Lebanon puppet government resigns, another win for the good guys

[bryanthompson]

Anyone else been watching this situation?

Here's a little run-down of recent events (http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L28127957.htm):

-- Feb 14, 2005 - Former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri is killed by bomb in Beirut, along with 17 other people.

-- Feb 16 - At least 150,000 Lebanese turn Hariri's funeral into outpouring of public anger against Syria.

-- The United States says Syria should take Hariri's killing as cue to end its 29-year-old military presence in Lebanon.

-- Feb 21 - U.S. President George W. Bush and French President Chirac call jointly for Lebanon "free from foreign domination", ratcheting up pressure on Syria to pull its 14,000 troops out.

-- European Union joins U.S. call for international probe into Hariri's killing.

-- Feb 23 - Bush says Syria must pull its security services as well as its army from Lebanon, echoing Chirac's remarks that Syrian intelligence controls country.

-- Feb 24 - Karami says quick Syrian troop withdrawal will destabilise Lebanon.

-- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urges Syria to withdraw troops by April, ahead of his report to Security Council.

-- Lebanese Defence Minister Abdel Rahim Mrad says Syrian forces will soon start redeploying to Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley. Syria had said earlier it planned to withdraw troops in line with Taif Accord which ended Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war. Feb 25 - U.N. fact-finding team begins inquiries into Hariri's assassination.

-- Feb 28 - Karami announces his government's resignation amid one-day strike and anti-Syrian protests by thousands of Lebanese timed to coincide with parliament debate on Hariri's killing.

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/4305927.stm)
Earlier, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield met Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud.

He said he reiterated Washington's demand that Syria comply with UN resolution 1559, passed in September, calling for the withdrawal of its troops from Lebanon.

"We want to see free and fair elections take place [in Lebanon] this spring," he said.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by bryanthompson
-- Lebanese Defence Minister Abdel Rahim Mrad says Syrian forces will soon start redeploying to Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley.

Sooooooooooooo, no more sunny days at the beach?

They are only going to occupy half the country?

Hey, B.T. - any good news from that troubled part of the world is welcomed.........thanks for posting it.





Roman temples/ruins, perhaps Noha's tomb.............looks pretty too.

http://www.libanmall.com/main/bekaa.htm

[gaijindabe]

What could have possibly given these people hope that thy would have a voice in their own country's affairs?

From today's BBC:

A cheer went up among more than 10,000 protesters who had gathered in Martyrs Square to demand the resignation of the government and the withdrawal of Syrian troops.

[kach22i]

Just remember that the French Vichy régime (Nazi collaborators) of WWII split Syria up and invented Lebenon. Christian minorities were able to make up about half of the newly formed country.

There is this thing called history...........complex it is.

Edit : Found this good history link.

http://www.cfr.org/background/mideast_syria_lebanon.php

and in June 1976 the Maronite-dominated government asked for support from Syria.

Note: Maronite means lebanese Christian. Yep, it's a complex situation historicaly.

[SteveStromberg]

The best part of the Stroy is the the main Gathering place for the protests was at the Dunkin Donuts and Virgin Mega Store provieded the Andy Gumps.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by SteveStromberg
The best part of the Stroy is the the main Gathering place for the protests was at the Dunkin Donuts and Virgin Mega Store provieded the Andy Gumps.

Good drugs today?

I keep hearing something about Martyr Square, is that where the donut shop is?

[Superman]

I guess you hear what you want to hear. One group rejoices at the assumption that Dubya is the Earth's new Savior, and credits him with the Lebonese peoples' desire for an end to Syrian occupation of Lebanon. I guess the human imagination is very powerful.

At the same time, the other group is wondering where Dubya is going to get enough troops to invade Syria since we've had to resort to using National Guard and reservists in order to occupy Iraq. And while this same group would normally assume that no President would be so foolish as to occupy yet another ME country while our troops are already stretched thin fighting to finish our invasion of the first ME country, we also know that conventional wisdom simply confuses our current "president."

I have yet to see Dubya make a decision that could have been worse. Declaring war on Syria and beginning an invasion is very possible. Idiotic, but certainly something Dubya would not hesitate to do. I think foreign policy is not so complex to him. Everyone else, yes. But to him, no. Gosh, if I were a press person I might ask him "Mister President, which is more complex, achieving peace in the Middle East, or putting a saddle on a horse?" But then Dubya does not receive questions like this, does he?

[Overpaid Slacker]

Yes, Supe you definitely hear what you want to hear. The group "wondering" where the Syrian invasion force is coming from is "wondering" in the most speculative sense of the word, as a petulant exercise in demonizing W.

Why has this not been all over the MSM? Nah, it's better to "wonder" about Social Security and keep the airwaves clogged with that type of speculative, nebulous story when something that is the obvious dividend of the Iraqi elections comes forth to further vindicate W.

Heck, who here has heard about W's M2M program? If you have I'll bet you a dollar it hasn't been through MSM. Why? Because everybody knows W and his cronies/controllers (depending on whether he's an evil mastermind or evil dolt that day) hate the environment.

Your puerile, snide bitterness at successes that help us and millions of others, just b/c W deserves some of the credit is becoming very unbecoming.

JP

[bryanthompson]

Supe, nobody takes you seriously. It's all the same crap, over and over. If it's not conspiracy theories, it's how stupid you think 'dubya' and everyone in middle-america is.

Oh, and I hear Rove screens all questions given to the president.

[gaijindabe]

What is so complex about representative government and self-determination?

[juanbenae]

Originally posted by bryanthompson
Supe, nobody takes you seriously. It's all the same crap, over and over. If it's not conspiracy theories, it's how stupid you think 'dubya' and everyone in middle-america is.

funny, i line up with sup, and could plug any of the W apologist name's and cause into that statement and feel just fine with it.

(W apologist name here) nobody takes you seriously. It's all the same crap, over and over. If it's not how W will free the world, it's how stupid you think the libs are and everyone on either coast is gay is.

see?


BT, remember it's all about where you line up. you are just in the wrong line.

and by the way, middle america is not a bunch of slack jawed yocals? like the ones on the simpsons? i learn something new every day, today it just happened before 830 am.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by Overpaid Slacker
when something that is the obvious dividend of the Iraqi elections comes forth to further vindicate W.

Obvious dividend?

I'm missing something here, please explain the inner thinking/workings of the typical Lebanese standing in Martyr Square.

Choices may be but not limited to:

1. Thanking the UN for taking a stand against Syria.

2. Thanking "W" for taking a stand against Syria.

3. Thanking his brothers standing next to him for taking a stand against Syria.

[Overpaid Slacker]

Yes, kach, you're missing something. Choices may be but not limited to:

1. Clue

2. Context

3. Ability to admit when an adversary is right.

Walid Jumblatt, Lebanese Druze leader, and a man of impeccable anti-American credentials: "I was cynical about Iraq. But when I saw the Iraqi people voting three weeks ago, eight million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world. The Berlin Wall has fallen."

Please provide context for your ability to astrally project yourself into the "inner thinking/workings" of the typical Lebanese standing in Martyr Square, as I've provided the actual statements of one of their leaders.

Note also, as part of our ongoing reading comp. lessons, that I did not say that W deserves all credit for what is happening in Lebanon; only that this action, linked as it is (to all but the most willfully blind) to the election successes in Iraq, does vindicate W's efforts to democratize the middle east.

As does Mubarak's announcement that after 4 "elections", this time he'll allow an actual opponent; an "historical decision in the nation's 7,000-year-old-march toward democracy." As does Syria handing over Hussein's half-brother and 29 other Baghdad Baathists. As does Prince Saud announcing that women will be allowed to vote in the next Saudi election.

Add each of the foregoing to the weighty litany of things you're missing here.

JP

[SteveStromberg]

Here you go.
http://washtimes.com/world/20050223-093517-1834r.htm
A constant stream of mourners and protesters swells the camp population in the evenings. Food and water are brought in by supporters, while a nearby Dunkin' Donuts and a Virgin Megastore provide bathroom facilities.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by Overpaid Slacker
The Berlin Wall has fallen."

Who else besides David Ignatius is picking up this quote? It's a good quote.........assuming it was really made.

Walid Jumblatt also is reported to of called Paul Wolfowitz a "virus"....................my kind of guy.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by SteveStromberg
The best part of the Stroy is the the main Gathering place for the protests was at the Dunkin Donuts and Virgin Mega Store provieded the Andy Gumps.

Weird.............hard to make any sense of this babble.

"Virgin Mega Store is a record store and they are allowing people use the toilets.

[Moneyguy1]

And neither camp will give an inch or concede that the other may have a point....

A mind is a terrible thing....

Imagine what an alien race would think of us...no common language, permitting religion to dictate our style of living, intolerance, the list goes on.

We would look like a failed experiment.

"Beam us back, Scotty..there is no intelligent life on this planet".

[kach22i]

Originally posted by Moneyguy1
And neither camp will give an inch or concede that the other may have a point...

Must be that Paul Wolfowitz virus that's been going around.

[CamB]

I'm guessing that, but for the bomb attack on Valentine's Day and the subsequent world reaction, none of this would have happened. It would all have kept festering for a while longer.

Maybe events in Iraq have made this more likely to occur.

Maybe it would have happened in isolation of Iraq.

We'll never know, and I'm with Bob - in this instance I don't think a decent causality can be drawn and I really don't see the point in arguing.

[Overpaid Slacker]

kach -
I think it's more KarlRoveococcus -- he's blamed by just about everybody on the Left for just about everything. If I were him, I'd just begin every day giggling and cackling at the LoonyLeft's "theorists" for ten minutes.

I read yesterday a column from an Australian lefty (I thought Darwin was much stronger Down Under; how to these guys survive) blaming Rove (Rove-inspired tactics, more precisely) for developments in Australia.

Go Karl! Incite further in(s)anity among the Leftoids!!! You're a franchise, baby!!!

Cam -
How much clearer can a connection be (which is not to say it's the exclusive causal connection) that having one of the leaders of the Druze, and a guy who is not a cheerleader for America, say that it's the elections in Iraq that were a catalyst?

Waitwaitwait... you guys must be "those guys" who continue to insist that it wasn't Reagan and his spending that bankrupted -- and ended -- the Soviet Union, even though more than a dozen former Politburo guys who have no particular love for Ronnie came out and said, essentially, "it was Reagan and his spending that crushed us."

Woooowww. I wondered where you guys hung out. What color are the skies in your world?

JP