(Nearly Half Million Protesters) Answer Hezbollah Call in Beirut

[truthpusher]

This story has been covered in LBN today. However, the stories posted do not reflect the true magnitude of the crowd. This was an anti-American protest as well, the MSM thus far is downplaying the size of the protest. This latest AP story has a crowd of 500,000.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050308/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_syria_34

Thousands Answer Hezbollah Call in Beirut
-----------------------------------------
Tue Mar 8,10:51 AM ET Middle East - AP
By TANALEE SMITH, Associated Press Writer
-----------------------------------------
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Nearly 500,000 pro-Syrian protesters waved flags and chanted anti-American slogans in a central Beirut square Tuesday, answering a nationwide call by the militant Shiite Muslim Hezbollah group for a demonstration to counter weeks of massive rallies demanding Syrian forces leave Lebanon.



Organizers handed out Lebanese flags and directed the men and women to separate sections of Riad Solh Square. Loudspeakers blared militant songs urging resistance to foreign interference. Demonstrators held up pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad and signs saying, "Syria & Lebanon brothers forever."

Other placards read: "America is the source of terrorism"; "All our disasters are from America"; "No to American-Zionist intervention; Yes to Lebanese-Syrian brotherhood."

(snip)

The demonstration was in front of U.N. offices. Hezbollah opposes the U.N. resolution drafted by the United States and France last year calling for Syria to withdraw its 14,000 troops from Lebanon.

complete story: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050308/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_syria_34

[daleo]

1. The crowd on TV looked huge.

CNN didn't even bother trying to play that down (visually), although they called it a crowd of thousands (strictly true, but very conservative).

I don't really know about the rights and wrongs of Syrian involvement, but I did feel that we were only being given one side of the story in the last few weeks. This confirms that impression. There was a civil war in the 80's after all, and that takes two sides (or more).

[Charles19]

2. Syria always has planned to pull out

Bush is just trying to take credit for every positive thing that happens in the Middle East now.

[daleo]

3. They may need these troops to protect their country from Bush.

Bush and his compliant media will certainly try to spin everything in his favor.

[Robbien]

5. Many in the eastern press say the Syrian troops are needed

Our corporate media is being led around by the use of PR companies and NGOs by the US government to ‘sell’ a Lebanon uprising against Syria.

[tx_dem41]

13. Please point me to a source that "Syria always has planned to pull...

...out"? One that actually provides evidence of such an imminent pull-out? They were supposed to pull out years and years ago, according to a UN resolution that THEY agreed to.

[kliljedahl]

4. Why do they hate Freedom®?

[underpants]

6. Ahem..the Today Show said it was "thousands" & showed 5 seconds of footage

So it's "thousands" and not very important. M'kay?

[old blue]

7. Yeah, and according to * today,

"In the words of one Lebanese observer, "Democracy is knocking at the door of this country. And if it's successful in Lebanon, it is going to ring the doors of every Arab regime."

So I really don't see why these protests should have any weight. :p

[underpants]

8. Mmmm gonna have to call a "too Jewish" on that line by W

Maybe it is some sort of code like "Dred Scott"

[tx_dem41]

15. "Too Jewish"???

:shrug:

[underpants]

21. Sorry probably not the best choice

It was a mix of a joke line from "Blazing Saddles" and the door reference in W's statement-think lamb's blood.

[cal04]

9. but if we remember correctly when it was the Ukraine

wasn't the protests a BIG deal for days
Kiev's Independence Square became the site of huge protests
Up to 200,000 protesters have marched on Ukraine's parliament demanding authorities admit they cheated in a presidential poll that showed the country's Moscow-backed prime minister had won.

[underpants]

10. Actually I heard this morning that the Ukraine was a great victory for W

Seems that the US fostered the grassroots movement that put Yushchenko in power.

A commentator on NPR. I first heard about W's victory in Ukraine about 2 weeks ago from some guy sitting in for Rush.

[Robbien]

11. But the Ukraine had three BushCo backed PR firms

pushing the Orange Revolution:

Hill & Knowlton, Inc
PCO Worldwide, Inc
BKSH & Associates

Those guys are now working on the anti-Syrian side in Lebanon.

[MisterP]

22. Pres. Damien Thorn sho' is fast!

[skippythwndrdog]

12. English signs?

Hmmm, looks like the terrorist organization of Hezbollah is getting pretty smart about their PR. It is amazing that they have signs that seem to be made just for American TV.

[DixieSticks]

61. Pretty smart...

...indeed

[Kimber Scott]

14. Why, exactly, is this our business? Has anyone called for the US to

withdraw from Iraq? Have we? Point made.

[tx_dem41]

16. Ummm...the UN has called for Syria to withdraw.

As well as the Arab League. Its a lot more than "We".

[Kimber Scott]

19. And the UN has called for a lot of other things we don't seem interested

in enforcing. Are we all of a sudden pro-UN? Look, I don't know what's going on in Lebanon, but don't we have enough on our plates with Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran? Oh wait, I forgot, we're going to transform the Middle East. Maybe after Syria leaves Lebanon we can stop sending terror suspects to Syria to be "interrogated." You see how the whole thing is a bit convoluted?

We don't need the UN, but let's enforce their resolutions. Or, is it just France and the US who trumpeted this resolution. I thought we didn't like France? Only when it comes to Iraqi oil contracts and Iranian nuclear plants? Oh, now I see. And French Fries. We don't like French Fries, or do we? I can't remember.

[tx_dem41]

20. You missed my point entirely.

I know of no country other than Syria that is backing the continued operation. If you read up on this, I believe there have been public statements around the world (all of Europe, most of the ME, Russia, etc) calling for Syria to leave. It is beyond me why you think this is a sole-USA vs. Syria issue. It just takes a little bit of effort to find out otherwise.

This is also an issue that has been going on for years and years. Maybe people need to be more aware of these issues before they are thrust onto the front page. That might make them realize this isn't an issue to just be knee-jerk anti-Bush on. You can be for the pullout and not support Bush at all.

[Kimber Scott]

24. You miss my point entirely.

I don't care what Syria does, or does not do. I really don't. I'm not Lebonese, I'm not Syrian. I don't live in the vicinity. I do care what George Bush does, which is to daily DEMAND some other country take some sort of action. Whether he is "right" to do it this time is beside the point.

Wolf. Wolf. Wolf. Terra. Terra. Terra. Demand. Demand. Demand.

The only thing he doesn't demand is OPEC lower oil prices.

[tx_dem41]

26. Okay....point taken. Regardless, of who else is for it....

your against it. Got it.

[Kimber Scott]

29. What am I against?

I guess it's just too hard for me to explain to you. I don't know who to be for or against in this situation and I don't care. I just want the president of my country to quit acting like he's king of the world. That's it.

I can guarantee you, no matter whose side I picked in this situation the game would end the same. I do not matter to the process. I am not a player. I'm not even a spectator. I'm a passer-by. Now, I'm moving on.

[tx_dem41]

33. I am for a free and sovereign Lebanon.

You don't care. You've made that abundantly clear.

[Kimber Scott]

36. Good. I'm for a free and sovereign everybody.

Now, does that change anything? Is the world a better place?

[tx_dem41]

38. We won't know 'til it happens, will we?

BTW, thanks for showing me that I can't spell "sovereign". :)

[tx_dem41]

28. BTW, I hope you condemned the role of the U.S. in Bosnia and Kosovo...

...under President Clinton just as vehemently. I hope you shouted down people wanting to intervene in the mass-murder of 800,000 Rwandans just as vehemently. At least then, you would be consistent.

[Robbien]

34. Hm Now where have we heard this before. If one is against current foreign

policy then one has to hate Clinton because Clinton did it also.

[tx_dem41]

37. I value consistency in one's thinking.

If you had read the post I was responding to, you would have found out that the poster endorse a "Fortress America" policy much like Bush did in the 2000 campaign. I was just attempting to discover whether the poster shared Bush's inconsistency.

My thoughts are quite consistent with Clinton's in this matter.

[Robbien]

25. It is not a sole US vs Syria issue, it is a corporate elite vs Syria issue

The funding backing the anti-Syrian forces are IMF, NED, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Freedom House, USAID, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Freedom House, the World Bank and the Charles Stuart Mott Foundation.

When these agents for the corporate elite get together causing civil unrest, "knee-jerk" opposition is not just justified, it is mandated.

[tx_dem41]

27. Sadly and tellingly, you left the Lebanese people out of the equation...

....sounds like you're just like all the entities you condemn.

[Robbien]

30. The Lebanese people do not get a choice, just as Iraqis didn't get one

They are just fodder to be used by the corporate elite. The same as what is happening in Africa and South and Central America.

No country's citizens can choose their own destiny especially if the global corporate elite feels otherwise.

[Vladimir]

32. You mean the half a million in Beirut?

I think he put them in the equation, unless you concur with the view that they were all bussed in from Syria...

On a serious note, Lebanon is very split on Syrian involvement, as you and I both know from a cursory glance at the history books. The problem was pretending that last week's demonstrations spoke for the country, which they didn't, and letting that frame the debate. If Syria is forced out on US terms, Hezbollah may decide to, shall we say, practice some direct action. Which would hardly be a brilliant outcome...

[tx_dem41]

35. The population of Lebanon is over 500,000 people.

I am all for a free referendum for the Lebanese people to determine the status of the Syrian army in Lebanon. Sadly, Syria seems to be afraid of such a referendum. Are you afraid of such a referendum?

[shadowknows69]

41. threats work

Lebannon knows that if they don't at least make it look like they're making Syria leave that we'll bomb significant numbers of their civilians to make them leave. All they need to do is look at how we "liberated" fallujah from insurgents. The Lebanese don't "love the smell of napalm in the morning"

[tx_dem41]

43. Where do you get this insight into the psyche of the average Lebanese?

It sounds like its right out of the "Dictator's Handbook to Justify Not Holding Free Elections"?

[shadowknows69]

44. that's not the point.

It's not our place to tell them when or under what conditions to have free elections. of the 500,000 in the streets of beruit right now probably a significant ammount are proud lebanese who eventaully want full autonomy again. That's not what their signs are saying. They're telling bush to saty out of theri business. And the mighty US as God's among men simply shrugs. Do it!!! or We'll spank you.

[tx_dem41]

47. If you believe its not "our place" (which I agree with), why do you think.

its the Syrians' place? Seems inconsistent to me.

[shadowknows69]

49. I don't think it's Syria's place either

but it's up to lebanon to decide what to do about that.

[tx_dem41]

50. But, you appear to be for the status quo...which is a repressive ..

...occupation of Lebanon by Syria. Under this status quo, a truly free referendum could never occur.

[Vladimir]

51. Whatever the Lebanese want

the problem is that after the demonstration by 30,000 odd anti-Syrian protesters, the whole world suddenly acquired the expert 'understanding' that all Lebanese want Syria out. Now, when 500,000 Moslems, Christians and others have marched against the withdrawal, they are seen as some fringe reaction (as Slobodan Milosevic once said of a student rally numbering some 250,000: 'They are a handful of sellouts'). But the really funny thing is, I was listening to an interview on BBC Radio 4 with one of the 'pro-Syrian' protestors, and she emphasised over and over again that they are all for a dialogue and that they are emphatically not protesting against the 'anti-Syrian' demonstrators. So I think the only ones in the whole affair who 'fear' a referendum on the issue are the imperialists desperate to impose a non-existent uniformity of opinion on Lebanon's public...

PS Why the hell would I be 'afraid' of a referendum?! What exactly do I have to fear, sitting on my sofa in Britain, about a Middle Eastern country doing this thing or the other? My ego really isn't quite that big, I assure you...

[tx_dem41]

52. Thanks for the observations...

I just want to see a free referendum held, which I don't believe can happen with the status quo.

Was the interview reference on the Today Programme? Or News at 5? Or somewhere else? I would like to listen to it thru their website.

[Vladimir]

74. No idea as to where the interview

was... I just tuned into a news show around 5:30pm maybe? Sorry I can't be of more help mate.

[shadowknows69]

53. mine either

I'm still trying to deal with how to handle my own repressive occupied country.

[tx_dem41]

54. I understand, Shadow....

Thanks for adding some levity (or sadly, was that levity)? Have a good day!

[Darranar]

59. If the people of Lebanon want Syria to stay, should Syria stay? n/t

[leftchick]

17. Over Half A Milllion People!!! Where did chimpy*s Democracy go?

[primavera]

78. It's alive and well

Unfortunately, what the shrub never considers is that people's free will rarely coincides with his idea of what he thinks they should want.

[revolution now]

18. I have one thing to say about this..

EAT IT BUSH!

[shadowknows69]

39. US shrugs at Pro-Syria rally in Beruit

<http://news.yahoo.com/fc?tmpl=fc&cid=34&in=world&cat=Lebanon>


500,000 people gets a shrug. Sheet we could kill that many with one volley of ICBMs. I guess the earmark for getting Shrub's attention is one million plus?

[doc05]

40. Is this what we've sunk

Is this what we've sunk to? That a scene like this can possibly make you happy? God help us.

[shadowknows69]

46. I'm not happy.

with much of anything. Pretty much ready to slit my wrsits if you must know.

[tx_dem41]

48. Well, heck....don't do that! :)

[frictionlessO]

56. Oh no sweety we're just happy so many support our

ally in extraodinairy rendition. Though I suppose the Sauds would torture them for us instead.

Give me a break. People are knee jerkin' to Bush all the times these days here because the administration and its corporate and military minions lie to us ALL, all the time, constantly. Quit trying to give DU'ers a black eye for having a different view of these events due to mind trauma caused by the mis-administration of this country!!!!!!!!!!


on edit: spelling and a nasty comment removed.

[doc05]

75. "a different view of these events?"

That's like the guy on the block who nobody can stand losing his job. It becomes common knowledge that he can't afford to feed his kids and they're going to bed hungry at night, and his reputation falls even further. Would you and your neighbors really go around high-fiving each other over this fact? This is an issue of right and wrong that should transcend party.

[anakie]

23. That these people could protest/demonstrate

as well as the anti Syrian mob during the week without the major bloodshed that was occuring during the 80's is a sign of the progression of Lebanese society since Syrian involvement.

Bush's triumphant democracy in the Middle East so far. Iraq, 6 weeks later and still no PM; Saudi Arabia, limited council elections in limited areas where only men could vote; Egypt, Mubarak will allow another name on the presidential ballot and win by only 80%. And it is spun as a heroic success.

I can see myself saying in a years time - Lebanon, another Bush fuckup.

[Teaser]

31. Don't count your bloodlessness before it hatches, though

There have been multiple shootings and violent incidents between pro and anti-syrian forces since the weekend.

The danger now is that the anti-Syrians have to find a way to upstage this. Good luck.

[David__77]

42. N/t

...

[LdyGuique]

45. The politics in Lebanon is far more complex and Syria has

definately played the role of the heavy.

Here's a good link for the History of Lebanon (scroll down for the "modern" history).

Lebanon was a stable and balanced democracy from 1948 until wave after wave of Palestinians sought refuge within its borders. Syria has been attempting to annex Lebanon for decades and has essentially occupied it in a very repressive manner for 20 years. In this particular case, Bush isn't wrong.

[cosmicdot]

72. would you recommend this source as biased-free? n/t

[Gloria]

55. Nasrullah staged this in a very savvy way...no Hezbollah flags, just

Lebanese flags, a rally to thank Syria and to focus on the anti-US intervention message. Most Lebanese want Syria out, but there is a lot of gratitude for towards them for stabilizing the country and most also don't want US intervention. It was also against the UN resolution 1559 calling for Hezbollah to disarm (and other militias as well, many in the Palestinian populace)...Hezbollah doesn't want to disarm because there is a fear that Israel will be getting involved again.

I heard a Hezbollah spokesman say that this is all about democracy, the fact that everyone can have a rally. That's good PR, non-inflammatory. The Daily Star, a moderate paper ran an editorial that I posted in the WMW a couple of days ago that said that Nasrullah had a lot of wisdom and should be listened to seriously.

BBC is running interviews with average people from many of the groups in Lebanon. So far I hear a desire for Syria to leave, but gratitude that they were in and helped end the civil war and a wish for good relations with Syria. There is also suspicion that the death of Hariri was "fishy"--(US).

The Shias/Hezbollah are the largest part of the population. And, as one analyst I heard yesterday on CBC say, there hasn't been a census in years and no one really know how all the groups count up....

I also heard an interview with a former leader in exile who is dying to return. As one analyst said, he could be just wanting to return to stir up trouble.

[Matilda]

57. I have no particular affection for Syria,

but I have doubts as to their involvement in the assassination of
Hariri. Seems to me that Israel stands more to gain from the fallout
than anyone else.

I've been searching the net for opinion on the current situation
and found this very enlightening document at Information Clearing
House:

"Lebanon's Hariri Killed to make a "Clean Break?"

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8188.htm

Look particularly at this section a bit down the page:

"The outcome of the regional convulsions provoked by the "Clean
Break" doctrine was to be a new Middle East, with Israel hegemonic
in the region, presiding over a series of newly balkanized states,
run by puppet regimes. The Bush Administration has recently
restated its intention to pick off these governments, dubbed
"outposts of tyranny" one by one. The order in which they were to
be hit was presumed to start with Iran. Instead, Syria was moved
into first place.

The reason for this .... is that if Iran were attacked militarily
by the United States or Israel, the Islamic Republic would respond
asymetrically, unleashing allied and sympathetic Shi'ite forces
in the Persian Gulf and in Lebanon. Hezbollah's capabilities to
target Israel could be effectively deployed. Thus .... the need
to ELIMINATE THE LEBANESE-BASED SHI'ITE HEZBOLLAH as a factor, and
at the same time neutralize Syria, BEFORE MOVING AGAINST TEHRAN."

And whose hands are behind this strategy? None other than our old
friends Wolfowitz, Perle, Feith and Cheney.

This is not about Hariri, it's about Israel/US domination of the
Middle East. It always was.

[Toronto Ron]

58. Israeli domination of the Middle East

What a bunch of crap. If Israel has hegemonic ambitions, why did they return Sinai (with its oil) to Egypt? Why are they withdrawing from Gaza? They will withdraw from at least 90% of the West Bank within 5 years, and have shown some willingness, in the past, to talk about leaving the Golan for peace with Syria. Yes, they have been heavy-handed at times, but to lump them together with the pure evil of the Cheney-Rumsfeld oil fascists is a stretch. Wolfowitz & those other PNACers are merely useful foreign policy tools for the true wielders of power.

[Matilda]

63. Menachim Begin agreed to the return of Sinai to Egypt

as part of the Carter Administration-brokered peace agreement and
for which Begin and Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978.

Israel is withdrawing from Gaza (which is largely useless) but is
dismantling only about 4% of the West Bank settlements, while still
increasing the numbers in other settlements, rendering their
withdrawal negligible. There are no plans for further withdrawal
from the West Bank at this point.

There is no reason for Syria to have executed Hariri, thereby giving
the Bush regime an excuse to attack - whatever Assad's faults,
stupidity is not one of them. Israel is and always has been
paranoid about Iran, Iraq and Syria, and it is in her interests to
assist the U.S. in installing puppet regimes in those countries.

The main beneficiary of unrest in Lebanon is Israel.

[Toronto Ron]

65. My reply

1) Thanks for the history lesson re Begin-Sadat :eyes:

2) I said (predicted) Israel would withdraw from most of the West Bank within 5 years, not part of the current move. I am an optimist. Even the Likud (at least half of it) recognizes the inevitability.

3) There is plenty of reason for Syria to have killed Hariri. His return to power was imminent, and was no friend of the Syrian occupation. According to every analysis I've read, Assad the younger is not a competent dictator. He fails to understand the nuances and subtleties of the region's geopolitics, a criticism one could not have levelled on his father (no matter what one thought of him). Or did you not realize that Hafez has been dead for a few years, and that his son Bashar now rules Syria?

4) Regarding Israel being "paranoid": Check the history books on whether Iraq & Syria have ever attacked Israel. Check the daily rhetoric from Iran. Et cetera.

5) Israel does not benefit from unrest in Lebanon per se. Sure, they benefit if Syria is out, which would make life difficult for Hezbollah. Israel would be the main beneficiary of quiet and stability in the middle east. It has a developed knowledge-based economy, and would like nothing more than to divert money away from its massive defense budget.

[Matilda]

67. I'm afraid I don't share your optimism.

We are already seeing a backlash against Sharon from the settlers
who don't want to pull out from Gaza - it would be much worse should
any PM try to withdraw the settlements in the West Bank.

I'm fully aware of who Assad is, and I said in my first post that I
don't have any particular love of Syria, but it would be sheer
blinding stupidity for any of the targeted ME countries to give
Bush an excuse to attack, and I don't believe Assad is that stupid.
The Syrians have in fact been negotiating with the opposition in
recent months.

Israel is paranoid about the surrounding countries - I never said
that it was without reason. But US puppet regimes would suit them
just fine. And don't try to tell me that Israel doesn't play dirty
pool with the best of them.

And remember - Lebanon was only able to get the Israelis out of their
country with the help of Syria. Sure, they didn't want Syria to
stay, but Syria leaving now, with a power vacuum at the top until the
elections in May, leaves Lebanon very vulnerable. They are not
capable of protecting themselves against a US or Israeli strike.
And just how much excuse does Bush need?
Somehow this all seems to be moving Israel's way.

[Toronto Ron]

76. A couple of things:

Recall that the evacuation from Sinai was anything but smooth (see Yamit). The settlers will be dealt with, one way or another. In an eventual peace agreement, Israel would likely annex the areas around Jerusalem which contain most of the settlers, possibly in exchange for contiguous land in the north or south.

Hezbollah gives itself too much credit for Israel's departure from Lebanon. Israel left due to a simple cost-benefit analysis. As for Lebanon becoming vulnerable, their biggest worry is yet another civil war, this time instigated by Hezbollah, who want Lebanon to become a mini-Iran. What interest does Israel have in Lebanon, aside from keeping the border quiet from Hezbollah rockets? What interest does the U.S. have (no oil)?

I appreciate the discussion.

[JoFerret]

64. Reichstag fire anyone?

.

[Darranar]

60. So much for all of that "Bush liberated Lebanon" nonsense. n/t

[DixieSticks]

62. total...

...nonsense

[Psephos]

66. NE1 else think it's weird the pro-Syrians are virtually all male?

What's up with that?

[Matilda]

73. Islamic women are less likely to be seen taking part in any demo

or march on the streets. It's something you always see whenver
there's any big group scene in ME countries - in the most repressed
you won't see any women at all on the streets.

[Vladimir]

77. Ah but they did manage

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4330785.stm

to find a particularly pretty girl for PR purposes. Hizb Allah are learning fast...

[cal04]

68. Syrian-backed group Amal gave a figure of 1.5 million.

Journalists at the scene estimated the crowd numbers at hundreds of thousands, while an official source and the television station of the Syrian-backed group Amal gave a figure of 1.5 million.
Syrian forces are credited with helping ending the civil war that tore Lebanon apart. Christian, Muslim and Druze militias fought each other in rounds of sectarian and inter-sectarian fighting. About 150,000 people were believed to have died.

A historic day

"This is a historic day in the history of Lebanon, a day that will found the future of Lebanon," Hizb Allah's media director Muhammad Afif told Aljazeera.
"This huge crowd is gathered under the title of rejecting resolution 1559, as many Lebanese people, including some opposition elements, reject this resolution.
"This demonstration does not come against the opposition protest in al-Shuhada (Martyrs) Square. We respect all Lebanese opinions, as they are democratic expressions. "Lebanon is a democratic and free country. Everyone wants to express their opinions," he said.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4A02EB97-5B87-4F28-8B91-523CCAA3FE92.htm

[catastrophicsuccess]

69. Just a stupid observation from a newb

Isn't Lebanon a democracy already?

[Robbien]

71. It use to be, but now is caught in the middle of a tug of war

between Hizballah and the global corporate elite. The Lebanese themselves are just pawns in the power struggle.

[chlamor]

70. The Lebanese People Remember History- Conquer and Divide

Between 500,000 and a million Lebanese turned out to tell Bush and Chirac they don’t want Syria out of their country, not because they particularly love the Syrians but because they are afraid of what will happen if the Syrian military leaves.

“Syrian forces are credited with helping end the civil war that tore Lebanon apart,” notes Reuters. “Christian, Muslim and Druze militias fought each other. Battles also erupted within rival communities. About 150,000 people are thought to have died.”

The French imposed colonial rule on the Lebanese so of course they dislike and distrust them. They are concerned as an earlier post stated mostly about the power vaccuum and what this means to their stability. The Lebanese people must have their autonomy but it must come from within.

To gain some further insight read 'Ending Syria's Occupation of Lebanon: The U.S. Role', a report of a group chaired by Daniel Pipes and Ziad Abdelnour, in which is buried one of the real reasons for the current events in Lebanon and Syria. You can google it. Here is a snip:

"The Middle East faces the looming problem of water shortages because of both the area's hot and arid climate and its huge population growth. Aside from Turkey (which controls the sources of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers) and Iraq (through which those two rivers flow), the only Middle Eastern country blessed with a substantial supply of fresh water is Lebanon. Its high mountain ranges capture and retain impressive amounts of snow and moisture for several months, much of which eventually feeds subterranean aquifers and artesian wells. The landscape is dotted with springs, small streams, rivulets, and several sizable rivers like the Litani. Between 80 and 90 percent of Lebanon's flowing water, though, is lost for that which is not absorbed into underground storage, ends up in the sea. Assuming all of Lebanon's future water needs can be met using half of this wasted amount, harnessing and distributing the remaining half to neighboring countries like Israel, Syria, and Jordan would be a significant step in alleviating the impending regional water shortage."



Here from an article by Robert Fisk:
The Lebanese are stunned. They know that the regional tour of the US neo-conservative deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, with his demands for a Syrian withdrawal and the disarmament of the anti-Israeli Hizbollah militia, is part of Israel's agenda in Lavant. A weakened Syria, along with a pliant Lebanon without any anti-Israeli forces on its border, is almost as pleasant for Washington and its Israeli friends as an emasculated, American-dominated Iraq.

Syria's supposed support for the Iraqi insurgency--another of Mr Armitage's griefs--has a special irony. It was Lebanese rebel General Michel Aoun's alliance with Saddam Hussein in 1990 that originally inspired the US to support Syria's destruction of Aoun's statelet.
http://www.robert-fisk.com/articles442.htm


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