Syrian troops in Lebanon

[Severian]

Considering all the attention paid to the Syrian troops in Lebanon lately, I thought it was worth recalling their purpose for which they went in to Lebanon.

link (http://www.themilitant.com/2005/6911/691152.html)

Please feel free to discuss the article or events in Lebanon, historical or current.

[Asmoo]

The mass media and most of the Lebanese make Syria responsible for the assassination of Rafik Hariri. I saw a demonstrator on TV holding up a sign on which was written " It's obvious, isn't it? " - yes very obvious and I think too obvious. And this makes me feel suspicious - Syria must be very stupid if they are responsible for that and I just can't believe that Syria is that stupid. So who else should we suspect than Syria? Hmm don't no, maybe the government of some guy, who had the idea of "Greater Middle East" - just a naive argumentation of mine (or not), but seriously I can't imagine anyone else.

Fact is that Lebanon is not able to fill the void left by Syria's army if it withdraws...! It won't be able to defend itself.

Anyway why should Syria stop the occupation, when Israel is still occupying parts of Syria?

[viva le revolution]

The syria-lebanon fiasco is just a continuation of the imperialist agenda. Throughout history, the imperialists have embarked on a strategy of divide and cconquer, pitting one nation against another and picking up the spoils afterwards.
the imperialist continuously looks for excuses to divert attention from it's actual plan, israel continuing to enlarge it's hold on the middle east.
If memory serves me it was Israel who first invaded israel and Syria entered Lebanon to ensure labanese defence and save it from a civil war. Now they are making Syria out to be the bad guy!quite convenient isn't it?
Meanwhile weak Arab puppet regime stand by the imperialists calling out for Syria to withdraw ensuring that Lebanon is weak and dependant upon the goodwill of the very imperialists responsible for it's sad state of affairs in the first place!
As to the question of the assasination of Rafik Harriri, it is well known that the imperialists have in the past used this method to sow discord.
By playing out this issue, the christian-fascists have killed two birds with one stone, they have weakened Lebanon(later to install another Karzai there), and they have diverted attention from the continually expanding israeli settlements.
A masterstroke of the imperialist agenda!

[Severian]

Originally posted by viva le [email protected] 30 2005, 07:50 AM

If memory serves me it was Israel who first invaded israel and Syria entered Lebanon to ensure labanese defence and save it from a civil war.
No. Read the article I linked, please.

Syria intervened against the PLO and against the more progressive side in the Lebanese civil war. It allied with the fascist-like Phalangist militia and aided in massacres in Palestinian refugee camps. When it started, and for years afterwards, the Syrian intervention was welcomed by the U.S. and Israel.

At no time have Syrian troops fought the Israeli forces in Lebanon.

**

As for the Hariri assassination, there was a claim of responsibility from some Islamic fundamentalist group that accused him of being too pro-Saudi monarchy. So that would be a possibility, I guess.

[Djehuti]

Anti imperialist struggle in Lebanon

A marxist perspective on the unfolding events in Lebanon from a working class internationalist strugle.

http://www.motkraft.net/index.php?view=news&id=1376

[Severian]

Article in the Militant by a reporter visiting Lebanon, talking with some of the demonstrators and so forth. (http://www.themilitant.com/2005/6915/691557.html)

The writer's also from Lebanon originally....

[Shaque]

Originally posted by [email protected] 30 2005, 09:30 PM

At no time have Syrian troops fought the Israeli forces in Lebanon.



At no time have Syrian troops fought the Israeli forces in Lebanon.

Syria fought an intense and very bloody war against Israel during the mid 80s (following the 1982 Israeli invation of Lebanon).

Several cease fire negotiations took place and ended between Israel and Syria, led by a US comission (Philip Habib and Maurice Draper).

[Phalanx]

Originally posted by viva le [email protected] 30 2005, 01:50 PM
If memory serves me it was Israel who first invaded israel and Syria entered Lebanon to ensure labanese defence and save it from a civil war. Now they are making Syria out to be the bad guy!quite convenient isn't it?
I don't think the Syrians did it completely out of the goodness of their hearts. They invaded in '76 and the Israelis invaded in '82 to track down the PLO. At that time, the Syrians were fighting Christians in Lebanon. Initially, the Syrians were supporting the Christians because they were alarmed at Palestinian gains in the first year of the war. The Syrians weren't really helping Lebanese defense, but destabilizing it by trying to tip the scales during the war and drag it out longer. Besides, the Syrian government has never been to kind to its citizens. For example, in 1982 the Syrians killed 30,000 to 40,000 people in the city of Hamah in Syria. There were reports (by independent media sources) that the soldiers were firing on unarmed civilians on a mass scale. I believe this outnumbers the amount of Palestinians killed by Israelis since 1948.

(edited for spelling)

[bolshevik butcher]

I think that neither side has the interest of lebanon at heart. No foreign intervention inn lebanon. The right to self determination should be upheald.

[Phalanx]

Yes, and while that's under way, remove US troops from all lands (including america)

[Intifada]

For example, in 1982 the Syrians killed 30,000 to 40,000 people in the city of Hamah in Syria. There were reports (by independent media sources) that the soldiers were firing on unarmed civilians on a mass scale. I believe this outnumbers the amount of Palestinians killed by Israelis since 1948.


What?

How so?

[Severian]

Originally posted by Shaque+May 28 2005, 03:05 PM--> (Shaque @ May 28 2005, 03:05 PM)
[email protected] 30 2005, 09:30 PM

At no time have Syrian troops fought the Israeli forces in Lebanon.



At no time have Syrian troops fought the Israeli forces in Lebanon.

Syria fought an intense and very bloody war against Israel during the mid 80s (following the 1982 Israeli invation of Lebanon).

Several cease fire negotiations took place and ended between Israel and Syria, led by a US comission (Philip Habib and Maurice Draper). [/b]
OK, I was wrong. Syrian troops in Lebanon at the time of the 1982 Israeli invasion fought against the Israelis, and suffered hundreds of deaths.

I didn't know about this...'cause it appears to have been a relatively brief episode. How about we just say Syria did a lot more fighting and occupying directed against the PLO and Lebanese militias.

Library of Congress history of Lebanon (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/lbtoc.html#lb0162)

[Holocaustpulp]

The minority Christians summoned them when the Muslims were opposing the government. Syria was kind of an inbetween figure in the Lebanese Civil War, and even abandoned the Christians to side with the Muslims at one point.

- HP

[Phalanx]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29 2005, 08:19 PM

For example, in 1982 the Syrians killed 30,000 to 40,000 people in the city of Hamah in Syria. There were reports (by independent media sources) that the soldiers were firing on unarmed civilians on a mass scale. I believe this outnumbers the amount of Palestinians killed by Israelis since 1948.


What?

How so?
Oops. I was off. The number of Palestinians killed by Israelis since 1948 is around 50,000.

[Intifada]

It's actually nearer to 70000.

[Phalanx]

I guess it's whatever source you use.

[Intifada]

We shall never really know.

But, it's a tragedy either way.

[MParenti]

Now that the Syrians have left the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are going to be sitting ducks for expulsion and bad treatment by the Lebanese chaunivists who spout off slogans like "Lebanon is for the Lebanese".