From Beirut to the Beltway

Indictment in Hariri assassination out; now what?

If we're to believe the media leaks, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon named 4 high ranking Hizbullah members as suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. 

A delegation handed over the indictment a few hours ago to Judge Said Mirza, and is reportedly on its way to Syria to hand over the Syria-related indictment: meaning the suspects include Lebanese and Syrians. 

The question that hovers like a black cloud over much of Lebanon today is: now what?

Prime Minister Najib Mikati went on TV with panic on his face, blubbering something about national unity and quoting the slain prime minister that "no one is greater than Lebanon". He appeared shaken and weak and concluded with a laughable vow to prove to" those who wagered that the indictment will divide Lebanese, that victory will be for Lebanese unity". Considering how he got his post, and all the intimidation and threats that got him his nomination, not to mention his alliance with the very party suspected of killing the main political leader of his sect, I would say that Mikati today is an unenviable position. 

And everyone in Lebanon knows that Hizbullah sees itself above everyone else, and greater than any man-made country, except maybe Iran. 

The four arrest warrants reportedly handed over to Lebanese authorities include one for Imad Moghnieh's successor, Mustapha Badreddine, and 3 other members or leaders of the group. Some of these members are not likely to have acted alone, and have deep ties to the Iranian revolutionary guards, as is the case with Badreddine (again, according to media reports).

Mirza has not officially announced the details of the indictment yet. And it remains to be seen how Hizbullah will react, or more importantly, how Hariri's supporters will react on the streets of Beirut.  Hizbullah, of course, has been preparing for this moment for months, if not years. The group is omnipresent, thanks to its demographic expansion, land-buying practices, and embedding with its Christian allies. It now has a more significant presence in the cabinet, and in most Lebanese security agencies, with the exception of the ISF's Information Branch. 

Mirza has 30 days to arrest the four suspects.  He has already paid a visit to Mikati. And the latter has to decide how far he can go opposing the international community and the sentiments of people from his own sect (and other Lebanese who still believe in the concept of justice).  

 

March 14 wants to be called "opposition"

March 14 have announced that they are now "returning" to the opposition?

Excuse me?

How can you call yourself "opposition" and still claim what Hizbullah did was a "coup d'etat"?

Who the hell formulates policy over at Hariri's Future Movement and March 14? By calling yourself opposition, you are legitimizing what the actual "opposition" did, and lending credence to those who now call themselves a "new majority".

Insipid speeches were made yesterday, six years after Hariri was killed and no one was brought to justice.

So dazed and confused March 14 have become, that they know are telling people, no, worse, they are EXPECTING people to pretend Lebanon is in a position similar to 2005, when it was under Syrian dominance.

Six years after wasting time as "majority", which was won thanks to the support of the very people they want to show up on March 14th, Saad Hariri and his fellows want to be seen as "opposition".

The very concept of opposition assumes a democratic system, which is not in existence in this country. What will March 14 be opposing? And with whose help? The Saudis who encouraged them to act as a minority for six years? The people they betrayed by not standing up to the very principles that first created them as "opposition", before they abandoned them to please the other "opposition".

Give us all a break. If it's a coup, then act like it. Act like the majority people elected. Not like the cowards that wasted valuable time and nearly killed the concepts of justice and rule of law by looking pretty and doing nothing.

Blogger Sandmonkey detained by Egyptian regime

My friend, Egyptian blogger The Sandmonkey, has been reportedly detained. His website was also shut down.

We are all with you, my friend, in your fight for freedom.

March 14: let the anti-Hizbullah revolution begin

March 14 has just issued a statement calling on Lebanese people to "return" to Martyrs Square to "confront the appointment of a supreme leader for the Lebanese republic. To preserve the republic against the terrorism of arms. To reclaim stolen elections. To realize the state of independence, and to reject the return of the Syrian mandate and its symbols. To reject Wilayat al-Faqih."

"Let's be up to the test tonight at 6, alongside Rafik Hariri, Samir Kassir, Gebran Tueni, Pierre Gemayel, Walid Eido, Antoine Ghanem, George Hawi, Wissam Eid, Francois Hajj and Bassel Fuleihan."

"No to abolishing the Special Tribunal. No to imposing a security regime on the Lebanese state. No to the domination of Hizbullah over the state... They will not pass. They will not pass".

"من أجل مواجهة تنصيب "مرشد أعلى للجمهورية اللبنانية". من أجل الحفاظ على الجمهورية ضدّ إرهاب السلاح. من أجل استرداد الإنتخابات المسروقة، من أجل تحقيق دولة الاستقلال، ورفضاً لعودة الوصاية السورية ورموزها.. رفضاً لولاية فقيه في لبنان.

اليوم، ندعوكم. ندعو كلَّ حريصٍ على الديمقراطية وكلَّ ضنينٍ بالحرية، وكلَّ رافضٍ للشمولية.. للدفاع عن الجمهورية والميثاق والسيادة.

اليوم، وبعد الانقلاب المغلّف بالشكليات الدستورية، حيث السلاح هو الذي يُعلن أصحبه الإمساك بإدارات الدولة وأجهزتها. هذا السلاح الذي أسقط كل الأوهام بتعايشه مع الديموقراطية. هذا السلاح الذي بات يسمّي لنا من هم رؤساؤنا. هذا السلاح الذي يصادر دولتنا ويخطف ديموقراطيتنا ويتلاعب بسلمنا الأهلي..

اليوم، من أجل أن يكون في لبنان ، دولة واحدة، فاعلة، كاملة السيادة، قادرة وحدها على اتخاذ القرارات المصيرية، ومن أجل أن يكون في لبنان شرعية واحدة دستورية، ومن أجل أن يكون لنا جيشٌ واحد له الحق الحصريّ في السلاح وفي الدفاع عن الوطن.

اليوم، ومن أجل أن يكون لبنان عربياً لا رأس حربة ضدّ العرب، ولا ساحة مفتوحة للمغامرات الإقليمية.

اليوم، ومن أجل أن يكون لبنان ملتزماً بالشرعية الدولية، ومتصالحاً مع العالم ومع ذاته، لا دولة مارقة ومعزولة.

اليوم، من أجل لبنان بلد الحوار والشراكة الإسلامية – المسيحية، التي حدّدها اتفاق الطائف وثبّتتها "انتفاضة الاستقلال".

اليوم، من أجل تحرير لبنان من هيمنة الحزب الواحد، ومشاريع الديكتاتورية المستترة. من أجل تثبيت العدالة والسيادة والاستقلال..

من أجل لبنان الدولة لا الدويلة.

من أجل لبنان العدالة.

ندعوكم إلى العودة إلى ساحة الشهداء، ساحة الحرية.

لقد دقّت ساعة الإرادات والعزائم، فيا شعب لبنان

لنكن هذا المساء في الساعة السادسة على قدر الإمتحان بجانب رفيق الحريري وسمير قصير وجبران التويني وبيار الجميّل ووليد عيدو وأنطوان غانم وجورج حاوي ووسام عيد وفرنسوا الحاج وباسل فليحان.

لنعلنها صراحة:

لا للإلغاء المحكمة الدولية

لا لفرض نظامٍ أمنيّ على الدولة اللبنانية

لا لهيمنة حزب الله على الدولة

لا لعودة الوصاية السورية

نعم للدولة فقط

نعم للمحكمة وللعدالة

لن يمرّوا .. لن يمرّوا.. لن يمرّوا".

Nasrallah: Lebanon least of my priorities

The abominable Nasrallah is on TV spewing masked hatred for Lebanon, the country he has been trying to turn into a vessel for his regional agenda.

If you need proof that Hizbullah couldn't care less about Lebanon, look no further than how Nasrallah ordered his speech:

1- The first part was an exercise in prostituting religion and Shia Islam to justify his continued "resistance".

2- The second part was about the "events in the region", namely Tunisia! Yes, Nasrallah feels for the Tunisian people and is trying to relate to their anti-dictatorial protests by warning them about the US plots. Of course, secular Tunisians could not care less about Nasrallah and his brand of Islam.  

3- Palestine. Nasrallah still "believes" in Palestine.Yawn.

4- Lebanon was fourth on the list. If this were an attempt to put the events in Lebanon in a regional context, then Nasrallah needs to hire a better speech writer. Because all I heard was a power usurper who uses terror against his own people to further his admittedly regional agenda.

5- "We are not power seekers... leave us alone". That's true. Nasrallah wants autonomy and doesn't want to rule a country, but wants to the country run in a favorable way. He might not want the executive authority, but he wants that authority to be at his beck and call. What is the difference, pray tell us?

6- "Hail Hussein". Hussein is turning in his grave.

Hariri fights back; March 14 mobilizes supporters to confront Hizbullah "coup"

Hariri supporters are out on the streets protesting the "coup" Hizbullah staged by completely ignoring the Sunni choice for PM, and by terrorizing MPs with swing votes into nominating the Hizbullah/Syria choice. Future Bloc MPs are crying foul, accusing Hizbullah of trying to impose the rule of Wilayat al-Faqih on the Lebanese cabinet, and urging people to protest.

March 8 media are claiming Future Movement supporters are armed, an accusation the Future Movement denied, describing it a pretext for mounting a May 7 style security operation.

Hizbullah thought they could just ignore the Lebanese sectarian fault lines without any repercussions. And it seems Hariri will not sit on the sidelines this time. Protests are also being reported in Jumblatt's chouf. 

Najib Maikati, who got the majority of votes after Jumblatt's MPs were terrorized into nominating him, has just assassinated himself politically. Even if he forms a governemnt, it will lack any kind of legitimacy on the street. More importantly, and unless Mikati plans on tapping Iranian coffers, no international body or foreign government will support his cabinet. The central bank governor's urgent meeting with Hariri yesterday suggests that there are real concerns that the country's economy will collapse with Hizbullah and mini-Aouns calling all the shots.

Rumours are rife that Gulf investors might withdraw their deposits, and investments. With food prices sky rocketing, and newly opened fancy stores downtown reportedly emptying their displays, the Lebanese street is fearing a huge financial collapse.

Nasrallah is making a huge mistake thinking he could isolate Hariri and impose a Sunni leader, not to mention a Christian leader like Michel Aoun. It was funny to hear Nasrallah yesterday speaking like the victim, whining that his "resistance" is being "politically assassinated". I think it is clear that Hizbullah has committed political suicide (assuming it actually engaged in politics, as opposed to terror). 

Looks like the game is on. And two can play it. Hopefully, for our relatives' sake, with minimum casualties.

Stay safe, Lebanese readers.

 

Syria back in the spotlight; Hariri soon to regret dumping allies in name of reconciliation

The much-maligned witness Zuheir al-Siddiq called New TV last night to claim possession of evidence incriminating Syrian officials in the 2005 Rafik Hariri assassination. Al-Siddiq's fall from grace and subsequent labeling as "false witness" contributed to even Saad Hariri going back on accusing Assad's regime of killing his father, with the media pointing the finger instead at rogue Hizbullah elements.

With so many "leaks" these days, it is hard to ascertain what's real and what's not. But the timing of al-Siddiq's audio recordings, some of which he played live on TV, is interesting, and coincides with what seems to be a Saudi-Hariri awakening to Syria's destructive role in Lebanon.

Al-Siddiq's tapes reportedly reveal Rustom Ghazaleh's, Syria's former "high commissioner" in Lebanon, role in planning the assassination. Though he did not name him, Al-Siddiq played a conversation between what media reports identified as Ghazaleh and one of his subordinates about their failure to convince Ahmad Abu Adas to carry out a suicide attack against Hariri's convoy.

Abu Adas, for those of you who don't remember him, was the man who appeared in the official video that was sent to Aljazeera claiming responsibility for the Hariri killing.  The UN commission said repeatedly that there was no evidence linking Abu Adas to the attack.

In the recording, a Ghazaleh subordinate complained that Abu Adas refused to carry out the operation because Hariri is "Muslim". Abu Adas wanted instead to attack Americans in Iraq, according to the low ranking officer.  Ghazeleh responded, "Did you tell the animal that Rafik Hariri is an infidel… We have to see about someone from al-Ahbash or Kanso's people. This Abu Adas appears to be a coward".

At this point, Ghazaleh received a phone call, after which he declared, "I am off to see Colonel Maher [Assad]".  Responding to a question from the low ranking officer about what to do with "low life Abu Adas", Ghazaleh said, "take him back to his cell until I return".

Al-Siddiq claimed he has a video showing the torture Abu Adas was subjected to for refusing to carry out the suicide attack.  When he told the Syrian PM about the plot and asked that the responsible be held accountable, the PM dispatched someone to kill him, claimed al-Siddiq.

In total, al-Siddiq said he has 7 recordings that he will hand over to the tribunal.

Interestingly, al-Siddiq accused Saad Hariri of manipulating him to get him to return to Beirut. New TV, some of you might know, had been airing edited segments of taped conversations between al-Siddiq, Hariri and the head of the ISF's information branch Wissam Hassan, in the presence of UN investigators. The channel, owned by a fiercely anti-Hariri millionaire, sought to imply that Hariri manipulated/forged evidence. During the phone call, al-Siddiq acknowledged that he met Hariri and Hassan at the UN's request, but added that they never believed his story.

Despite al-Siddiq's questionable motives and odd behavior over the past few years, the recordings should put the spotlight back on Syria's involvement in the Hariri killing, which for some time was forgotten at the expense of many Lebanese players, including, ironically, Hizbullah.

Al-Siddiq's revelations serve as an important if not painful reminder that two should play the game. One wonders if Hariri regrets tagging along Saudi Arabia's attempt to separate Syria from Iran by exonerating the Assad regime so early in the game.  With Najib Mikati, a man Hariri added to his electoral list in Tripoli by dumping March 14 loyalist Musbah al-Ahdab, is now being positioned by Hizbullah and the Assad regime as an alternative Sunni leader. 

Hariri dumped some of his Sunni and other allies in the 2009 elections in the name of Saudi-Syrian reconciliation, Ahdab being one of them. Now that Mikati, who has just returned from an unannounced visit to Damascus, is paying Hariri back by running against him, Saad and March 14 should learn that repeating the same mistakes over and over again (in the name of compromise) will not bring truth or save Lebanon.

Who pays the price for Hizbullah's folly?

Hassan Nasrallah has high expectations of his foes. They are all expected to forgive and forget their enemies, in ways that Nasrallah himself would not approve of.

Why should Saad Hariri abandon the tribunal and give up on trying those who killed his father? Would Hassan Nasrallah abandon his "resistance" and forgive Israel for killing his son?

Sadly, it was Saad Hariri himself who unwittingly lent credibility to this warped logic and these unfair expectations. When he publicly exonerated Syria and acknowledged the existence of "false witnesses" before any indictment was issued, he compromised the tribunal's credibility and set a precedent that Hizbullah pounced on.  The following argument took hold: The investigation was wrong on Syria, with Hariri's own admission, so why wouldn't it be wrong in indicting Hizbullah?

In a way, Hariri failed. But then, the chances for success were slim to none. The May 7 events established Hizbullah as a terror entity that few can stop, including the Saudis who caved in to false notions about a constructive Syrian role. The Saudis deluded themselves, as did others outside the region, by thinking that Assad can separate himself from the Iranian regime. The failure of the "S S" initiative is testament to this shortsightedness, which infected Hariri and some of his allies.

Nasrallah will go on TV again to blabber hysterically, possibly setting the stage for a Hizbullah-led cabinet.  He might be digging his own grave by terrorizing others into submitting to his warped logic. Unfortunately, Lebanon will likely suffer until the time comes when the Iranian-funded militia's terror wears thin. Folks like Jumblatt may think they are preserving civil peace by reversing their positions, but the Druze leader knows very well that he cannot control his men forever.

Hizbullah will not get away with this. Even if they force others into submission, the fault lines have been drawn in blood, and their reign will not be complete or sustainable. If it doesn't come from Hariri's followers, it will come from extremists who will see Hizbullah as another Shia revolution. Extremism gives birth to more extremism, and violence begets violence. Nasrallah chose to ignore this not only at his own peril, but at the peril of Lebanese Shias, including the silent ones who do not support this folly.

Hizbullah: a new beginning

There's nothing more hilarious than the sight of farmed Hizbullah "fighters" deploying to Beirut streets to "send a warning message" to the Lebanese population. Nasrallah's men in black might succeed in scaring a few citizens, but their heavy brainwashing will be the death of them. If that is the course the supreme leader of the resistance has chosen for his followers, then he is more confused than we thought.

I mean, seriously? He wants to take over the country when entire armies and heavily armed militias could not? And with whose help? Michel Aoun? The latest joke goes that Aoun, following Ben Ali's escape from Tunisia, is seriously considering moving to Carthage to reclaim the Phoenician throne.

The former general is better off praying for a return of Phoenician rule, for he and his Hizbullah orcs can never sustain a victory in a country like Lebanon. Even Jumblatt will not be able to come to their rescue. The Druze leader might have finally realized the limit of begging for peace. The men of Mount Lebanon are not known to accept humiliation.

The party of God wants to rule Lebanon? Good luck trying.

The Saudis today, after wasting years of Lebanese time milking power-hungry Assad for an "SS" solution, predicted the best that Hizbullah can achieve: fragmentation.

The best Nasrallah could hope to achieve is a protracted civil conflict where he plays the role of occupier, and where a growing resistance will show him and his fighters the price overly arrogant and ambitious sectarian leader pay whenever they try to dominate the other sects in this country.

Hizbullah never got Lebanon, and will never get it. They are an extremist, violent organization powered by an ideology that is alien to the country of honey and orange blossoms. Lebanon might be messed up, but Hizbullah's chances of converting the other Lebanese to its creed by force are negligible. 

Even if Hizbullah consolidates its control over the country, it is finished as a resistance movement.  This is a group fighting for its survival, as its leaders keep repeating, not understanding the significance of their statements. Had they tried to become part of the Lebanese fabric, they would not be in this situation, being accused of killing the very people they pretended to protect.

May they make more mistakes, and may Nasrallah continue to show his true colors. Welcome to the beginning of the rest of the story.

Could Hizbullah be any more frightened?

I don't think Hizbullah was ever frightened as it is now. Israeli tanks and shells may have killed its fighters and leaders in the past, but it never dented its image as the upcoming STL indictment potentially will.

It might be hard to accept that the Iranian funded militia is digging its own grave by effectively suspending the Lebanese government. However, the indictment will definitely help shatter whatever Hizbullah's knee jerk reactions of recent months have not already blown to smithereens.

They can have fun weaving conspiracy theories all they want. But Hizbullah's standing is forever tarnished after the report comes out. What they prevented Israel from achieving they are doing unto themselves. First by rejecting the course of justice and alienating at least half of the Lebanese population. Second by having participated in the plot to destroy Lebanon through killing its prime minister, and by aiding and abetting in the murder of its intellectuals and policy makers.

I don't know about you, but I believe Hizbullah quitting the cabinet is a good development.  A militia should not be allowed into government. Thugs who have foreign and extremist agendas should not be allowed to rule or partake in any democratic process. For, and people forget, Hizbullah is not a political party, and cannot participate in any democratic process because of its very nature as a militant theological entity that does not recognize the authority of the state or elected officials. They should have no right to run in elections or name anyone to head a government.

Good riddance, Hizbullah. And as for Aoun and Assad and their despicable puppets, may they enjoy being on the wrong side of history.

The justice of kings and thugs

Dumped in the name of engagement, and under the forces of the world economy and terrorist distractions, Lebanon is quickly finding itself being flushed down the drain.

You've got a super power that tends to create high expectations in the minds of many, and which has its own priorities that folks in the small nation of Lebanon don't get. Or perhaps they do, and instead of fighting it out, they freak out and go beg outside the door of the next-door thug.

Today saw the release of the CBC report that made the UN investigation look more like a colossal waste of time than an investment in justice. 

Today was also Lebanon's Independence Day. A silly presidential speech about "Lebanese solutions" was overshadowed by Hizbullah's continuous threats to cut off the hands of those who dare accuse the militia of involvement in the killing of Rafik Hariri five years ago. Yes, they will kill anyone who takes them to a court of law to defend themselves. That's how innocent people act, in Hizbullah's world.

It turns out that even the little bit of mismanaged justice is seen as too much for Lebanese people.  Even Walid Jumblatt has described the tribunal, which today emerged as broken, as a plot against the good old rejection front.

So, the bet is now on the "SS"—Saudi Arabia and Syria loving each other enough for Lebanese to be spared the wrath of Iran-powered Hizbullah. Long live kings and thugs.

Down with justice.

I don't blog much anymore, mostly because there is no time, but also because of the absurdity of this situation.

Saad Hariri thinks he can exonerate the Assad regime and at the same time express confidence in the work of the tribunal.

Jumblatt is so scared of the latest world order, he would rather be humiliated in Damascus than acknowledge the disappointment of his own followers. 

This is all too painful to watch, let alone comment on.

Happy November 22nd, old country.

Nasrallah puts himself on trial without promised "irrefutable evidence"

Last week, we were promised "irrefutable evidence" implicating Israel in the assassination of Rafik Hariri in 2005. Today, Nasrallah gave us "qara'in", loosely translated to mean "indications" or to be more blunt, inconclusive and circumstantial evidence.

For someone who says he didn't trust the Special Tribunal, he sure did not provide any solid evidence proving the theory that Israel killed Hariri to weaken and destroy the resistance.

Lebanese sadly watched Nasrallah for two and a half hours as he defamed espionage suspects and shared a hodgepodge of footage dating back to 1997 when Israeli spy planes allegedly filmed the routes used by Rafik Hariri in 2005.

He claimed an Israeli agent was present at the scene of the crime the day of the assassination and showed footage of Israeli war planes flying over Beirut hours before the explosion.

Nasrallah also claimed that as early as 1993, Israel sent an agent called Ahmad Nasrallah to plant the idea in Rafik Hariri's mind that Hizbullah's Imad Mughnieh was trying to assassinate him.  Hariri, according to the secretary-general, complained to Syrian intelligence and his friends in France and Saudi Arabia.

Nasrallah tried to support his conspiracy theory by presenting a compilation of statements by Israeli officials linking Hizbullah to the assassination. And in a sign of absolute desperation, he profiled a number of individuals suspected of spying for Israel, by listing their alleged charged and basing his information on "confessions" and depositions.

It is tragic that no one in the media realized that Nasrallah was defaming individuals who have not had their day in court yet. The man is so concerned about being framed that he went ahead with naming and shaming many individuals who, like Nasrallah wants to be, are innocent until proven guilty. 

But then, when you believe that the world's conspiracies revolve around Hizbullah, that pure and infallible entity, you don't hesitate defaming others to exonerate yourself before you are even accused of anything.

For no one that matters has accused Hizbullah of anything yet. These pre-emptive shows that Nasrallah is orchestrating are doing more to incriminate his party than any talk of impending indictment.

Nasrallah said he would not submit any of this information to the tribunal because he doesn't trust the investigation.

Actually, it's probably the other way around. No commission or court would accept or trust this hodgepodge of selective footage and defamation as "evidence". Are we to believe that in one week, Nasrallah unearthed what 5 years of investigations could not find? And even if the UN team maliciously chose to overlook Nasrallah's evidence, why not do this research five years ago? Or last year? 

Here’s what Nasrallah had to say when asked this very question:

Nasrallah: If I presented the evidence in 2005, 2006 or 2007 they would have asked us [at the time], ‘Why are you talking about it? You are not accused.’ As for the videos, they show surveillance efforts focusing on certain points at certain times, which is evidence that something is being prepared. Investigators can prove it.

So presenting this information five years ago would have incriminated Hizbullah? Come again?

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon and fitna

So the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is now a recipe for "fitna".

Five years after millions demanded justice, and after many lost their lives writing or speaking about it, Walid Jumblatt is now warning against "using the tribunal to take the country to fitna".

Jumblatt, who has just come back from a visit with Bashar, said that the investigators resorted to accusing Hizbullah after failing to come up with evidence against Syria in 2007. So the plot dates back to 2007, according to Jumblatt.

2007.

We know where Jumblatt stood in 2007. But what was Hizbullah doing? Was it hiding in caves, afraid of the sharp March 14 claws as they built their Israeli spy networks and killed their own people?

Hizbullah in 2007 was occupying downtown Beirut, preventing parliament from convening to discuss anything, including the tribunal. Jumblatt himself in 2007 warned that Hizbullah was planning a military coup of sorts, and an invasion of downtown Beirut if a March 14 president assumed power (and he was right).

In 2007, Hizbullah was arming pro-Syrian militias in Lebanon, to, you know, defend the country against fitna brought upon by courts of law.

In 2007, Nasrallah gave Lebanon a choice: go with Syria's choice for president, or let Hizbullah pick a president through direct elections.

In 2007, Nasrallah said the assassinations of Tueni, Ghanem and Gemayel, which took place before important UN meetings discussing the tribunal, were committed by Israel because the assassinations took place in "areas where Israeli networks have a distinguished security presence".

In 2007, as more March 14 leaders were getting killed, Assad flirted with Ehud Olmert.

In 2007, the Lebanese army battled Fateh al-Islam, and they were not exactly a product of Israel.

In 2007, Hassan Nssrallah, a year after bringing destruction to Lebanon,  said this:

We are ready to become dismembered limbs to keep Iran strong and dignified, for we are strong if Iran is strong.  I am but a small soldier for Imam Khamenei. In Maroun al-Ras, 40 members from the Hizbullah forces stood against a contingent from the Zionist entity, and only 13 of them were martyred. The youth of Hizbullah acted in the name of Imam Khomeini and invoked Imam Hussein, and saluted the Iranian people.

In 2007, reports emerged about Hizbullah's own private telecommunication network.

In 2007, March 14 leaders were AFRAID to be in Lebanon, while Iranian and Syrian agents roamed free.

And what did March 14 do that was so awful in 2007? They asked the United Nations for justice.

In 2007, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon was born, and immediately after its establishment, the Zionists did not raise a victory flag in downtown Beirut. More March 14 MPs were killed, and Hizbullah continued its occupation of the country. Bombs were planted all over, or at least in those parts identified by Nasrallah as hotbeds for Israeli networks.

What happened after 2007? In 2008, Wissam Eid, the ISF officer who we later learned was instrumental in the Hariri invstigation was assassinated.

Did the Zionists kill him?

Did the Zionists twist March 14's arms to elect Michel Suleiman as President?

No. March 14 compromised. And in May 2008, they saw Hizbullah's guns anyway.

And in 2010, the year after Jumblatt confessed his anti-Syrian sins, the "Israeli networks" turned out to be a property of Hizbullah's own allies, and spies were found roaming in their own backyard.

And Iran's spies, Syria's agents. Iran's proxy-army. They roam free. Those do not cause fitna, right Abu Taymour?  

Nasrallah's convenient resistance

It's been a hysteric day in Lebanon.

The Lebanese army enters into an uneven confrontation with the Israeli army, and Nasrallah goes on TV to bark some, and plunge the country into more paranoia.

The poor Lebanese army was apparently ordered to shoot at Israelis trying to uproot a tree blocking their surveillance cameras, and the result was tragic.

If it weren't for the loss of life, it would have seemed refreshing to see the Lebanese army taking charge, regardless of what one thinks of their decision to fire warning shots. Their move temporarily made Hizbullah seem useless, despite the limited capabilities. (Update: UN says the tree was in Israeli territory contested by Lebanon.)

Nasrallah today said his fighters watched in painful silence as Lebanese soldiers were being bombed. And he made his usual threat: the resistance will cut off the hands of anybody trying to attack the Lebanese army, etc.

I don't know about your memory, but I recall a certain helicopter incident, and I wondered whether the Hizbullah member who shot and killed the Lebanese soldier was party to this painful watching.

Nasrallah, who in the past said the resistance would follow nobody's orders, showed up on TV today on the anniversary of his alleged divine victory, to claim that, while the Lebanese army was getting beat up, he called and put the resistance at the disposal of the Lebanese army.

Gee, thanks. Hizbullah now waits for marching orders from the Lebanese army? That's new.  Will they be allowed to fly over or enter their security zones?

Let's not fool ourselves into believing that Hizbullah is suddenly recognizing the authority of the Lebanese government. Had that been true, they would have at least shared the "top secret" evidence they allegedly unearthed about the Hariri assassination with the Lebanese authorities, if they didn't trust the international tribunal.

For instead of rushing his soldiers to help the Lebanese army (by, say, sharing some weapons), he turned them into paper-pushers, sending them to the "Israeli-resistance struggle archives" to produce "irrefutable evidence" that "Israel and its agents used political rivalry between Hizbullah and Rafik Hariri in 2005 to convince [Hariri's] friends at home and abroad that Hizbullah wanted to assassinate him".

In his speech today, Nasrallah vowed to reveal all on August 9th at 8:30 PM and called on the government to "appoint a responsible [authority on the issue] if it finds what I say to be noteworthy…We are ready to collaborate with the government."

This is how investigations work in Nasrallah land. Evidence is based on historical research conducted in Hizbullah's archives, is aired on TV, and is not shared with judges or investigators (or tribunals).  Only Hizbullah possesses the truth, and it's predetermined as conspiracy against the resistance. And only the resistance picks the timing for war and peace. And only they decide when it's convenient to help the nation they allegedly defend.

If you ask me, Nasrallah today came across as a coward. Not for not fighting, for this blogger will never wish for that kind of help. But for going on the anniversary of his foolish and deadly adventure, on the day Lebanese soldiers burned defending a damn tree, to shield himself against the rule of law. 

Nasrallah's big freak out

Nasrallah today went live to defend his "party" against a potential indictment by the Hariri tribunal. The Lebanese, and others who cared to watch his smiling face projected on a giant screen, heard him share a secret Saad Hariri could not keep to himself : Rogue Hizbullah members will allegedly be accused of carrying out the murder of Rakik Hariri.

Nasrallah, who called the tribunal an "Israeli project" in a previous hysterical speech, denied any Hizbullah members were involved. After expressing relief that the Assad regime and its former cohorts in Lebanon will not be indicted, he lashed out at March 14 (remember them?), asking them to atone for their past mistakes (a la Jumblatt) and apologize to their supporters, Syria, and to the "resistance" for "nearly dragging the country into destruction".

He also asked them to go to the UN to stop this tribunal business. 

I guess Nasrallah feels that March 14 owes him that much, after </sarcasm> wrongly accusing Syria of killing those intellectuals, and after dragging the country into confrontation with the eternal enemy, costing him missiles and sweat. March 14 owes him because their horrid anti-constitutional mistakes drove him to occupy the capital and to pit his army against defenseless civilians who once believed in the purity of the resistance.

March 14 alo wronged Hizbullah by subscribing to the American/Israeli project to eliminate all voices opposed to Iran and the Assad regime. </sarcasm>

Those who remain in March 14 might not have the wisdom to confront Hizbullah, but they are not that stupid to not see through Nasrallah's big freak out.

Nasrallah said he wasn't afraid of the indictment, and issued a couple of veiled threats. However, his hysterical reactions of late suggest panic. It's almost better to accuse the Assad regime at this point. Hizbullah's mythical purity would not get tarnished by an international court.

Nasrallah can say what he wants about the tribunal. If it were indeed true that Hizbullah members were involved, then he and his Iranian masters will find themselves in a pickle, to say the least. Hariri and the Saudis have nearly declared bygones with the Assad regime, which must feel immune in light of these reports. And for a change, stronger than Hizbullah. (One wonders if Hariri's overtures towards Syria were psychologically facilitated by the indictment he allegedly was informed about).  

Hizbullah might be spared an internal confrontation by Jumblatt and Hariri. But who will spare Iran and its militia in Lebanon the humiliation? Hizbullah members do not act alone, and Nasrallah knows that we know it. Hariri assuring him that he will declare they went rogue means nothing.  Hizbullah members killing a Sunni Arab Prime Minister means Iran's militia killed a Sunni Arab Prime Minister. No other explanation will fly. Not even the good old "Israeli/American conspiracy".

Hizbullah over the past few years has been building a bastion in Lebanon. They built cities in mountains. They consolidated their control of the General Security. "Spies" have been purged, while they roamed free, acting as agents for Iran. Even when the pro-Hariri information branch helped them expose alleged Israeli spy networks, they cast doubts and accused the fledgling intelligence apparatus of conspiring against them. Because no one can be more powerful than Hizbullah. Meanwhile, the media in Lebanon was effectively muzzled. Anti-Syrian and anti-Iranian cries died down, with a few exceptions.  Anyone who dared break the embargo got sidelined. Even Hariri ordered his journalists to shut up about Syria.

Things were looking good for Nasrallah, until reports of a Hizbullah indictment resurfaced.  This being Lebanon, nobody gains the upper hand for too long.  And while Hizbullah controls more strings today than ever before, nothing is permanent.

And Nasrallah knows it.