Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri picked an odd time for a US visit, as it ensured he would be out of the country on the deadline of an ultimatum given by the March 8 bloc of his government to settle some serious grievances. The deadline, Wednesday morning, passed and the bloc withdrew, collapsing Lebanon’s broad coalition government.
The ongoing talks between the Saudi and Syrian governments were aimed primarily at coming up with some solution to stabilizing Lebanon in the wake of a UN Tribunal that was blaming members of Hezbollah for the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri. The talks seemed to be stalling over the past week, however, leading to the ultimatum.
Lebanon last voted on a government in June 2009, when they narrowly chose Hariri’s March 14 faction over the Hezbollah-backed March 8 faction. The vote came in the wake of US demands and a Joe Biden visit threatening consequences if Lebanon voted for March 8.
In the end however, in the face of repeated Israeli threats to invade, both blocs ended up joining together in a broad coalition government. Hariri insists he will attempt to repair the rift and save the government, but in all likelihood it is too late for that, and Lebanon seems heading for early elections.
While this could be very bad news for the people of Lebanon, the fall of that puppet regime is, possibly, the best thing that could have happened to the country. Heavens knows that they were nothing else than a paid stooge of the US and Israel. Maybe now, the Lebanese people can elect a government with a little more teeth that will represent their best interests instead of selling them down the river to the United States of Israel.
thedissenter AND all of You out there: This is in no small part fallout from leaked Wikilk cables that purport the current president of Lebanon Suleman and his defense chief….Murr ……….conspired with Israel through the U.S. Ambassador… Jeffrey Felton for Israel to attack Lebanon (actually Hedbolah) in a way approver by Murr….and if they did…… the Lebanese army would "stay in the barraks"….. which is an unimaginable TREASON…. To encourage an foreign adversary enemy state to attack the country you are sworn to defend kill the citizens and THEN…..Drop MILLIONS of cluster bombs to kill and injure the children for generations to come….. probably the BIGGEST CRIME AGAINST LEBANON IN IT'S HISTORY !!!! BY LEBANESE………….. MUCH LIKE THE U.S. 911 false flag attack…
P.S. Hariri has been beginning to see the hidden hand of outside actors in the ongoing tragedy of Lebanon…. Maybe that is why/how these leaks appeared NOW….!!! To wreck the government as an distraction and disempower those who could do something about the duplicity…
I think certain people need to stop accepting everything coming from "wikileaks" as the absolute truth. As it seems like there is much disinformation originating from it.
If there is anyone who has most to gain from a destabilized and divided Lebanon then it is Hariri. It is rumored he organized the armed gangs which his government forces then attacked when he lost control of them leading to a battle in a refugee camp lasting several weeks. If there is an Israeli/American controlled puppet in Lebanon then it is without a doubt Hariri.
"I think certain people need to stop accepting everything coming from "wikileaks" as the absolute truth. As it seems like there is much disinformation originating from it."
I like the way you are so specific….. "Certain people"………..Moi…?? Better though is "As it seems like there is much disinformation originating from it………. O.K. Maybe, but how about a couple of examples…… A couple of links maybe……
As for the information…. It didn't come from Wikileaks, but from Al Akbar….THAT….. "the current president of Lebanon Suleman and his defense chief….Murr ……….conspired with Israel through the U.S. Ambassador… Jeffrey Felton for Israel to attack Lebanon (actually Hedbolah) in a way approver by Murr….and if they did…… the Lebanese army would "stay in the barraks"…..
IS it DISINFORMATION…??? If it had been, one would think……. that the PRIME suspect Murr would immediately cry FOUL….and deny that the cable was real….. BUT …. What does Murr say.??
"BEIRUT: Defense Minister Elias Murr called Thursday for the trial of anyone who labeled him a traitor after he was implicated in WikiLeaks revelations.
“Who will try those who are accusing other Lebanese of treason only because they hold a different opinion?” Murr asked in a statement, in reference to some MPs and media outlets who had accused him of treason.
A diplomatic cable obtained by whistle blowing website WikiLeaks alleges Murr advised US officials how to ensure a fresh Israeli onslaught on Lebanon would weaken Hizbullah while protecting the Lebanese Army and civilian Christian areas.
He vowed not to attend a Cabinet meeting until action was taken against those who leveled accusations of treachery at him. “I refuse to attend any Cabinet session that will not address the issue of trying the ones who are continually threatening violence and civil strife,” Murr said.
“This issue must be added to the [Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)] ‘false witnesses’ issue.”
The Cabinet has not met for a month as the debate continues over STL “false witnesses,” which opposition lawmakers want to see stand trial before the Judicial Council. March 14 figures would prefer trial by regular judiciary.
Murr joined US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman in commenting on the fallout from leaked cables concerning Lebanon.
Feltman, who was Lebanon’s US Ambassador between January 2004 and July 2008 and has been mentioned in dozens of intercepted cables, said that the documents were being used to harm US interests in Lebanon.
“WikiLeaks cables are being used to achieve political gains in Lebanon and to harm US-Lebanon relations,” Feltman told reporters in a telephone conference call.
“I am truly worried by the dangers that will hang on those Lebanese nationalists who were working in the interest of their state and are now being threatened because they tried to establish strong relations between our countries,” he said. " http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_i…
Do you not find it strange that neither Murr or Felton DENY the the content of the cables…..??
Here is what Felton has to say about the revelations of his complicity with Murr…..Oh no, It.s not TREASON….. but…. "Lebanese nationalists who were working in the interest of their state and are now being threatened because they tried to establish strong relations between our countries….
Nothing unusual…??? Right…. Just NORMAL U.S. diplomacy [arranging yet another war] this time werking out the details of an I$reali assault on Lebanon that killed more than IOOO Lenanese citizens……and did double digit BILLIONS in damage to Lebanese infrastructure……..and left behind MILLIONS of Made in Massachusetts cluster bomblets to kill the CHILDREN for generations and generations
"Another series from Beirut in 2008 shows Lebanese Defense Minister Elias al-Murr telling U.S. diplomats, in a message he implied they should pass on to Israeli officials, that the Lebanese military would not resist an Israeli invasion so long as the Israeli forces abided by certain conditions. Murr, apparently hoping that an Israeli invasion would destroy much of the Hezbollah insurgency and the communities in Lebanon’s south that support it, promised an Israeli invasion would go unchallenged as long as it did not pass certain physical boundaries and did not bomb Christian communities. A U.S. embassy official wrote, “Murr is trying to ascertain how long an offensive would be required to clean out Hizballah in the Beka’a.” Murr added that he had discussed the plan with then-Military Commandant Michel Sleiman, who has since become the President of Lebanon. The small but vibrant community of Middle East-based, English-language Arab bloggers have expressed outrage at Murr and Sleiman’s apparent invitation, predicting it will bring political disaster and possibly worse. " http://www.yalibnan.com/2010/12/03/al-akhbar-news…