"Open War" In Lebanon
Not another defensive "invasion" by Israel. This time, yet again, the fascist face of Hezbollah claiming its ascendancy in the body politic. Iran and Syria must be getting restless. Syria misses milking the Lebanese economy. Iran is feeling hot and bothered at the tiresome delay in instituting its Shiite hegemony. The myth of Israeli aggression, of the Jewish State's agenda of militarism in the aid of expansionism has been exposed time and again. No one seems to care.If Lebanon is threatened it is both from within and without, but look elsewhere than at the Jewish State for blame. The world shrugs its collective shoulder; just an internecine misunderstanding, they'll straighten it out. They have before, and will again. Most certainly they will, and poor lamented Lebanon will never be the same again. Reason aplenty for even greater numbers of Lebanese Christians to abandon their beloved country.
Hezbollah militias have been emboldened, they've taken steps to overturn the economy of the country they claim to love and support, they've not been averse to murdering opponents and innocent bystanders alike. Civilians cower in fear, frightened to venture out onto the street. Some unfortunate casualties result. Life can be so exciting, so interesting, so fraught with tension, never boring, under siege.
Explosions, gunfire disquieting the the night-time atmosphere. Hooded gunmen (these noble fighters for freedom somehow feel naked, exposed, without their features-concealing masks) fire rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns. Fearless fighters, they imagine themselves the envy of the male world, more accustomed to venting their testosterone-fuelled frustrations through the venues of home videos.
These are merely instances of civil disobedience, this burning of tires, blockading roads, closing the country's international airport, radio and television stations. The nerve of the government to object, to push back. "The [government] decisions are tantamount to a declaration of war and the start of a war - on behalf of the United States and Israel", thundered their courageous chief, Hassan Nasrallah.
"The hand that touches the weapons of the resistance will be cut off", Hezbollah's Nasrallah warned. "We have the right to confront he who starts a war with us by defending our rights and our weapons." And who defends the country, and its people? The government demands an end to the "siege" of Beirut, and Hezbollah rejects the government's proposal to end the clashes.
Jordan is understandably nervous, Saudi Arabia has called an emergency meeting of Arab leaders. The prospect of Sunni mixing it up with Shia militias isn't entirely enthralling to the neighbourhood. But it's the government's fault for taking steps to outlaw Hezbollah's telecommunications network, their "most important part of the resistance". Resistance? What are they resisting? The potential for Lebanon to finally become a normal country?
Lebanon faces some problems there, they have welcomed an ungovernably malicious serpent into their midst whose purpose is utter desolation of the country as a secular state, a democracy, a place of peace and harmony for its various constituents. Those too-late, feeble attempts at house-cleaning by firing security officials for links with Hezbollah, working against the interests of the country are simply that; too late.
They have the unenviable option of complete capitulation; some option. But it's what Nasrallah offers, when he claims that he is "not declaring war", but rather "declaring a decision of self defense". Duplicitous? not at all; name it for what it is, viper-like Arab disingenuousness. "Those who try to arrest us, we will arrest them. Those who shoot at us, we will shoot at them. The hand raised against us, we will cut it off."
And where is this brave, courageous example of Arab knighthood, leading his people to freedom? Why, huddled for safety in a secret hideout. Directing murder and mayhem from his little spidey-hole. The rioters torching vehicles, smashing windows, blocking roads, happily shooting guns, devoutly, doing his bidding. Lebanon writhes once again in its emerging metamorphosis from a country of wondrous landscapes and happy people toward a distorted image of itself.
Meanwhile in the Lower Galilee, in celebration of Israel's 60th anniversary of Independence Day, hundreds of Hezbollah-supporting Palestinians fought with riot police, the Palestinians exhorted on to their own rally mourning the calamity that befell them with the re-inauguration of Israel's statehood, by two Arab members of the Israeli Knesset. Isn't that a riot? Palestinian-Israelis rebelling against Israeli celebration of their statehood.
The anti-Israeli riot that ensued through the clash of Jewish celebrants and Arab counter-celebrants came complete with expressions of support for Hezbollah terrorism, wildly exhorting violence against Jews. As though any such violence will result in any kind of amelioration of the Arab-on-Arab, Sunni-against-Shia, secular government against fundamentalist theism problem that is their very own.
Labels: Middle East, Societal Failures, Terrorism
posted by Pieface @ Friday, May 09, 2008
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