Hezbollah condemned for 'attack on Syrian villages'

[oberliner]

The Syrian National Council (SNC) said Hezbollah fighters attacked three villages near the Lebanese border in support of the Syrian government.

Hezbollah said three Lebanese Shia were killed in the clashes. Hezbollah has consistently denied it has sent its members to fight for the Syrian regime.

The UN meanwhile has said human rights abuses in Syria have got worse.

In a report issued on Monday, a UN-appointed inquiry team said the conflict had become "increasingly sectarian... radicalised and militarised", according to AFP news agency.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21496735

[Alamuti Lotus]

1. Hyping Hezbollah’s Role in Syria

Last edited Mon Feb 25, 2013, 05:43 PM - Edit history (4)

Hyping Hezbollah’s Role in Syria

On Tuesday, 19 February 2013, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) issued a statement accusing Hezbollah of shelling Syrian territory and threatening to “shell and silence the sources of Hezbollah fire in Lebanese territory” if it did not stop within 48 hours.

No sooner had the ultimatum expired did various media outlets broadcast reports that Hezbollah bases in Syria and Lebanon had been targeted, including an artillery position in the border village of Hawsh al-Sayyed Ali.The news spread like wildfire.

Yet in the town of Hermel and the adjoining villages of Qasr and Hawsh al-Sayyed Ali – scenes of the supposed attacks – life continued as normal. The only thing disturbing the peace of local residents was the inundation of phone calls from concerned or curious outsiders.

“There’s nothing happening here,” a local source told Al-Akhbar. “It’s just media propaganda to go with the statements made by the armed groups in Syria. It’s coming from the channels that support them.”

link

[oberliner]

2. Al-Akhbar is a good unbiased source?

Are there others you like?

[Alamuti Lotus]

3. Yes, it is one of the best

I greatly admire Ibrahim al-Amin for being able to keep it going strong in these times.

[oberliner]

6. Can you recommend some others?

What is your take on Lebanon Daily Star?

[Alamuti Lotus]

7. Short version? Utter shit.

A few years ago it was occasionally decent, but it has so completely fallen under the Saudi-Hariri aegis that it is almost unreadable filth, even in the context of "know your enemy". Pro-Israel types like to quote it, because that "see what the Arabs say!!" is such a handy gotcha for those who don't know any better.
The nice thing I can say about it is at least it's not an-Nahar or al-Mustaqbal. Which is akin to saying that something may indeed be dog shit, but at least it's not a dead pigeon.

[oberliner]

8. Any source in English about Lebanon that isn't shit?

Hard to find and discern what from what online.

[Jefferson23]

4. Thanks for posting, if possible could you fix the link. n/t

K&R

[Alamuti Lotus]

5. Oh I didn't notice that, thanks..

The apostrophe seems to be misbehaving. Let me see if I can sort that out with my phone, else it will be corrected when I get home later.

[Jefferson23]

9. I think this should work.

http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/15052/