AP: U.S. concerned about possible attempt to topple Lebanese government

[Eugene]

U.S. concerned about possible attempt to topple Lebanese government

The Associated Press
Published: November 1, 2006

WASHINGTON: The White House expressed concern Wednesday over what it called
mounting evidence that Syria and Iran are joining with Hezbollah in an attempt
to topple the Lebanese government.

Press Secretary Tony Snow said any such attempt through tactics that include
manufactured demonstrations and violence or physical threats to Lebanese
leaders would be a clear violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and three United
Nations Security Council resolutions.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/01/america/NA_GEN_US_Lebanon.php

From BBC News...

Last Updated: Wednesday, 1 November 2006, 16:39 GMT

US issues Lebanon 'plot' warning

-snip-

The White House said Syria hoped to stop the formation of an international tribunal
to try suspects in the killing of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri.

-snip-

The BBC News website's world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds says the White
House statement appears to result from the tense situation in Lebanon, where
Hezbollah is demanding one third of cabinet seats, thereby giving it a veto
over decisions.

Such a veto would enable it to block approval of the international tribunal to try
suspects in Mr Hariri's assassination, our correspondent says.

-snip-

The statement also casts doubt on any willingness by the Bush administration to
consider Syria and Iran as potential partners over the future of Iraq, an idea that
the Baker commission on Iraq is expected to suggest, our correspondent adds.

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6107224.stm

Edited to add BBC article.

[MidwestTransplant]

1. That woudl be another Bush success in stabalizing the ME

NOT

[sabra]

2. Iran, Syria Plot to `Topple' Lebanon's Leadership, U.S. Says

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ahKCrNzPXVnQ&refer=home

Iran, Syria Plot to `Topple' Lebanon's Leadership, U.S. Says

Nov. 1 (Bloomberg) -- The Bush administration today accused Iran and Syria of plotting to depose the Lebanese government of U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

The U.S. is ``increasingly concerned by mounting evidence that the Syrian and Iranian governments, Hezbollah and their Lebanese allies are preparing plans to topple Lebanon's democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Siniora,'' the White House said in a statement.

The Bush administration said there are ``indications'' Syria is trying to disrupt passage of a statute by the Lebanese government permitting an international tribunal to try those accused of involvement in former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination. The U.S. statement noted that an international tribunal can be established ``no matter what happens in Lebanon.''

Syrian intelligence officials, including President Bashar al-Assad's brother and brother-in-law, have been implicated in the attack, which is being investigated by UN-appointed officials. Syria has denied any involvement.

[cosmik debris]

3. That should prove interesting

Compared to US/Israel plot to topple Lebanon's leadership.

You can't tell the players without a scorecard.

[jobycom]

4. Hey, maybe they ARE finally trying to be more like America!

"Daddy, Bush gets to topple leaders he doesn't like all over the world, why can't we do that?"

[Jacobin]

5. And the US toppled Iraq's leadership and is about to do it AGAIN

pot, meet kettle

[warishell]

6. Does anyone believe this BS?

Seriously? Is this just propaganda being spouted before Israel launches mission 2 of its murderous campaign?

[olshak]

14. Yes...

...that is exactly what this is.

[G_j]

7. US issues Lebanon 'plot' warning

mm..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6107224.stm

US issues Lebanon 'plot' warning

The United States has said there is "mounting evidence" that Syria, Iran and Hezbollah are planning to topple the Lebanese government.

The White House said Syria hoped to stop the formation of an international tribunal to try suspects in the killing of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri.

Spokesman Tony Snow said any attempt to destabilise the Lebanese government would violate UN resolutions.

A UN team has been investigating who was behind Mr Hariri's death in 2005.

---
(..pretty interesting since Lebanon was just bombed to pieces with US weapons)

[jobycom]

8. Guess their "Lesbian Plot" warnings weren't creating enough hysteria

I won't believe anything BushCo or the media says until after the Dems are sworn in in January.

[requiem99]

9. And tacit US support.

[seafan]

10. Just heard a report on local news feed of RPG explosion in Beirut.

Israel fighter jets stage mock raids

By ANNA JOHNSON Associated Press Writer
© 2006 The Associated Press
October 31, 2006, 10:38PM

Lebanese Army Fires on Israeli Warplanes Illegally Flying Over Beirut

By MICHAEL HIRST and TIM BUTCHER
The Daily Telegraph
November 1, 2006

Israeli Fighter Jets Stage Mock Raids over Beirut's Southern Suburbs

Beirut, 31 Oct 06, 10:18

Irish peacekeepers depart for Lebanon

31 October 2006 22:19

[ThomCat]

11. This is in part a political move to

undermine the underground cooperation between the government and Hezbollah, and it part I'm sure it's also true that they're talking about a revolution.

I think the US government want's to destabilize Lebanon as much as possible to make it a more pliant client state. I also think the Lebanese government has been almost nothing to protect the Lebanese people, and Hezbollah has more support one the ground than the government does.

[High Plains]

12. Is this like when the US "plotted" to topple the previous government?

[HuffleClaw]

15. suuuuuuuuuuure

bullshit. still trying to find a 'justification' for attacking iran i see, not that the american people could care less about the issue.

[superconnected]

18. in otherwords mr blood thirsty is going to topple lebanon.

[Supersedeas]

13. Condi, paging Dr. Condi, your Soviet Expertise is needed

[IndianaGreen]

16. It was the US which undermined Fouad Siniora's government

when it turned a deaf ear to its pleas to America to stop the bombing of Beirut by Israel, and Bush had Bolton block any attempt for a UN cease fire resolution.

If Prime Minister Siniora is forced out and Hezbollah takes power in Lebanon, the blame will lie on Bush and Ehud Olmert.

[SoCalDem]

17. Duh !! Look at the map

Syria doubles its coastline, and a strengthened alliance with Iran assures them mutual assistance..

Lebanon just may be "done"..

[IndianaGreen]

19. Judith LeBlanc: Eight days in Lebanon

Eight days in Lebanon

By Judith LeBlanc

I spent the last eight days of Israeli-Lebanon war, Aug. 7-14, in Beirut, Lebanon’s capital. I had traveled there as part of a peace delegation from the United States. Our aim was to express solidarity with the people of Lebanon.

Many other countries sent peace delegations, too. They came to bear witness to the devastation caused by the Israeli bombardment and to help draw the attention of their respective peoples to the root causes of the war.

About 1,200 Lebanese were killed during the Israeli military offensive, and about 900,000 were displaced from their homes.

In the first week of the devastating Israeli air strikes on civilian targets in Lebanon, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the world was witnessing “the birth pangs of a new Middle East.”

The people we met told us they believed that if the U.S. had not been giving bombs to Israel, this war would not have happened. Yet, as our U.S. delegation met people in the displaced people’s camps, in the streets and in the midst of the ruins of South Beirut, they warmly embraced us and asked us to go home and tell their stories.

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/4335/1/218/