From Beirut to the Beltway

The Ignorance is within the Lebanese Government, its Prime Minister and in ALL its so-called security Apparatus. There is not one single person there with half a chicken's Brain. It was obvious for ALL since yesterday's occurance
in Damascus that this is exactly was about to happen as a copycat in Beirut. Where were they to predict, Prevent, take very strong measures to filter and canalise the demonstrators? They had the Info but their Ignorance is tantalising, the stupidity is overwhelming...
 

Kais, I don't think Nasrallah is to blame here. I read on the news that it was mostly sunnis protesting and that the shia protest was already done and passed peacefully. I think the problem lies as you say in Ignorance,specially in the poor areas of Tripoli,and other sunni populated districts, with ignorant imams preaching hatred to them.The sunni clergy are the most to blame along with the other Arab media such as Al-Arabiya for its inflamatory speech.
 

Nobody got hurt. Just let the Islamic crazies blow off some steam. Things will go back to normal in no time
 

The Ignorance is within the Lebanese Government, its Prime Minister and in
ALL its so-called security Apparatus. There is not one single person there
with half a chicken's Brain. It was obvious for ALL since yesterday's
occurrence
in Damascus that this is exactly what was about to happen as a copycat in
Beirut. Where were they to predict, Prevent, take very strong measures to
filter and canalize the demonstrators? They had the Info but their Ignorance
is tantalizing, the stupidity is overwhelming......
Not a single Christian will trust this Governemnt any longer .
 

2000 riot police and army troops could not stop this. The security situation is a joke. Heads should roll but won't, and expect more of the same or actually WORSE..

Nobody was hurt? The people in the neighborhood were hurt and their property destroyed. Next time someone will get killed. The damage to the Lebanese economy and jobs is difficult to measure but I assure you it is there.

Christian trust of Gvmnt?? It's not a Christian Moslem thing. It's people concerned with their security and economic well-being versus barbarians, paid thugs, and and animals. Peopple in Taamir, Naameh and now Tabariz want the state's protection, nut it is not there.
 

Last time I checked though, there wasn’t a single member of Hizbullah or Amal demonstrating before the Danish embassy: only pro-Hariri Hambali preachers of hate and their bloodthirsty flocks.

Yeah, the cabinet has to tender its resignation immediately and Fuad Saniura must be indicted for treason.

The Lebanese public has finally seen the true face of Saad Al-Hariri’s commercialist brand of Wahhabism-Lite based on King Fahd’s neo-medieval interpretation of Koranic Law…

Today’s invasion (there’s no other word I’m afraid) of East Beirut’s upscale Achrafiyeh district by hordes of rampaging Saudi-sponsored savages was only the “great rehearsal” of things to come, as Lenin used to say of the revolt of 1905.

At least we won’t have the luxury of claiming we were not warned by the sadist disciples of Saudi “thinkers” Nasiruddin Al-Albani, Abdul-Aziz Ibin Baz and other proponents of the final solution for Christians, Shiites and “secular dogs”…

See wiki entry below for more edifying info on Saudi Arabia’s leading “Grand” Mufti

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Baz
 

I agree with your premise that all people want protection from Gvrnmt
but it is not there, all over Lebanon. But I disagree with the premise that it could not be stopped.
When there is a will there is always a way. But there is no will and no guttsee people and No Braains anywhere in the Gvrnmt or security services.
 

Vic,

please provide us with evidence that Saad Hariri is working in tandem with this rabble, which, incidentally is anti-Hariri (since when are the pro-Syrian Ahbash Hariri lovers?). I said this before and I'll say it again... you remind me of Bashar Assad.
 

Dunno dude…

It should be clear by now that PM Fuad Saniura and MP Saad Al-Hariri are Wahhabi wolfes in pseudo-modernist clothes…they wear clean-cut ties and suits but, deep inside, they’re just like the Taleban- or even worse for that matter: Hariri and Saniura were both seen several times (on Saudi Arabia’s Channel 1 TV) attending Friday prayer services at Jeddah’s Central Mosque, where the residing Hambali preacher regularly calls for the “extermination of idolatrous Shiite and Christian dogs” or “Tassfiyatt al kilâb al mushrikeen al matâweelah wal-nasârah” in Saudi parlance!

As long as they don’t RENOUNCE PUBLICLY (preferably on Saudi TV) the intolerance and perversions of Wahhabi theocratic fascism, the leaders of the Future Movement will remain under suspicion in East Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

General Michel Aoun is right to say that the gullible March 14 dupes are shooting on the wrong target: they focus their ire on hapless/impotent figures such as president Lahoud and a weakened Syrian regime on the brink of collapse, which is no threat to Lebanon’s sovereignty anymore…while blindly ignoring the mounting threat posed by the totalitarian Islamist regime of Saudi Arabia and its Grand Serail “Imam corner”.

Dr Victor de la Vega
Thomas More Center for Middle-East Studies
http://www.mideastmemo.blogspot.com/
 

Vic, just stop wasting our time with this bullshit all day long!!

It's not because you put a Dr. in front of your name and the "Thomas More Center for Middle-East Studies" that anyone is going to respect anymore.

Stop spewing your hate and propaganda!! Go back to reading your Baath propaganda bullshit.
 

An Italian Catholic priest has been shot dead outside his church in north-east Turkey.

Police in the Black Sea port of Trabzon said they were searching for a teenage boy seen fleeing from the scene of the attack on Sunday.

It was unclear if the shooting was connected to widespread Muslim outrage over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Turkish broadcaster NTV identified the priest as Andrea Santore and said he died from a single shot to the chest.

Turkey has seen regular protests in recent days over the Danish caricatures of Muhammad.
 

The last pic is the most offensive and should be scary to all lebanese.

Speaking of militia?!! Now this is a clue.. NOT hizbullah
 

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 

Re Sabeh, good riddance.

Bad news, he "walked out" and put his resignation in the hands of Lahoud and Siniora. Hope they don't "beg" him to stay.
 

The Danish-Arabo-Moslem affair is a sad commentary about the level of political maturity among the Arab leaders and the Arab street. Such immature unacceptable behaviour by any standards are another added blemishor should I say wart to our collective identity.

Saudi Arabia was one of the first Arab governments to pull its ambassador from Copenhagen followed by many other governments and intransigent stetements by Al Azhar and the chief Sheikh in Saudi Arabia. Whenever we have a tribal society whose only allegiance is to religious leaders then the exessive acts of the populace can be blamed on their leaders who have in essence incited violence and acts of hatred through their speeches and proclamations.

The actions in Lebanon were the most tragic because they appear to have been premeditated acts aimed at destruction of the civil peace and attacks on private property led mainly by non-Lebanese. I do not wish to excuse the Lebanese who have agreed , as is often the case, to be sold to serve the interests of outsiders for a pittance of silver.A nation that has an ample supply of agents and provocateurs is one that has to rethink the rationale for its existense.

Are we at that stage? I believe that we are. Lebanon needs to decide once and for all if it intends on being the "captain of its ship and the master of its soul". It is clear that neither Mr. Hariri nor HA are capable of taking a stand on behalf of an independent Lebanon. The Future movement is full of talk and no action and it seems to act according to plans hatched in Saudi Arabia while everyone knows that HA is created , financed and controlled by Iranian interests and is expected to further Iranian interests .

This leads me to conclude that we are badly in need of a new cabinet that is willing and able to take stands on behalf of all the Lebanese and motivated only by what is good for the country.HA cannot be a partner in this process and neither can the FM in its current shape. The Fm however can free itself of its Saudi ties and be guided only by policies that pursue the well being of Lebanon. Mr. Jumblat has shown recently an impecable commitment to the welfare of the country and so he can be counted upon to play a major role in building a democracy. One can add to that a few of the independent politicians and a few of the Christian MPs provided they do not act upon directions from Bkirki. We need a strong Lebanese government that will be proud of its secularism democratic credentials and based on the principals of respect for individual freedoms and human dignity.
If we fail to put in place such a government then the downward spirsl will continue and the whole structure will fall apart. Do not kid yourself, we are not a country, not yet and if we do not prove worthy of the achievement that we aspire for then might never get this chance again. There will always be a real estate called Lebanon but it needs not be free, diverse and democratic unless we work for it.

Personally I like to be realistic and I do not give success more than a 20% chance. Can we beat the odds? I sure would like to try.
 

whoa i just got some live photos of the events. Extremely troubling regardless of the "hands" that had a hand in it. This is going to be used as a pretext and things will get out of hand.
 

Most of the Muslims demonstrating on Sunday are apologetic about what happened and I think they will restrain themselves in the future. But Christians have to do their part in restoring calm in Beirut as well. Some of the language Christians are using has become very vitriolic and hateful as well:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/AR2006020600442_2.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-muslims6feb06,0,4694855.story?page=2&coll=la-story-footer

This assortment of Phalangists, Lebanese Forces and Aounists are armed and dangerous in my opinion. Yet they demand the Hizbollah disarm! Those text messages being sent by Christian fanatics are only adding further fuel to the fire.
 

You're wrong about the Aounist crowd "SS" boy: they only demand that the pro-Hariri Wahhabi terrorists be arrested and judged.

As for the (parties formerly known as) Phalange and LF, for all practical purposes, they have become mere subsidiaries of the Future movement...
 

Vox P is quite right
Like I said elsewhere, in another language:

A nouveau, il me semble que votre propension à mettre les victimes innocentes (essentiellement chrétiennes) et leurs bourreaux (islamistes wahhabites pro-séoudiens qui ont mis Achrafiyyeh à feu et à sang) sur le même niveau n’a d’égal que votre aveuglement complice : il ne s’agit pas des prémices d’une prétendue « nouvelle guerre civile libanaise » qui opposerait une « droite chrétienne réactionnaire» à des « islamo-progressistes tiers-mondistes », mais bien de la manifestation LOCALE d’un conflit MONDIAL opposant l’hydre internationale Wahhabite (soutenue par Saad Al-Hariri, Fouad Saniura, et Jacques Chirac) et des hommes et de femmes de bonne volonté qui refusent de vendre leur âme pour une poignée de pétro-dollars….

Dans cette lutte à mort contre l’obscurantisme armé Islamo-Wahhabite, Hassan Nasrallah et ses partisans ont choisi le camp de la liberté : ce n’est malheureusement pas le cas de Samir Gaga et autres collabos des Phalanges Hariristes qui préfèrent servir jusqu’au bout les roitelets réactionnaires de Riyad !
 

Victoriniioo,

Whatever they say, the Leb blogosphere wouldn't be the same without you, you crazy person! Keep up the rich comments.
Kudos,

M
 

I blame Muslims for starting this trouble, but I blame Christians for reacting threatening violence in retaliation. I don't think this kind of language is helpful: "Launch the Christian nation of Lebanon. It is never going to end unless you prepare your weapons".
 

At least the Aounists have finally come to their senses and joined with their Shiite brothers in the Hizbollah and Amal movements:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060206/wl_mideast_afp/lebanonpolitics_060206202112.
 

Straight Shooter

I am a sunni muslim and whatever reactions the Christians might have are 100% legitimate. I'm thousands of miles away and I completely freaked out upon reading the news.How about them who were directly attacked.
 

At the end of the day, the current political situation boils down to a straightforward allegiance problem…and the fact of the matter is that faux sheikh Saad Al-Hariri and aspiring sheikh Fuad Saniura both hold Saudi citizenships and are literally on the Wahhabi government payroll: they both sit on the board of directors of PUBLIC and private Saudi firms (oooops conflicts of interests!...) and they both literally receive fat paychecks from Riyadh at the end of every month that Allah makes.

I guess you simply cannot bite the hand that feeds you, the hand that gives you money [Oger SAL, Solidere, Liban-Cell], gives you a job [Qoreytem, Oger SAL again, Bank Al-Madina], gives you a house [Beiut- The Grand Serail, Jeddah- facing the Wahhabi Grand Mosque, Paris- facing the Eiffel tower itself…for the Hariris always like to show some “hauteur”!]

Cordially,

Dr V

“M”: thanks for the cheers
 

I sympathize with those who were caught up in the melee. But the violent demonstrators were merely hooligans. There probably was a criminal element in there as well. I don't think the majority of the protestors meant any harm. I also think that at this point the Lebanese security forces can be relied upon, there is no need for Christians to set up their own militias.