, avait promis une « guerre ouverte » à Israël après la mort de Moghniyé, qui a succombé à un attentat commis en plein cœur de Damas. Le mouvement y a vu la main des services secrets israéliens, mais le gouvernement israélien nie toute implication.
De source européenne proche de l’affaire, on précise que le message avertissait la Syrie qu’elle pourrait être la cible de représailles, même si l’agression provenait du Liban.

Source: L'Orient le Jour (Liban)

[Abilama]

It is worthwhile (on another subject than HA) to watch the interview of Dr. Wafa Sultan a Syrian born, Moslem, psychologist who now lives in NY and can speak her mind freely, and she does:

In literary Arabic with English subtitles:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzVuVyH4U6c[/youtube]

With French sutitles:

[DMotion]http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/65587[/DMotion]

[danny]

This is VERY old news...

[Renee]

[i]Hmmm, I wonder what they were discussing?[/i]

Min Canada, you and me both!

[Renee]

Oops, sorry about using the wrong tags. ;-}

[Abilama]

Marwan Hamade-Key anti-Syrian minister threatens Lebanese boycott of Arab Summit ( Seniora would not dare!)
Associated Press

Published: 03.16.08,

A key anti-Syrian Cabinet member threatened Sunday that Lebanon would boycott an upcoming Arab summit in Damascus, saying the country's attendance at the meeting would amount to "treason."

Many anti-Syrian politicians in the ruling coalition have urged the Lebanese government not to attend the summit, but Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh was one of the first to predict that the Cabinet would vote for a boycott when it meets this week. (AP)

[Bad Vilbel]

There just seems to be a LOT of hot air lately. From all directions...

[Abilama]

Syria orders cybercafe owners to ID customers

'Iron censorship' extended
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/14/syria_cybercafe_measure/

By Lester Haines
Published Friday 14th March 2008 11:21 GMT

Syria has ordered cybercafe owners to take down details of customers in an extension of its "iron censorship" of the web, according to monitoring group the Syrian Media Centre.

Proprietors are now obliged to record clients' names, ID card numbers and the time they spend online, and present the resulting data "regularly to the authorities".

The Centre's head, Mazen Darwich, told Reuters: "These steps are designed to terrorize internet users and spread fear and self censorship in violation of the right to privacy and free expression. The government has been methodical in extending the scope of its iron censorship."

The Syrian authorities have of late been flexing their muscles in cyberspace. Facebook, YouTube, Syrian opposition websites and Lebanese newspapers and Lebanese groups "opposed to what they call Syrian interference in Lebanon" are strictly off-limits to Syrian surfers.

The Syrian Media Centre claims "at least" 153 websites are blocked in Syria, "with bans expanding over the past few weeks to Googleblog and the Arab Maktoobblog". Darwich noted: "Open forums have been used by thousands of Syrians to launch a counter-offensive against the government's curbs on public expression."

The powers that be have responded by targetting outspoken individuals. Syrian human rights organizations say a poet is "facing trial... for publishing articles on a civic society forum", while "another writer spent a week in prison for an internet piece about fuel and electricity shortages".

A teacher from rural Reka province, meanwhile, is also due up before the beak for "criticising online what he described as patronage and nepotism in the state-run education system".

The government did not comment on the latest measure, but officials defended internet controls against "attempts to spread sectarian divisions" and "penetration by Israel". ®

[Abilama]

Le régime de Damas a assassiné Moghniyé, accuse une formation de l’opposition syrienne
Le Secrétariat de Beyrouth de la déclaration de Damas (SBDD) a accusé le régime syrien d’avoir assassiné le haut responsable du Hezbollah, Imad Moghniyé, qui a péri dans un attentat perpétré à Damas. « Plusieurs arguments permettent de démontrer que le régime syrien est derrière l’attentat. En premier, le ministre syrien des AE Walid Moallem avait annoncé que les résultats de l’enquête dans cette affaire seront publiés incessamment. Ensuite, dans une interview avec un quotidien arabe, il a qualifié cet incident de “normal et de très simple”, comme s’il cherchait à blanchir la page des SR syriens, d’autant qu’il a laissé entendre que ces derniers n’auraient pas été informés du fait que Moghniyé se trouvait sur le territoire syrien », a ajouté la formation de l’opposition syrienne.
Le SBDD a en outre noté que « Walid Moallem a affirmé que Imad Moghniyé habitait le quartier de Kfar-Soussa sans protection, alors qu’une forteresse des SR est localisée dans le secteur en question ». « Le chef de la diplomatie du régime syrien a aussi indiqué que la victime habitait dans un appartement et se faisait passer pour un chauffeur de taxi. Ces propos comportent un mensonge énorme. Comment un chauffeur de taxi peut-il habiter une région où le prix moyen d’un appartement est d’un million de dollars ? » a relevé le secrétariat.
Et le SBDD d’indiquer enfin que « le régime syrien a éliminé immédiatement toutes les traces de l’attentat, comme il l’avait fait sur la scène du crime où le président Hariri a été assassiné ».

Source: L'Orient le Jour (Liban)