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Let's accept Hezbollah: Annan
UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations must recognise Hezbollah as a force to be reckoned with in implementing the UN resolution calling for the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from Lebanon and the disarmament of the country's militias, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said later on Tuesday.
He was responding to a question about the disarmament of Hezbollah, which showed its strength on Tuesday at a huge pro-Syrian rally in Beirut attended by thousands of people who chanted anti-US slogans.
Annan said the world needs to accept that in every society different groups may hold different views. "Of course, we need to be careful of the forces at work in Lebanese society as we move forward," he said.
"But even the Hezbollah — if I read the message on the placards they are using — they are talking about non-interference by outsiders... which is not entirely at odds with the Security Council resolution, that there should be withdrawal of Syrian troops," Annan told reporters.
"But that having been said, we need to recognise that they are a force in society that one will have to factor in as we implement the resolution," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1046733.cms
Hizbollah should be a factor in Syria withdrawal resolution:
[World News]: New York, Mar 9 : United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said the world community would have to recognise that Hizbollah is a force in the Lebanese society and factor it in the implementation of the Security Council resolution that calling for immediate withdrawal of Syrian troops and disarming of the country's militias.
In the wake of huge pro-Syria rally organised by Hizbollah in Beirut, which was attended by thousand of people chanting anti-US slogans, Annan told reporters esterday that it is natural for any society to have different groups who do not hold identical views and that is a fact which needs to be accepted.
"Of course, we need to be careful of the forces at work in Lebanese society as we move forward. But even the Hizbollah are talking about non-interference by outsiders" which is not entirely at odds with the Security Council resolution that there should be withdrawal of the Syrian troops," he stressed.
But he added, "we need to recognise that they are a force in the society that one will have to factor in as we implement the resolution," he said.
Hizbollah is one of the best organized armed groups in Lebanon. It is backed by Iran and enjoys strong support among Lebanon's Shiites.
The protest it organised put into shade the anti-Syrian demonstrations organized so far. The placard they carried included "Thank you Syria" and denouncing foreign interference.
http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews&id=82606
UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations must recognize Hezbollah as a force to be reckoned with in implementing the U.N. resolution calling for the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from Lebanon and the disarmament of the country's militias, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday.
He was responding to a question about the disarmament of Hezbollah, which showed its strength Tuesday at a huge pro-Syrian rally in Beirut attended by hundreds of thousands of people who chanted anti-U.S. slogans. Two huge banners read in English: "Thank you Syria" and "No to foreign interference."
Annan said the world needs to accept that in every society different groups may hold different views.
"Of course, we need to be careful of the forces at work in Lebanese society as we move forward," he said.
"But even the Hezbollah - if I read the message on the placards they are using - they are talking about non-interference by outsiders ... which is not entirely at odds with the Security Council resolution, that there should be withdrawal of Syrian troops," Annan told reporters.
"But that having been said, we need to recognize that they are a force in society that one will have to factor in as we implement the resolution," he said.
The rally by the Hezbollah vastly outnumbered anti-Syrian rallies of the past weeks. The Syrian-backed Lebanese guerrilla group, which is funded by Iran, is the best armed and best organized faction in Lebanon and enjoys strong support among Lebanon's Shiite Muslim community.
Many of the signs at the rally in Riad Solh square denounced U.N. Security Council resolution 1559, which calls for Syrian troops and intelligence agents to leave Lebanon immediately and demands the disarming of militias, referring to Hezbollah.
Syrian soldiers entered Lebanon in 1976 to try to quell a civil war that began the previous year. They remained through 14 years of fighting that ended in 1990, and some 14,000 are still there, though they began redeploying from central Lebanon toward the border began late Tuesday.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apmideast_story.asp?category=1107&slug=UN%20Lebanon%20Syria
Annan said the world needs to accept that in every society different groups may hold different views. "Of course, we need to be careful of the forces at work in Lebanese society as we move forward," he said.
"But even the Hezbollah — if I read the message on the placards they are using — they are talking about non-interference by outsiders... which is not entirely at odds with the Security Council resolution, that there should be withdrawal of Syrian troops," Annan told reporters.
"But that having been said, we need to recognise that they are a force in society that one will have to factor in as we implement the resolution," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1046733.cms
Hizbollah should be a factor in Syria withdrawal resolution:
[World News]: New York, Mar 9 : United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said the world community would have to recognise that Hizbollah is a force in the Lebanese society and factor it in the implementation of the Security Council resolution that calling for immediate withdrawal of Syrian troops and disarming of the country's militias.
In the wake of huge pro-Syria rally organised by Hizbollah in Beirut, which was attended by thousand of people chanting anti-US slogans, Annan told reporters esterday that it is natural for any society to have different groups who do not hold identical views and that is a fact which needs to be accepted.
"Of course, we need to be careful of the forces at work in Lebanese society as we move forward. But even the Hizbollah are talking about non-interference by outsiders" which is not entirely at odds with the Security Council resolution that there should be withdrawal of the Syrian troops," he stressed.
But he added, "we need to recognise that they are a force in the society that one will have to factor in as we implement the resolution," he said.
Hizbollah is one of the best organized armed groups in Lebanon. It is backed by Iran and enjoys strong support among Lebanon's Shiites.
The protest it organised put into shade the anti-Syrian demonstrations organized so far. The placard they carried included "Thank you Syria" and denouncing foreign interference.
http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews&id=82606
UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations must recognize Hezbollah as a force to be reckoned with in implementing the U.N. resolution calling for the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from Lebanon and the disarmament of the country's militias, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday.
He was responding to a question about the disarmament of Hezbollah, which showed its strength Tuesday at a huge pro-Syrian rally in Beirut attended by hundreds of thousands of people who chanted anti-U.S. slogans. Two huge banners read in English: "Thank you Syria" and "No to foreign interference."
Annan said the world needs to accept that in every society different groups may hold different views.
"Of course, we need to be careful of the forces at work in Lebanese society as we move forward," he said.
"But even the Hezbollah - if I read the message on the placards they are using - they are talking about non-interference by outsiders ... which is not entirely at odds with the Security Council resolution, that there should be withdrawal of Syrian troops," Annan told reporters.
"But that having been said, we need to recognize that they are a force in society that one will have to factor in as we implement the resolution," he said.
The rally by the Hezbollah vastly outnumbered anti-Syrian rallies of the past weeks. The Syrian-backed Lebanese guerrilla group, which is funded by Iran, is the best armed and best organized faction in Lebanon and enjoys strong support among Lebanon's Shiite Muslim community.
Many of the signs at the rally in Riad Solh square denounced U.N. Security Council resolution 1559, which calls for Syrian troops and intelligence agents to leave Lebanon immediately and demands the disarming of militias, referring to Hezbollah.
Syrian soldiers entered Lebanon in 1976 to try to quell a civil war that began the previous year. They remained through 14 years of fighting that ended in 1990, and some 14,000 are still there, though they began redeploying from central Lebanon toward the border began late Tuesday.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apmideast_story.asp?category=1107&slug=UN%20Lebanon%20Syria
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Despite Mr. Kofi Annon’s claims, the United Nations is NOT a democratic forum. Democracy is government of the people, by the people, for the people. The United Nations is an organization of the Governments, by the Governments, and – most importantly – For the Governments. Given that many of the governments represented there are dictatorships and tyrannical, the will of the people of the world is NOT represented there. This is why the UN is granted NO Governance powers in their charter.
Kofi Annan has been working since the late 1990’s to “reform the UN”. His project started long before the recent disclosures of systemic corruption and failure evidenced by the Oil-for-Food program, the Sex Trade in the Congo, among many others. Read the UN Millennium Report and his Reform Project documents. Mr. Annan is attempting to create a body for Global Governance, and attempting to increase “membership” to include Corporations, Non-Governmental Organizations, and Governments. Note again that this is NOT representative of the will of the people of the world. This would simply create a GLOBAL Governing Body that is Of the Special Interests, By the Special Interests, and For the Special Interests. Yesterday Mr. Annan stated that “the United Nations must recognize Hezbollah as a force to be reckoned with”. This all but reserves a seat for this Iran sponsored terrorist organization in his “Reformed UN”!
The UN must NOT be permitted to acquire powers of Global Governance … for the sake of All Humanity!
Mr. John Bolton has demonstrated a keen understanding of the delicate balance between the opportunities, and the dangers the UN poses to the world. He has a track record of holding the UN to account … something the UN has proven incapable of doing for itself.
Please contact your senators and demand that he be given a quick confirmation.
Kofi Annan has been working since the late 1990’s to “reform the UN”. His project started long before the recent disclosures of systemic corruption and failure evidenced by the Oil-for-Food program, the Sex Trade in the Congo, among many others. Read the UN Millennium Report and his Reform Project documents. Mr. Annan is attempting to create a body for Global Governance, and attempting to increase “membership” to include Corporations, Non-Governmental Organizations, and Governments. Note again that this is NOT representative of the will of the people of the world. This would simply create a GLOBAL Governing Body that is Of the Special Interests, By the Special Interests, and For the Special Interests. Yesterday Mr. Annan stated that “the United Nations must recognize Hezbollah as a force to be reckoned with”. This all but reserves a seat for this Iran sponsored terrorist organization in his “Reformed UN”!
The UN must NOT be permitted to acquire powers of Global Governance … for the sake of All Humanity!
Mr. John Bolton has demonstrated a keen understanding of the delicate balance between the opportunities, and the dangers the UN poses to the world. He has a track record of holding the UN to account … something the UN has proven incapable of doing for itself.
Please contact your senators and demand that he be given a quick confirmation.
U.S. ready to accept Hezbollah as political player, paper says
By Nathan Guttman
WASHINGTON - The United States is ready to accept Hezbollah as a player in mainstream politics in Lebanon, according to a report appearing in The New York Times yesterday.
The story was swiftly disputed by the Bush administration, which said its policy was unchanged.
"The report suggests that our view has changed on Hezbollah. It has not," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters traveling with President George W. Bush to Louisville, Kentucky.
Asked if the report was correct, McClellan said, "It's wrong."
U.S., European and United Nations officials told The New York Times that the United States had reluctantly recognized that, besides having a militia and sponsoring attacks on Israelis, Hezbollah was a huge political force in Lebanon and could play an important role in that country following the withdrawal of Syrian forces currently stationed there.
"Hezbollah has American blood on its hands," one official said, referring to events such as the truck bombing that killed more than 200 U.S. Marines in Beirut in 1983. "The administration has an absolute aversion to admitting that Hezbollah has a role to play in Lebanon, but that is the path we're going down."
The New York Times said Hezbollah had also become a lower priority in negotiations to demand the disarmament of the organization, adding that the United States agreed with France that the militant group was too important a force to antagonize.
"There is a realization by France and the United States that if you tackle Hezbollah now, you array the Shi'ites against you. With elections coming in Lebanon, you don't want the entire Shi'ite community against you," one diplomat told the paper.
"Obviously we'd like to see them disarmed as UN Security Council Resolution 1559 requires. Once disarmed, they could undertake any political role in Lebanon that they can win democratically at the polls. This doesn't constitute any change in the U.S. position," the official said.
Israel is vehemently opposed to any change in the U.S. attitude toward Hezbollah, and continues to view the organization as a terror group that threatens Israeli security, both along the northern border and by providing aid to terrorists in the territories.
EU action urged
The European Parliament, meanwhile, branded Hezbollah a "terrorist" group yesterday, urging European Union ministers to take action against the organization.
"Parliament considers that clear evidence exists of terrorist activities by Hezbollah. The [EU] Council should take all necessary steps to curtail them," a nonbinding resolution adopted by a big majority said.
The resolution, which also renewed a call for Syria to withdraw its troops and intelligence services from Lebanon, was adopted by 473 votes to eight with 33 abstentions.
The EU is under pressure from the United States and Israel to add the Iranian-backed Hezbollah to its list of outlawed terrorist organizations, obliging member states to seize its assets and take action against its members.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/550783.html
HIZBALLAH SHOWED THE U.S. YESTERDAY WHAT'S WAITING FOR IT OR ANYONE WHO COMES IN AND TAKES THEM ON!!
HIZBALLAH RAN *ISRAEL* OUT BEFORE!
AND HIZBALLAH ALREADY RAN THE *U.S.* OUT OF LEBANON BEFORE, TOO!! -- UNDER TOUGH-TALKING, STAND TALL IN THE SADDLE RONALD REAGAN!!
(SO, REAGAN HAD TO GO INVADE LEETLE TEENSIE TINY GRANADA -- A SPECK IN THE CARIBBEAN -- TO 'MAKE UP' FOR HIZBALLAH'S SMACKIN' THE U.S. UPSIDE SAM'S HEAD!)
THE U.S. CAN *TRY* TO IGNORE HIZBALLAH -- BUT IT'S NOT GOING AWAY!
"DISARM"!! ...THE U.S. WANTS *EVERYBODY* TO DISARM EXCEPT ITSELF -- OH, AND, OF COURSE, ISRAEL.
HIZBALLAH RAN *ISRAEL* OUT BEFORE!
AND HIZBALLAH ALREADY RAN THE *U.S.* OUT OF LEBANON BEFORE, TOO!! -- UNDER TOUGH-TALKING, STAND TALL IN THE SADDLE RONALD REAGAN!!
(SO, REAGAN HAD TO GO INVADE LEETLE TEENSIE TINY GRANADA -- A SPECK IN THE CARIBBEAN -- TO 'MAKE UP' FOR HIZBALLAH'S SMACKIN' THE U.S. UPSIDE SAM'S HEAD!)
THE U.S. CAN *TRY* TO IGNORE HIZBALLAH -- BUT IT'S NOT GOING AWAY!
"DISARM"!! ...THE U.S. WANTS *EVERYBODY* TO DISARM EXCEPT ITSELF -- OH, AND, OF COURSE, ISRAEL.
BAALBEK, Lebanon — If Syrian forces leave Lebanon in the face of growing international and Lebanese pressure, the Islamic militant group Hezbollah — entrenched in this Bekaa Valley hamlet and across much of eastern and southern Lebanon — is ready to fill the military and political vacuum.
Should it succeed, the anti-Syrian democratic protests that have attracted so much international attention since opposition leader Rafik Hariri was assassinated Feb. 14 could prove stillborn. Instead of clearing the way for pro-Western democrats, Syria's withdrawal could bring to the fore a virulently anti-Western political force.
Syria, whose forces have dominated Lebanon for the past three decades, is closely aligned with the movement and has readied it to take Syria's place as Lebanon's dominant power.
"The Syrians are trying to leave behind a system they can control. A pillar of that will be Hezbollah," said Michael Young, the opinion editor of Lebanon's English-language newspaper Daily Star.
Despite the profound financial and political support paid to Hezbollah by Syria, some members admit quietly that they have serious complaints with the pervasive infiltration of Lebanese affairs by Syria.
In a backlash against recent anti-Syrian protests Lebanon's legislature reinstated staunch Syrian ally Omar Karami as prime minister yesterday.
Karami, who was forced to resign 10 days ago by a wave of popular opposition, returns to his post, riding the counterwave of a Hezbollah-backed pro-Syrian demonstration that drew 500,000 this week. The reappointment is a slap to the opposition and forces it to quickly figure out how to recoup its people-power momentum that followed Hariri's assassination.
Karami extended an olive branch to opposition legislators heading the anti-Syrian movement, calling on them to join his interim government to run Lebanon until May's elections.
The largely Maronite Christian and Druze opposition rejected the offer, fearing Syrian manipulation of the polls.
At Martyrs' Square, where anti-Syrian demonstrations have taken place almost daily for a month, protesters said yesterday that they were disappointed over Karami's return.
"It's almost like it killed our hope," said Nabil al Mughrabi, 68, a Druze housewife.
Amid reports that the United States was changing its aggressive stance against Hezbollah, White House spokesman Scott McClellan yesterday described Hezbollah as having "significant political standing and organizational strength within Lebanon" and said the party would be a factor in the May parliamentary elections.
Young, from the Daily Star, and others said that Syria, through its many agents and supporters in Lebanon, wants to have lifted the political restrictions that distribute power to religiously based factions according to an unwritten 1943 agreement that today leaves Lebanon's Shiite plurality underrepresented. That would net Hezbollah more parliamentary seats in May elections.
Hezbollah has been under fire from the United States and its Western allies for periodic attacks on northern Israel and its support for Palestinian militant groups.
Hezbollah was blamed for attacking and kidnapping Westerners, including the 1983 truck bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, which killed 241 Marines, and the slayings of CIA Lebanon chief of station William Buckley, U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem and U.S. Army Col. William Higgins.
Hezbollah's ties to Iran are visible on its office walls, which feature framed photographs of the Islamic Republic's founder, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and the current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian arms are still delivered to Hezbollah via Syria, even as the group has become more self-sufficient in a Shiite population whose faith demands that they give part of their income to clerics.
Hezbollah has matured from a guerrilla group to a military and political powerhouse, patrolling the southern Lebanese skies with robot aircraft and representing the country's largest religious group, with 12 seats in the Parliament.
Community involvement may be the secret to Hezbollah's popular appeal. Hezbollah-financed hospitals and schools serve thousands of poor and underemployed Lebanese in the Shiite-dominated south and east.
Hezbollah activists help run Baalbek's annual classical music festival, which draws thousand of Lebanese and foreign tourists to the world-famous Roman ruins here each year. The hotels serve alcohol — taboo for Muslims — and many women walk the streets without the Islamic veil.
Hezbollah also provides security by patrolling the country's southern border with Israel. Lebanon's army runs a few checkpoints and little else.
Hezbollah forces attained legendary status on the border after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak withdrew his soldiers from southern Lebanon under fire in May 2000. Hezbollah's anti-Israeli stance resonates where the memory of 22 years of Israeli occupation is still fresh.
Israeli forces attack Hezbollah and Syrian outposts from time to time when the militant group fires Katyusha rockets or antiaircraft guns at Israeli targets.
Hezbollah also has captured anti-American sentiment brought on by the U.S. presence in Lebanon during its civil war and more recent Bush administration policies in the Middle East.
It rejects the assimilation of Palestinian refugees, which might lessen their claims to a right to return to their homes in what's now Israel.
"Otherwise, Lebanon could become part of a greater American project for the Middle East," said Hezbollah Parliament member Mohammad Raad, 49.
Hezbollah rallies planned for today in the northern city of Tripoli and the southern city of Nabatiya probably will only heighten the fear of the group's ascent.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002203794_hezbollah11.html
Should it succeed, the anti-Syrian democratic protests that have attracted so much international attention since opposition leader Rafik Hariri was assassinated Feb. 14 could prove stillborn. Instead of clearing the way for pro-Western democrats, Syria's withdrawal could bring to the fore a virulently anti-Western political force.
Syria, whose forces have dominated Lebanon for the past three decades, is closely aligned with the movement and has readied it to take Syria's place as Lebanon's dominant power.
"The Syrians are trying to leave behind a system they can control. A pillar of that will be Hezbollah," said Michael Young, the opinion editor of Lebanon's English-language newspaper Daily Star.
Despite the profound financial and political support paid to Hezbollah by Syria, some members admit quietly that they have serious complaints with the pervasive infiltration of Lebanese affairs by Syria.
In a backlash against recent anti-Syrian protests Lebanon's legislature reinstated staunch Syrian ally Omar Karami as prime minister yesterday.
Karami, who was forced to resign 10 days ago by a wave of popular opposition, returns to his post, riding the counterwave of a Hezbollah-backed pro-Syrian demonstration that drew 500,000 this week. The reappointment is a slap to the opposition and forces it to quickly figure out how to recoup its people-power momentum that followed Hariri's assassination.
Karami extended an olive branch to opposition legislators heading the anti-Syrian movement, calling on them to join his interim government to run Lebanon until May's elections.
The largely Maronite Christian and Druze opposition rejected the offer, fearing Syrian manipulation of the polls.
At Martyrs' Square, where anti-Syrian demonstrations have taken place almost daily for a month, protesters said yesterday that they were disappointed over Karami's return.
"It's almost like it killed our hope," said Nabil al Mughrabi, 68, a Druze housewife.
Amid reports that the United States was changing its aggressive stance against Hezbollah, White House spokesman Scott McClellan yesterday described Hezbollah as having "significant political standing and organizational strength within Lebanon" and said the party would be a factor in the May parliamentary elections.
Young, from the Daily Star, and others said that Syria, through its many agents and supporters in Lebanon, wants to have lifted the political restrictions that distribute power to religiously based factions according to an unwritten 1943 agreement that today leaves Lebanon's Shiite plurality underrepresented. That would net Hezbollah more parliamentary seats in May elections.
Hezbollah has been under fire from the United States and its Western allies for periodic attacks on northern Israel and its support for Palestinian militant groups.
Hezbollah was blamed for attacking and kidnapping Westerners, including the 1983 truck bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, which killed 241 Marines, and the slayings of CIA Lebanon chief of station William Buckley, U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem and U.S. Army Col. William Higgins.
Hezbollah's ties to Iran are visible on its office walls, which feature framed photographs of the Islamic Republic's founder, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and the current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian arms are still delivered to Hezbollah via Syria, even as the group has become more self-sufficient in a Shiite population whose faith demands that they give part of their income to clerics.
Hezbollah has matured from a guerrilla group to a military and political powerhouse, patrolling the southern Lebanese skies with robot aircraft and representing the country's largest religious group, with 12 seats in the Parliament.
Community involvement may be the secret to Hezbollah's popular appeal. Hezbollah-financed hospitals and schools serve thousands of poor and underemployed Lebanese in the Shiite-dominated south and east.
Hezbollah activists help run Baalbek's annual classical music festival, which draws thousand of Lebanese and foreign tourists to the world-famous Roman ruins here each year. The hotels serve alcohol — taboo for Muslims — and many women walk the streets without the Islamic veil.
Hezbollah also provides security by patrolling the country's southern border with Israel. Lebanon's army runs a few checkpoints and little else.
Hezbollah forces attained legendary status on the border after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak withdrew his soldiers from southern Lebanon under fire in May 2000. Hezbollah's anti-Israeli stance resonates where the memory of 22 years of Israeli occupation is still fresh.
Israeli forces attack Hezbollah and Syrian outposts from time to time when the militant group fires Katyusha rockets or antiaircraft guns at Israeli targets.
Hezbollah also has captured anti-American sentiment brought on by the U.S. presence in Lebanon during its civil war and more recent Bush administration policies in the Middle East.
It rejects the assimilation of Palestinian refugees, which might lessen their claims to a right to return to their homes in what's now Israel.
"Otherwise, Lebanon could become part of a greater American project for the Middle East," said Hezbollah Parliament member Mohammad Raad, 49.
Hezbollah rallies planned for today in the northern city of Tripoli and the southern city of Nabatiya probably will only heighten the fear of the group's ascent.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002203794_hezbollah11.html
The terrorist acts attributed to Hezbollah include the bombing of the US embassy in Beirut on April 18m 1983 and the subsequent simultaneous bombings of US Marine and French peacekeeper barracks on October 23, 1983, the hijacking of TWA flight 847 on board which was U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem, whom they summarily tortured and executed. Further acts of terror by Hezbollah include 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina, as well as numerous acts of terror within Israel. Furthermore, Hezbollah and Iran run terror training camps in Lebanon, Syria, and even the border between Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. In these camps, members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards provide guerilla and terror training to not just Hezbollah, but other terrorist groups, such as ETA (the Basque separatists), the Chechens, and various other "freedom fighters."
The mastermind behind many of these terrorist acts has been Imad Mugniyah, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence and security apparatus. He is considered one of the most ruthless men in the world. Before Sep. 11, he had been responsible for more Americans killed than Osama bin Laden. On several occasions, the U.S. had the opportunity to capture him, but was unable to for various reasons. There is currently a sealed indictment against this man in U.S. federal court. Since 1968, he and bin Laden are believed to have been responsible for 70% of all deaths of Americans due to terrorism.
http://yalefreepress.blogspot.com/2004/07/iran-iraq-al-qaeda-oh-my-in-wake-of.html
The mastermind behind many of these terrorist acts has been Imad Mugniyah, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence and security apparatus. He is considered one of the most ruthless men in the world. Before Sep. 11, he had been responsible for more Americans killed than Osama bin Laden. On several occasions, the U.S. had the opportunity to capture him, but was unable to for various reasons. There is currently a sealed indictment against this man in U.S. federal court. Since 1968, he and bin Laden are believed to have been responsible for 70% of all deaths of Americans due to terrorism.
http://yalefreepress.blogspot.com/2004/07/iran-iraq-al-qaeda-oh-my-in-wake-of.html
the US hadn't entered Lebanon, these attacks wouldn't have happened
and, maybe, if the US hadn't tried to preserve the power of the Christian Maronites at the expense of the Muslims, it wouldn't have happened either
a recent book on US foreign policy talks about the concept of "trailing one's coat" in order to provoke a fight, as in, pulling one's coat on the ground in front of people, and then getting angry when someone inevitably steps on it
the bottom line here is simple, as even Bush neo-conservatives seem to have grasped it: any attempt to empower Lebanonese Christians at the expense of Muslims through artificial systems of voting and representation will not only fail, it will provoke a civil war
this was the meaning of the huge Hizbullah rally in Beirut, and the Bush team grasped it immediately, and with one occupation gone wrong, they have no stomach for another one
perhaps, now is the time to bring up that old issue, what is terrorist, and what is not
after all, the US invaded Iraq, and still remains there, based upon a deliberate propaganda campaign waged by the current administration to persuade the public of known untruths
and tens of thousands have died, perhaps over a hundred thousand
meanwhile, Hizbullah attacked people on its own soil that it considered an enemy occupier
so, who's more of a terrorist, Hizbullah or the US government?
[Hezbollah is a terrorist organization
by Sefarad Friday, Mar. 11, 2005 at 8:19 AM
The terrorist acts attributed to Hezbollah include the bombing of the US embassy in Beirut on April 18m 1983 and the subsequent simultaneous bombings of US Marine and French peacekeeper barracks on October 23, 1983, the hijacking of TWA flight 847 on board which was U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem, whom they summarily tortured and executed. Further acts of terror by Hezbollah include 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina, as well as numerous acts of terror within Israel. Furthermore, Hezbollah and Iran run terror training camps in Lebanon, Syria, and even the border between Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. In these camps, members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards provide guerilla and terror training to not just Hezbollah, but other terrorist groups, such as ETA (the Basque separatists), the Chechens, and various other "freedom fighters."
The mastermind behind many of these terrorist acts has been Imad Mugniyah, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence and security apparatus. He is considered one of the most ruthless men in the world. Before Sep. 11, he had been responsible for more Americans killed than Osama bin Laden. On several occasions, the U.S. had the opportunity to capture him, but was unable to for various reasons. There is currently a sealed indictment against this man in U.S. federal court. Since 1968, he and bin Laden are believed to have been responsible for 70% of all deaths of Americans due to terrorism.
http://yalefreepress.blogspot.com/2004/07/iran-iraq-al-qaeda-oh-my-in-wake-of.html]
and, maybe, if the US hadn't tried to preserve the power of the Christian Maronites at the expense of the Muslims, it wouldn't have happened either
a recent book on US foreign policy talks about the concept of "trailing one's coat" in order to provoke a fight, as in, pulling one's coat on the ground in front of people, and then getting angry when someone inevitably steps on it
the bottom line here is simple, as even Bush neo-conservatives seem to have grasped it: any attempt to empower Lebanonese Christians at the expense of Muslims through artificial systems of voting and representation will not only fail, it will provoke a civil war
this was the meaning of the huge Hizbullah rally in Beirut, and the Bush team grasped it immediately, and with one occupation gone wrong, they have no stomach for another one
perhaps, now is the time to bring up that old issue, what is terrorist, and what is not
after all, the US invaded Iraq, and still remains there, based upon a deliberate propaganda campaign waged by the current administration to persuade the public of known untruths
and tens of thousands have died, perhaps over a hundred thousand
meanwhile, Hizbullah attacked people on its own soil that it considered an enemy occupier
so, who's more of a terrorist, Hizbullah or the US government?
[Hezbollah is a terrorist organization
by Sefarad Friday, Mar. 11, 2005 at 8:19 AM
The terrorist acts attributed to Hezbollah include the bombing of the US embassy in Beirut on April 18m 1983 and the subsequent simultaneous bombings of US Marine and French peacekeeper barracks on October 23, 1983, the hijacking of TWA flight 847 on board which was U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem, whom they summarily tortured and executed. Further acts of terror by Hezbollah include 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina, as well as numerous acts of terror within Israel. Furthermore, Hezbollah and Iran run terror training camps in Lebanon, Syria, and even the border between Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. In these camps, members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards provide guerilla and terror training to not just Hezbollah, but other terrorist groups, such as ETA (the Basque separatists), the Chechens, and various other "freedom fighters."
The mastermind behind many of these terrorist acts has been Imad Mugniyah, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence and security apparatus. He is considered one of the most ruthless men in the world. Before Sep. 11, he had been responsible for more Americans killed than Osama bin Laden. On several occasions, the U.S. had the opportunity to capture him, but was unable to for various reasons. There is currently a sealed indictment against this man in U.S. federal court. Since 1968, he and bin Laden are believed to have been responsible for 70% of all deaths of Americans due to terrorism.
http://yalefreepress.blogspot.com/2004/07/iran-iraq-al-qaeda-oh-my-in-wake-of.html]
What makes me amazed is that an act of terror can be justified.
I remember the massacre in the Russian school: according to some people, the blame was on Putin.
I am amazed at people always finding reasons why the terrorists are never responsible for their acts and to charge others with them.
Anyway, do you remeber what happened in Lebanon and the circumstances in which the Syrians invaded it?
And the massacres of Christians carried out by the PLO?
[What makes me amazed
by Sefarad Friday, Mar. 11, 2005 at 9:16 AM
What makes me amazed is that an act of terror can be justified.
I remember the massacre in the Russian school: according to some people, the blame was on Putin.
I am amazed at people always finding reasons why the terrorists are never responsible for their acts and to charge others with them.
Anyway, do you remeber what happened in Lebanon and the circumstances in which the Syrians invaded it?
And the massacres of Christians carried out by the PLO?]
because, it doesn't appear like you understood it
but, then again, it would require confronting the issue as to why Hizbullah is a "terrorist" group, while the US government is not
it's a hard question to answer, because there really isn't one
and, it would also require a response as to why Lebanonese Christians should receive special political privileges, as they did in the past, at the expense of Muslim population
as an aside, it is important to note that the Christians are not the innocent victims of violence in past Lebanonese conflicts, as all parties have used violence against one another
if Lebanonese Christians seek to recreate their past dominance they are on the verge of a great catastrophe, as the US is not going to protect them in the inevitable civil war that will result
--Richard
by Sefarad Friday, Mar. 11, 2005 at 9:16 AM
What makes me amazed is that an act of terror can be justified.
I remember the massacre in the Russian school: according to some people, the blame was on Putin.
I am amazed at people always finding reasons why the terrorists are never responsible for their acts and to charge others with them.
Anyway, do you remeber what happened in Lebanon and the circumstances in which the Syrians invaded it?
And the massacres of Christians carried out by the PLO?]
because, it doesn't appear like you understood it
but, then again, it would require confronting the issue as to why Hizbullah is a "terrorist" group, while the US government is not
it's a hard question to answer, because there really isn't one
and, it would also require a response as to why Lebanonese Christians should receive special political privileges, as they did in the past, at the expense of Muslim population
as an aside, it is important to note that the Christians are not the innocent victims of violence in past Lebanonese conflicts, as all parties have used violence against one another
if Lebanonese Christians seek to recreate their past dominance they are on the verge of a great catastrophe, as the US is not going to protect them in the inevitable civil war that will result
--Richard
my understanding is that the US, Israel, and the Lebanese gov't all christened Syria's entry into Lebanon.
the Israeli government--i think rightly--believed up until very recently that so long as Syria was in Lebanon there was an "address to go to" to lodge a complaint when problems spiked. today's NYTimes has an interesting article about this--how the *new* consensus within the Israeli government is for a Syria withdrawal, although many officials acknowledge that things may get more difficult when and if Syrian troops leave.
as to terrorism, the US is by far the biggest aggressor in the world--a FACT that Sefarad can't get herself to address let alone refute. i note that she completely ignores Richard's comments regarding US inflicted blood-shed and death in Iraq (which I might add did not begin with the latest war).
the Israeli government--i think rightly--believed up until very recently that so long as Syria was in Lebanon there was an "address to go to" to lodge a complaint when problems spiked. today's NYTimes has an interesting article about this--how the *new* consensus within the Israeli government is for a Syria withdrawal, although many officials acknowledge that things may get more difficult when and if Syrian troops leave.
as to terrorism, the US is by far the biggest aggressor in the world--a FACT that Sefarad can't get herself to address let alone refute. i note that she completely ignores Richard's comments regarding US inflicted blood-shed and death in Iraq (which I might add did not begin with the latest war).
[What makes me amazed
by Sefarad Friday, Mar. 11, 2005 at 9:16 AM
What makes me amazed is that an act of terror can be justified.
I remember the massacre in the Russian school: according to some people, the blame was on Putin.]
Ironically enough, the "some people" in this comment were, in fact, NEO-CONSERVATIVES, which just goes to show that they possess, at best, a fair weather commitment to democracy and the rule of law
It additionally shows that neo-conservatives have no problem with Islamic insurgencies when they are perceived as facilitating the larger geopolitical goals of the US, as in Afghanistan and Chechnya
--Richard
by Sefarad Friday, Mar. 11, 2005 at 9:16 AM
What makes me amazed is that an act of terror can be justified.
I remember the massacre in the Russian school: according to some people, the blame was on Putin.]
Ironically enough, the "some people" in this comment were, in fact, NEO-CONSERVATIVES, which just goes to show that they possess, at best, a fair weather commitment to democracy and the rule of law
It additionally shows that neo-conservatives have no problem with Islamic insurgencies when they are perceived as facilitating the larger geopolitical goals of the US, as in Afghanistan and Chechnya
--Richard
"but, then again, it would require confronting the issue as to why Hizbullah is a "terrorist" group, while the US government is not
it's a hard question to answer, because there really isn't one "
The US has declared war and doesn't target civilians. Terrorists don't declare war and they target civilians.
"and, it would also require a response as to why Lebanonese Christians should receive special political privileges, as they did in the past, at the expense of Muslim population
as an aside, it is important to note that the Christians are not the innocent victims of violence in past Lebanonese conflicts, as all parties have used violence against one another "
It is my opinion that between not receiving privileges and being massacred there is a big gap.
it's a hard question to answer, because there really isn't one "
The US has declared war and doesn't target civilians. Terrorists don't declare war and they target civilians.
"and, it would also require a response as to why Lebanonese Christians should receive special political privileges, as they did in the past, at the expense of Muslim population
as an aside, it is important to note that the Christians are not the innocent victims of violence in past Lebanonese conflicts, as all parties have used violence against one another "
It is my opinion that between not receiving privileges and being massacred there is a big gap.
"Ironically enough, the "some people" in this comment were, in fact, NEO-CONSERVATIVES, which just goes to show that they possess, at best, a fair weather commitment to democracy and the rule of law
It additionally shows that neo-conservatives have no problem with Islamic insurgencies when they are perceived as facilitating the larger geopolitical goals of the US, as in Afghanistan and Chechnya "
I don't think that it is NEO-CONSERVATIVES but all the rulers: they have to use what they have.
Does it make you sad that Al-Qaeda and the Taliban were defeated in Afganistan?
And are you happy that the Chechens murder children or people in a theater?
It additionally shows that neo-conservatives have no problem with Islamic insurgencies when they are perceived as facilitating the larger geopolitical goals of the US, as in Afghanistan and Chechnya "
I don't think that it is NEO-CONSERVATIVES but all the rulers: they have to use what they have.
Does it make you sad that Al-Qaeda and the Taliban were defeated in Afganistan?
And are you happy that the Chechens murder children or people in a theater?
You are being unfair with your own country.
Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S)
January 13, 2005
German court upholds a deportation order against a Hezbollah operative, recognizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization operating out of brutal disregard for human lives
1. On January 4, 2005, a court in Germany (Düsseldorf) upheld a decision made by German security authorities to deport a Hezbollah operative who had lived in Düsseldorf for several years. The court ruled that Hezbollah's support for terrorism was sufficient grounds for the operative's deportation. The court's judges claimed there was substantial evidence for Hezbollah's support for terrorism, and that the organization's struggle against Israel was characterized by “brutal disregard for human lives”.
2. What follows is a translation of the German court's press release (originally in German):
4.1.2005
Denial of visa extension for Hezbollah operative
The decision made by the Foreigners Authority to deny a visa extension for a Lebanese national [Note: The operative's name was not mentioned explicitly] who entered Germany in 1985 and, in the court's opinion, is member of the Hezbollah [organization], is legal. This was the ruling of the Administrative Court in its decision dated December 23, 2004, and its decision is being implemented presently [early January 2005]. A major consideration among the grounds for this decision [by the court] was the fact that the Petitioner was a member of an organization that supports international terrorism. Evidence to that effect was provided by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution [BfV] and the State Offices for the Protection of the Constitution [LfV] in Northrhine-Westphalia and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. [According to that evidence,] Hezbollah, represented in Germany by the Petitioner, supports international terrorism. It [Hezbollah] is engaged in a struggle against Israel employing bomb attacks “with brutal disregard for human lives,” also against civilian targets. Israeli targets [for the organization] were not only in south Lebanon, but also, among other locations, in Istanbul, Ankara, and Buenos Aires. The fact that Hezbollah does not currently appear on the list of the common stance of the European Union is not relevant in this case. [The EU list of terrorist organizations] is determined, among other things, by the various political interests of the [EU] member countries and according to their desires, and it is not a binding legal assessment.
at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S)
January 13, 2005
German court upholds a deportation order against a Hezbollah operative, recognizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization operating out of brutal disregard for human lives
1. On January 4, 2005, a court in Germany (Düsseldorf) upheld a decision made by German security authorities to deport a Hezbollah operative who had lived in Düsseldorf for several years. The court ruled that Hezbollah's support for terrorism was sufficient grounds for the operative's deportation. The court's judges claimed there was substantial evidence for Hezbollah's support for terrorism, and that the organization's struggle against Israel was characterized by “brutal disregard for human lives”.
2. What follows is a translation of the German court's press release (originally in German):
4.1.2005
Denial of visa extension for Hezbollah operative
The decision made by the Foreigners Authority to deny a visa extension for a Lebanese national [Note: The operative's name was not mentioned explicitly] who entered Germany in 1985 and, in the court's opinion, is member of the Hezbollah [organization], is legal. This was the ruling of the Administrative Court in its decision dated December 23, 2004, and its decision is being implemented presently [early January 2005]. A major consideration among the grounds for this decision [by the court] was the fact that the Petitioner was a member of an organization that supports international terrorism. Evidence to that effect was provided by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution [BfV] and the State Offices for the Protection of the Constitution [LfV] in Northrhine-Westphalia and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. [According to that evidence,] Hezbollah, represented in Germany by the Petitioner, supports international terrorism. It [Hezbollah] is engaged in a struggle against Israel employing bomb attacks “with brutal disregard for human lives,” also against civilian targets. Israeli targets [for the organization] were not only in south Lebanon, but also, among other locations, in Istanbul, Ankara, and Buenos Aires. The fact that Hezbollah does not currently appear on the list of the common stance of the European Union is not relevant in this case. [The EU list of terrorist organizations] is determined, among other things, by the various political interests of the [EU] member countries and according to their desires, and it is not a binding legal assessment.
I'm sorry Sefarad, I'll try and stop being so unfair with my country.
The US used cluster bombs and depleted-uranium tipped armaments in Iraq. The cluster bombs maim and kill civilians, often long after being deployed. DU-tipped armaments are blamed by many for the big increase in childhood leukemia in Iraq after the first so-called gulf war. In addition, the US deliberately destroyed Iraqi water treatment facilites, causing outbreaks of water-born illnesses that killed many Iraqi civilians. The US drops bombs on a whole complexes ostensibly to root out one or a few "terrorists" (invocation of which is the all-purpose excuse for anything the US wants to do). I could go on and on.
The US used cluster bombs and depleted-uranium tipped armaments in Iraq. The cluster bombs maim and kill civilians, often long after being deployed. DU-tipped armaments are blamed by many for the big increase in childhood leukemia in Iraq after the first so-called gulf war. In addition, the US deliberately destroyed Iraqi water treatment facilites, causing outbreaks of water-born illnesses that killed many Iraqi civilians. The US drops bombs on a whole complexes ostensibly to root out one or a few "terrorists" (invocation of which is the all-purpose excuse for anything the US wants to do). I could go on and on.
A war is always very harsh, but I don't think the US aims to kill civilians.
And if we think of civilians, how many people killed Saddam?
It is very sad, anyway, but sometimes a war causes fewer dead than a non-war.
And remember that Saddam kept on threatening neighboring countries, such as Kwait.
Don't you think it would have been better if WWII had started earlier, once Hitler's intentions were known?
Or take the former Yugoslavia: wouldn't it have been better if NATO had intervened earlier?
I don't know what motivates you to be such a lap-dog for anything the US does. Was there some child-hood trauma?
I'm assuming you're aware that Saddam Hussein was on the CIA pay-roll back in the late '50s as a hired-gun. The US assisted the coup against Kassem in '63 that put the Baath Party in power. Once the Baathists had wrested state power, the US gave them lists of subversives who were summarily executed. The US had a close relationship with Hussein through the 1980s, providing his regime advanced intelligence, subsidies, and armaments--including bioweapons-making capacity. The US' friendship with the dictator Hussein lasted up until AND TWO YEARS AFTER he gassed the Kurds. It wasn't until their ally invaded the Kuwaiti Corporation that the US started to "care" about Hussein's human rights record!
The US is directly implicated in the carnage associated with Hussein's regime. So spare me your tired "oh, Hussein was a bad man, therefore the US is noble" excuse for an argument.
I'm assuming you're aware that Saddam Hussein was on the CIA pay-roll back in the late '50s as a hired-gun. The US assisted the coup against Kassem in '63 that put the Baath Party in power. Once the Baathists had wrested state power, the US gave them lists of subversives who were summarily executed. The US had a close relationship with Hussein through the 1980s, providing his regime advanced intelligence, subsidies, and armaments--including bioweapons-making capacity. The US' friendship with the dictator Hussein lasted up until AND TWO YEARS AFTER he gassed the Kurds. It wasn't until their ally invaded the Kuwaiti Corporation that the US started to "care" about Hussein's human rights record!
The US is directly implicated in the carnage associated with Hussein's regime. So spare me your tired "oh, Hussein was a bad man, therefore the US is noble" excuse for an argument.
If I remember, Saddam gassed the Kurds at the ending of the first Gurlf War, once they have signed the armistice.
You remember incorrectly.
Saddam Hussein gassed the Kurds in 1988.
American support for Hussein's regime continued until mid-1990.
Saddam Hussein gassed the Kurds in 1988.
American support for Hussein's regime continued until mid-1990.
I remember that when the US withdrew from Iraq, Saddam gassed the Kurds.
"American support for Hussein's regime continued until mid-1990. "
I also remember that Iraq make a war against the Iran of Jomenini. Is that what you mean?
I also remember that Iraq make a war against the Iran of Jomenini. Is that what you mean?
Look it up. Hussein's regime gassed the Kurds in 1988. US support for Hussein continued until he invaded Kuwait in August of 1990.
Hussein attacked Iran in 1980, starting the Iran-Iraq war which continued until 1988. The US, caring as it does for human rights, supported both sides in that conflict, but leaned toward Iraq.
Hussein attacked Iran in 1980, starting the Iran-Iraq war which continued until 1988. The US, caring as it does for human rights, supported both sides in that conflict, but leaned toward Iraq.
You are right about 1988. And I also remember the other occasion.
UN says Hezbollah bears main blame for French peacekeeper’s death
(AFP)
10 January 2005
BEIRUT - The United Nations said Monday that Shiite militant group Hezbollah bore the main responsibility for the death of a French peacekeeper in a flare-up of violence on the Israel-Lebanon border.
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said the violence had been sparked by a Hezbollah attack that killed one Israeli soldier and wounded three, violating the so-called Blue Line drawn up to mark the border following Israel’s 2000 pullout from south Lebanon.
“We are expressing ... serious concern over what happened yesterday with the attack of Hezbollah across the Blue Line,” the envoy said after talks with Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud.
“We can’t forget anyway that the event started with the attack across the Blue Line.”
De Mistura rejected Hezbollah’s argument that attacks on the disputed Shebaa Farms district were justified because it remained under Israeli occupation.
“We consider the Blue Line (extends) all the way up to Shebaa, including Shebaa,” he said.
The formerly Syrian-controlled district was occupied by Israel in 1967 along with the rest of the strategic Golan Heights but is now claimed by Lebanon with Syrian blessing.
De Mistura expressed “deep, deep sadness” over the death of the French peacekeeper and the wounding of a Swedish comrade in retaliatory Israeli fire.
“We have been asking all sides first to remember that they are responsible for the safety of our own colleagues who are working for peace,” he said.
The UN envoy noted that the mandate of the 27-year-old United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was up for renewal by the Security Council later this month.
“We are in a very delicate period not only in the history of Lebanon but of the region,” he said.
“This is the time to maintain calm ... We’re asking all sides to contain their actions.”
Hezbollah retorted that its attack was a response to a separate UN Security Council resolution passed last September calling for an end to foreign interference in Lebanon and the deployment of government troops right up to the Blue Line.
“Our response can be viewed as an answer to the international pressures exerted on both Lebanon and Syria to disarm the resistance and to assure everyone that our struggle will continue,” Hezbollah official Mahmud Qmati told Lebanon’s Daily Star.
Hezbollah, which is backed by both Syria and its key regional ally Iran, has effectively controlled Lebanon’s deep south since Israel’s pullout.
(AFP)
10 January 2005
BEIRUT - The United Nations said Monday that Shiite militant group Hezbollah bore the main responsibility for the death of a French peacekeeper in a flare-up of violence on the Israel-Lebanon border.
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said the violence had been sparked by a Hezbollah attack that killed one Israeli soldier and wounded three, violating the so-called Blue Line drawn up to mark the border following Israel’s 2000 pullout from south Lebanon.
“We are expressing ... serious concern over what happened yesterday with the attack of Hezbollah across the Blue Line,” the envoy said after talks with Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud.
“We can’t forget anyway that the event started with the attack across the Blue Line.”
De Mistura rejected Hezbollah’s argument that attacks on the disputed Shebaa Farms district were justified because it remained under Israeli occupation.
“We consider the Blue Line (extends) all the way up to Shebaa, including Shebaa,” he said.
The formerly Syrian-controlled district was occupied by Israel in 1967 along with the rest of the strategic Golan Heights but is now claimed by Lebanon with Syrian blessing.
De Mistura expressed “deep, deep sadness” over the death of the French peacekeeper and the wounding of a Swedish comrade in retaliatory Israeli fire.
“We have been asking all sides first to remember that they are responsible for the safety of our own colleagues who are working for peace,” he said.
The UN envoy noted that the mandate of the 27-year-old United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was up for renewal by the Security Council later this month.
“We are in a very delicate period not only in the history of Lebanon but of the region,” he said.
“This is the time to maintain calm ... We’re asking all sides to contain their actions.”
Hezbollah retorted that its attack was a response to a separate UN Security Council resolution passed last September calling for an end to foreign interference in Lebanon and the deployment of government troops right up to the Blue Line.
“Our response can be viewed as an answer to the international pressures exerted on both Lebanon and Syria to disarm the resistance and to assure everyone that our struggle will continue,” Hezbollah official Mahmud Qmati told Lebanon’s Daily Star.
Hezbollah, which is backed by both Syria and its key regional ally Iran, has effectively controlled Lebanon’s deep south since Israel’s pullout.
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