Arab League to the rescue

The Arab League has decided to dispatch a ministerial committee headed by Qatar to Lebanon to help resolve the situation, and offered the Lebanese army "logistical assistance" if needed.

Once in Lebanon, this committee will "formulate ideas" and organize dialogue outside Lebanon, possible Qatar.

Looks like Hizbullah will have some time to create more facts on the ground before anything substantial takes place. I was watching a talk show on LBC, they had a Saudi journalist arguing that the regional powers will not allow Iran to gain control over Lebanon, and another US-based analyst saying that the Lebanese are on their own, with no one, especially the US, capable of intervening. They are banking on Hizbullah's "political defeat".

Update. Check this out. Justifying an attack on Siniora and the Serail?

Former Minister Talal Arslan to NTV Television: Siniora is plotting with Israel and foreign embassies against Lebanon’s sovereignty, security and economy. (Now Lebanon)

Comments

[Jeanne]

The choice of interlocutors that the Qatar-led Arab League delegation will meet is curious (besides the fact that Qatar is very much pro-Syrian). It looks like a mediation between 8 and 14 March but it may not be that at all. Berri and Nasrallah are one and the same, ditto of Siniora and Hariri (Saida, Saudi interests),and then the Maronites. Sleiman is not 14-March and Gemayel, before being a member of 14-March is mainly the leader of the Kataeb/LF. Will they try to persuade him to hand over willingly these organizations' centers to the Army to ward off further bloodshed?

[Ralph]

AK said:
Ralph, I will break my own rules and say this to you:
Fuck you. If you don't like this blog, fuck off and go somewhere else.

Whatever, tough guy.
I criticize your reporting because you dismiss that someone is shooting back and you cannot take it. That is pointing out the obvious, or do you think Hizballah is also shooting at itself? You are no better than the Hizballah followers who make up all sorts of excuses for them. And in times of war, the stupid get even stupider.

And you are right, I should not be wasting my time on this blog. Unlike you, I have articles to write.

[Jeanne]

The choice of interlocutors that the Qatar-led Arab League delegation will meet is curious (besides the fact that Qatar is very much pro-Syrian). It looks like a mediation between 8 and 14 March but it may not be that at all. Berri and Nasrallah are one and the same, ditto of Siniora and Hariri (Saida, Saudi interests),and then the Maronites. Sleiman is not 14-March and Gemayel, before being a member of 14-March is mainly the leader of the Kataeb/LF. Will they try to persuade him to hand over willingly these organizations' centers to the Army to ward off further bloodshed?

[Solomon2]

"Unfortunately I think we've reached the point where partition or divorce is the only workable solution."

I am not so sure. M14 leaders aren't wielding the government like a "normal" democracy, but as a consociated one. Hezbollah has violated the rules. I think we are going to witness just what "consociate" means.

[danny]

Ralph,

Unfortunately people can get brainwashed anywhere in the world...If a woman is being raped she fights back in your opinion the rapist is a "champion" and the victim guilty...
Buzz off with you inane logic. If you fire at people and they try to make a feable attempt of fighting back (after all everyone in Lebanon posseses weapons), you blame the victom!!! You can "teach" this logic to your sheeple ONLY!!!

Respectfully BUZZ OFF

[Andre]

BV,

If your country sold you off a long time ago, then what the hell are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be enjoying your little corner of the world instead of worrying about something that means nothing to you anymore? Sounds like hypocrisy to me.

[Abdul]

Not much attention paid on this blog to the religious or pseudo religious aspect of this conflict. How much of this conflict can be attributed to sunni-shia differences? Hez is the party of allah, right? So their army is the army of allah? Beware of people with guns in one hand and holy books in the other.

[ghassan karam]

Andre,
I never thought that I will participate in such a dialogue but I guess that there is a first time for everything. Why don't you just let sleeping dogs lie? I am sure that you do not enjoy kicking a person when that individual is down do you? The answer to your question is very obvious isn't it? The man cares just as much and probably more than most about what is going on but he does not like any of the developments. He probably feels more deeply hurt than most. And even if none of my amateurish attempts at psychoanalysis is true what matters in this case is to judge
is what he has to say about the issues more than whether he has "sold" his country?
This is not the proper discussion board for this but let me assure you that at one level I am one of the strongest advocates of the revival of the old Greek philosophy of "Cosmopolitanism" as advocated by Kwame Appaiah. I hope that you do not think for a moment that such beliefs would disqualify me from expressing my opinions on Lebanese affairs. In my view, those who trust in the idea of the brotherhood/sisterhood of the human race are the most qualified to discuss international affairs, definitely much more so than those that are close minded so as to base their view of the world on authenticity rather than contamination. So do me a favour and get of BV's back.

[maverick]

after enduring recent events with blood levels rising to new heights from the aggression in the Jabal region from armed masked gunmen, to the psychological warfare of lies and bullshit spinning, I declare, and sincerely apologise in advance of my childish manner, that HEZBOS are dropping like flies everytime they attack villages in the Jabal.
I think sooner or later, the army command must come to terms with this reality: There is no such thing as neutrality in this conflict.
On a different note, still from the Jabal, Arslan and Wahab are the two biggest screwballs in Druze history and have become an instrumental mouthpiece of Hizbollah.Arslan has accused the PSP of possessing medium to heavy weaponry, and that they be handed over to him. Lies,Lies,Lies.

[danny]

Maverick,

one of the reasons HA is sending small units is simply to probe the amount of resistance and "surveillance". They are trying to guesstimate the strngth of its foe. We have discussed this previously here, fighting a house to house over urban terrain is more difficult than what HA is used to (i.e. Fighting out of their tunnels and holes)...As for the Jabal, I am certain that the locals have better strategic position because of the knowledge of the terrain. The main problem is a sustained long range bombing that would devastate people's homes and infrastructure...that is what WJ was trying to avoid!!I am certain that PSP, LF and Future all possess military software and hardware of different "sizes". Again, the time for total devastation (civil war) is not here yet!

As for Andre, my friend we all vent, out of frustration and our total paralysis. This is an excellent forum to exchange creative ideas and opinions not attacking/blaming anyone...You almost sounded like HA for LOL...

[maverick]

Danny,u said:
"one of the reasons HA is sending small units is simply to probe the amount of resistance and "surveillance". They are trying to guesstimate the strngth of its foe"

Ummm...this foe is Lebanese civilians living in the mountains, not the scary zionists.2) They have enough intellegince gathering over the years to know the mountain is not armed, or minimally armed compared to Hizbo.3) These small units are going into villages and dying, they actually die, by sending them out purposely to die,are they creating martyrs? have they become so paranoid, theyve lost all reason.Armed militia men are coming as far as 15 km away.

An insider story:
4 militants from harakit Amal were captured in a druze village in the shouf. MP Ali Hassan Khalil called Joumblatt and begged him for their release as the men are very close to him.Joumblatt opened a corridor and returned them to their rightful owners.

[Meghwar]

Le « Amid » du BN accuse Michel Sleimane de partialité en faveur du Hezbollah

..............
le Amid du BN de conclure : « Le mot mercenaire est défini comme un homme qui reçoit de l’argent pour se battre pour le compte d’un pays qui n’est pas le sien. Comme les combattants du Hezbollah touchent leurs salaires et reçoivent leurs armes d’Iran, et qu’ils reconnaissent publiquement le commandement de la révolution iranienne comme autorité suprême, le terme de “mercenaires” iraniens s’applique parfaitement à eux. »

http://www.lorientlejour.com/page.aspx?page=article&id=371632

Carlos Eddé Should be elected president,( if we would be still having any kind of "elections" or "Democracy" that is ) !
He is the only one who always stated facts as they are...

Guys I was reading all of your comments lately...not commenting ...
I think, unlike many of you here,that Hizb committed a huge strategic mistake, maybe Hassoun is thinking that he's got control now and things will go his way or the Iranian Ayatollahs' way more like it....but...and there's always a but ....
10.000 men can do nothing when it is time for the REAL "shit " to hit the fan...

The Very well PRE-planned strike met success, yeah and so what ? We all know you can use the "surprise" element once...

Besides after what Hizbelsheytan had done...they gave the majority of the Lebanese more reasons and motivations to exact punishment if not now ...it will be sooner than later ...yeah "March 14th was about peace...constitutions, laws, democracy..."and all that blah blah, after these last events ...believe me March 14ers ( as a populice) themselves won't belive this crap anymore...most of them will seek revenge...HA won A battle...but strategically he lost already the war...think about it ...Hassoun committed suicide....on the ground it might not look like it...just wait and see until his blood dries out..stretching his military into areas is not a sign of force or control...it is a sign that they need to cover their back KNOWING QUIET WELL THAT A REACTION IS TO HAPPEN...what bugs them is that they do not know when and HOW ....Hizbelsheytan is offing itself ...they do not know it yet..kinda drunk with the "DIVINE" victory ...still ...once the steam is cleared...then things will get serious ...

call me an idiot ...but ...you wait and see...
one last thing, expect nothing from all those incompetent Jellyfish jerks pretending or playing at "politicians"...the difference which WILL come ...it is the Lebanese who are going to make it ...
See ya all in Lebanon after ...say ...2 years ;)
Take care all of you ....:)

[Bad Vilbel]

Ghassan,

Appreciate your comments. Your psychoanalysis is pretty much on the money.

Andre,

I'm not going to take your comments personally because I know we're all speaking from anger and frustration these days (I know I am).

Obviously, I still care about Lebanon enough to be here every day. But you must understand that many of us feel betrayed and hurt by Lebanon and its people who continue to refuse to grow up.

Those of us, like myself, who've lived the 75-90 conflict, and got fed up and made a life for ourselves abroad, get to see, on a daily basis, how humanity, with all its warts, is at least capable of living a peaceful in dignified life (outside of Lebanon). And it makes us realize how petty Lebanon and its people are, still being bogged down by silly sectarian ideologies and petty squabbles over nothing, while the rest of the world is busy performing medical miracles, pushing technologies to new boundaries, and so on. We Lebanese should be capable of so much more, and we waste all our energies on stupid squabbles, that has absolutely ZERO meaning in the grand scheme of things (You think the human race, as a race, gives a hoot about Jerusalem?).

I am a humanist and a strong believer in the fact that all humans are humans. In my ideal world, there would be no "countries" in the political sense. We all share this Earth and its resources. But I digress.

My point is, I hurt even more because I see the unlimited potential we Lebanese SHOULD have, and how we idiotically throw it all away. I hurt more because I CARE. And yes, i get fed up, and very much like the prodigal son of a seriously dysfunctional family, I have a love/hate relationship with Lebanon. I want it to be "ok", but some days, I wish I had nothing to do with the whole damn place.

Cheers.