Message to the Druze of Lebanon

There's been an explosion in Lebanon, as you know by now. A mysterious force killed Talal Arslan's right hand man, Saleh Aridi, presumably as punishment for the Druze leader's reconciliation with the other Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt. There were reports that the two had planned a joint electoral ticket next year, which would have finished off Syrian lapdog Wiam Wahab for good.

Wahab never hid his discontent, feeling that the Jumblatt-Arslan rapprochement came at his expense. Earlier this month saw verbal war between Arslan and Wahab, and reports said many of Wahab's followers deserted him to join the Arslan party. Wahab at some point said about Arslan, "If he claims that he's the boy's mother in the Druze sect, then I'm his father".  Wahab accused Arslan of submitting his accreditation to Jumblatt.

The slain Aridi is said to be the architect of the reconciliation between Jumblatt and Arslan.

Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar told the Voice of Lebanon radio station on Thursday morning that the assassination aimed at “trapping new allies,” a reference to the reconciliation efforts between Jumblatt and Arslan, in which Aridi was a major player, since the May violence in the Chouf. He added that the killing was a blow to the efforts to calm Mount Lebanon.

For his part, Jumblatt told An-Nahar that some were “harmed” by his relation with Arslan, who made his way back to Lebanon after the incident.

As-Safir reported that the assassination came along with an organized campaign of rumors spread in Aley and the Chouf regarding mutual mobilization pitting the opposition, particularly Hezbollah, against the PSP.

Aridi, the paper continued, was Arlsan’s right-hand man and one of the most prominent figures of reconciliation between the latter and Jumblatt. “In so doing, he had benefited from his former position as a PSP member, and he is known for his close relations with several Syrian leaders,” As-Safir read.  (Now Lebanon)

Note that this taking place amid disagreement in the ranks of the opposition, which the Jumblatt-Arslan alliance caused, as did the reaction by some Aounists to Assad's latest speech advising the army to move to the north to combat "extremism".

This "opposition" found itself unable to agree on an agenda for the planned national dialogue next week, let alone form joint lists in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

This latest assassination may be a product of this disagreement, as well as a message to Arslan and other tired Syrian satellites not to stray from the path during the national dialogue, or during the elections.

Comments

[Tony]

I think your conclusion is essentially right all around. I will soon be posting on this as well.

[Vodka]

Reigning in the herd .

[ghassan karam]

I obviously agree that the assassination of Saleh Aridi is a message primarily to Talal Arslan but I think that it also wanted the other HA allies to take note of who is the puppeteer. Puppets will stray from the assigned path at their own peril.

[VOR]

When you make a pact with the devil, you're caught in his grips and should youdecide to escape he will crush you!

[George]

Here are Sayed Nasrallah's latest rantings:

Nasrallah: We destroyed vision of Greater Israel
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3597786,00.html

Just days after Prime Minister Olmert said those clinging to the notion of Greater Israel 'are deluding themselves,' Sheikh Nasrallah extols Hizbullah's role in 'destroying that dream'

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert received an unusual vote of confidence on Tuesday evening from Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as the latter reveled in Olmert's comments from earlier this week in which he said the idea of Greater Israel was no longer relevant.

Op-Ed

Open a Bible / Assaf Wohl

Starting point of negotiations should be that whole of Land of Israel belongs to us



"The Lebanese resistance pounded the last nail in the coffin of 'Greater Israel' after the defeat it (Israel) suffered in 2000," Nasrallah declared proudly in a speech delivered after the breaking of the Ramadan fast.

"The victories of 2000 and 2006 destroyed the dream of a vast Israeli power. The mighty Israel fell in the last war, and it has now become as the Arabs once were – making speeches and threats. Today we face 'Mediocre Israel.'"

In what was likely his last cabinet meeting as prime minister, Olmert said "the notion of Greater Israel no longer exists, and anyone who still believes in it is deluding themselves.

Olmert spoke soon after the cabinet's debate on the controversial evacuation-compensation bill ended. "Forty years after the Six Day War ended, we keep finding excuses not to act. This isn't doing Israel any good. The international community in starting to view Israel as a future binational state," Olmert said.

'Natural Palestine'
Nasrallah shared his geopolitical beliefs with his audience, saying there were three different models of the State of Israel.

"The first Israel is the vast one stretching from the Nile and to the Euphrates. The second is the strong Israel, which does not include Lebanon and Jordan but settles for historic Palestine, but it is a strong country that forces its decisions on the region. And there is 'regular Palestine,' the borders of which are unknown.

"The Palestinians sought autonomy in Gaza and the West Bank, however the events that transpired after the Intifada and opposition in Israel forced it to withdraw from Gaza. This is a withdrawal from the borders of 'natural Palestine."

Nasrallah also addressed the assassination of Hizbullah operations officer, Imad Mugniyah. "Those who wanted to kill Imad Mugniyah – should worry," he said. He also stressed that "the resistance in Lebanon has gone past the stage where it relies on a political or military leader, and it has the ability to create leaders on all levels."