Lebanese oppose Western-supported govt.

[BreadBros]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061211/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_6


BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah members and their allies flooded central Beirut on Sunday demanding changes in the government's makeup as soldiers strung more barbed wire around the offices of the Western-backed premier.

Buoyed by the big turnout after a week of street protests, the pro-
Syria opposition gave Prime Minister Fuad Saniora an ultimatum of a "few days" to accept its demand to form a national unity government with a big role for Hezbollah or face an escalating campaign to oust him.

Saniora, who has been holed up in his fortified office downtown, rejected the demand and urged his foes to resume negotiations. The opposition should "return to the constitutional institutions to discuss differences and reach real solutions," he said in a written statement.

[...]

Police had no immediate crowd estimate, but the horde that jammed downtown plazas and many neighborhoods appeared one of the biggest in a country that has seen a string of mammoth demonstrations by both sides in recent years. A Hezbollah anti-government rally Dec. 1 drew 800,000 of Lebanon's 4 million people, according to police figures.



More at the link. What do people think about this? Do you think a Hezbollah government should rule in Lebanon instead of the Western supported one? Interesting affairs developing considering all that hoopla that was made in the US about the Lebanese kicking the Syrians out, as if it was a completely universally supported action in the nation.

[Phalanx]

Both would be harmful to Lebanon, but I think a secular government would probably be best. Hizbullah is gearing up for another confrontation, and if they controlled all of Lebanon, the conflict would be enormous.

[Severian]

Originally posted by [email protected] 11, 2006 07:10 pm
Do you think a Hezbollah government should rule in Lebanon instead of the Western supported one?
That's not even the issue - Hezbollah just wants a bigger share in the government.

It's interesting how this touches on some of the real issues in Lebanese politics - but they're systematically downplayed.

Like Lebanon's confessional political system - each religious sect gets a certain number of representatives in parliament - and how the Shi'a population is underrepresented under it. The democratic and secular solution, of course, is to replace that setup with "one person, one vote" without official recognition of sectarianism - IIRC Hezbollah gives occasional lip service to this, but that's all.

Probably the mass support for these demonstrations draws on sentiment for greater Shi'a representation - but Hezbollah's leading 'em in another direction, partly 'cause of its alliance with Aoun probably, and probably in part because they do want to be useful to Syria in order to keep the weapons coming.


Interesting affairs developing considering all that hoopla that was made in the US about the Lebanese kicking the Syrians out, as if it was a completely universally supported action in the nation.

Yeah? There was plenty of coverage at the time of large Hezbollah-supported demonstrations under the slogan "Thank You, Syria." Of course, even those rallies didn't actually call for Syrian troops to stay.

Anyway, there's nothing progressive about Syrian influence in Lebanese politics, nor was there anything progressive about the Syrian troops presence. They actually went in initially to support the rightist side in the Lebanese civil war, and over the years they attacked Palestinian refugee camps and did all kinds of vile stuff. Did very little to oppose the Israeli intervention in Lebanon either. Until recently it was tolerated by Washington and Tel Aviv in the interests of "stability" - it's just their attitude towards "stability" has changed.

The Syrian withdrawal seems to have had the effect of restarting frozen politics in Lebanon - not to any great good effect so far, but it has potential. There's certainly no reason for revolutionaries to seek "stability" at all costs just because the imperialists have become less inclined to do so....

[Cheung Mo]

Secularism and socialism is the only acceptable path for Lebanon. Fuck the Zionists, fuck the Islamists, fuck the falangists.

[Jamal]

Ok first of all, the opposition is not pro syrian, thats for sure! Second, its not just Hezbollah and sum of its allies, there are many big political figures in the opposition like the big christian figure Michelle Aoun and Slaymen frangiyyi and the sunni figure Omar Karami... and many parties like: Tayyar Watani Hor, Marada, Amal, People's Democratic Party, the Democratic Party, the Unity Party, the Syrian Nationalist Party...(and you can say the Lebanese Communist Party which haven't stated a clear view yet; they said they are with the fall of this western government and have gone to protest with the opposition a couple of times but are still taking there distance from the sectarian figures) So as you see, there are many parties in the opposition, its not just like Hezbollah is the primary party and all other are secendory and it dominates over them or something like that.

Michelle Aoun and his party(Tayyar Watani Hor) where mong those who kicked the Syrians out at the protests last year, and he was a major figure back then as he is right now. And when Syria was in Lebanon, they sent him to exile in france for 15 years, so ofcourse he is anti-Syrian!

This government is one of the worst governments ever in Lebanon. Imagine that there is a minister called Ahmad Fatfat that was the minister of the interion and the minister of youth and sports! And he sticks at both! In the war, an Israeli platoon of 100 soldiers attacked a base in Marjeyoun for mixed forces(Military and Police) who where 350 people. By direct orders from Ahmad Fatfat, the 350 mixed forces did not even fire a bullet against the 100 Israeli opressors, in contrary they invited them in, gave them all their weopons and made them tea! So there where Lebanese children dying that day right next to the base where the Israelies where greated with great hospitality! And recently, and to uncover his talent in the manegment of youth and sports, he made Lebanon lose an insulting loss in basketball in the Doha Asian olympics by telling them that they can participate only four days before the tournament started! The team that qualified for the world cup in basketball in the summer only won one game in the olympics and lost in all the others!

There are many ministers in this government just like Fatfat! Imagine then what kind of government it is!