Replies to post #123991 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[Lebaneseproud]

Yes, funny they waited until the Tribunal report is about to be released for this other counrty SYRIA to issue these arrest warrants. The actions of Syria and Hizbullah(Iran's puppet) seem very desperate to me. Why dont they just wait to see what the report says first? Oh yeah , because they already know they helped Hizbullah pull off this assasination and are trying to deflect attention. I'll stick with Obama, Hillary Clinton and the legit Lebanese government on this one.

[StephanieVanbryce]

Hezbollah leader speaks on crisis

Hassan Nasrallah speaks for the first time since his party's ministers quit the Lebanese government.


Hezbollah wants Lebanon to end its co-operation with the UN investigation in Rafiq al-Hariri's assassination [AFP]

16 Jan 2011 09:26 GMT

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, has said his party will refuse to back Saad Hariri, Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, in forming a new government.

Nasrallah's comments, broadcast on Al-Manar television on Sunday, were his first public comments since Hezbollah ministers and their allies pulled out of Lebanon's government causing it to collapse.

Hezbollah, which has a political bloc in parliament as well as a powerful military wing, commands strong support in Lebanon's Shia Muslim community.

"The opposition unanimously will not name Hariri tomorrow," Nasrallah said.

Lebanon's crisis is the result of long-simmering tensions over the UN tribunal that is investigating the 2005 assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, a former Lebanese prime minister and the father of Saad Hariri.

The tribunal is widely expected to indict members of Hezbollah, which many fear could rekindle violence in Lebanon.

"Despite the fact we reject the indictment simply for being politicised, Lebanon is our homeland and we are keen on its safety and stability," Nasrallah said in his speech.

Hezbollah has several times denounced the Netherlands-based tribunal as a conspiracy by the US and Israel.

The group demanded that Saad Hariri's government reject the court's findings even before they come out.

But though he offered some concessions, Saad Hariri has refused to end co-operation with the tribunal, prompting Hezbollah's walkout.

Michel Sleiman, Lebanon's president, has asked Saad Hariri to stay on as a caretaker leader and consultations on the appointment of a new prime minister are due to take place on Monday.

Rula Amin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Beirut, said that a new government might be formed relatively quickly.

"It could be a very quick process, that's what the opposition want - they want a new government that will do what Mr Hariri was not willing to do, which is to end Lebanon's co-operation with the tribunal," she said.

"However, they are still not sure if they will have enough members of parliament who would support such a move."

Lebanon's crisis has sparked fears in the region.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Qatari emir, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, are due to meet Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, in Damascus on Monday to discuss the situation.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/2011116182941987335.html

Why should Lebanon pay any attention to this UN report ? NO ONE paid any attention the UN's Goldstone report ! ..I wouldn't give it any credence either, The world seems to believe and take action on UN reports .. UNLESS, the subject is ISRAEL


......Links on the UN Goldstone report from Aljazeera

http://english.aljazeera.net/Services/Search/?q=%20the%20Goldstone%20report

[StephanieVanbryce]

Lebanon 'gave Israel army tips' ..recent background

Defence minister offered advice to Israel in 2008 on how to defeat Hezbollah, WikiLeaks documents show.


Murr, right, reportedly said Israel should desist from bombing Christian areas while attacking Hezbollah [EPA]

08 Dec 2010 04:09 GMT

Lebanon's defence minister offered advice to Israel in 2008 on how they might defeat Hezbollah, the Shia group based in southern Lebanon, according to US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.

The memo, published in Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, showed Elias Murr telling US officials that areas under Hezbollah control would not receive Lebanese forces' protection from attacks.

"If Israel has to bomb all of these places in the Shia areas as a matter of operational concern, that is Hezbollah's problem,'' Murr reportedly said.

'Not accurate'

The minister also said that any Israeli attack on Lebanon should avoid bombing Christian areas, to stop public opinion turning against them.

"Murr told us that Israel would do well to avoid two things when it comes for Hezbollah," the US officials are quoted as saying.

"One, it must not touch the Blue Line or the UNSCR 1701 areas as this will keep Hezbollah out of these areas," said the memo, referring to the border region in southern Lebanon patrolled by UN peacekeepers.

"Two, Israel cannot bomb bridges and infrastructure in the Christian areas," Murr is cited as stating.

However, Murr said that he was not responsible for passing on messages to Israel.

In the March 10 meeting, Murr added that the Lebanese army would avoid taking part in any future war, but the military would be ready to "take over, once Hezbollah's militia has been destroyed".

George Soulage, Murr's principal aide, said Murr had met with Michele Sison, then US ambassador, but refuted the accusation of the leak, stating: "The information posted by WikiLeaks is not complete and is not accurate.

"The aim behind this is to sow discord in Lebanon.

"The cable does not reflect the truth about what happened during the meeting and it has no value."

War fear

The memo states that in the meeting Murr expressed fears that another war between Hezbollah and Israel was imminent, following their battle in 2006.

Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese general, told Al Jazeera that the cable had to be taken in context: "The meeting was like two hours and a half. And it depends who wrote this paper, what is his style and what does he want to do.

"In our field, there is a lot of difference between analyses and real intelligence. This cable is about real intelligence you don’t have to go and analyse it. It will cause political uproar in Lebanon … it will create political problems.

"The damage is done for his political career. "

Another memo reveals that the US secretly flew reconnaissance flights over Hezbollah locations in 2008, using British airbases.

Another memo reveals that the US secretly flew reconnaissance flights over Hezbollah locations in 2008, using British airbases.

UK officials reportedly complained about the use of their national airbases to launch the missions.

The revelations will cause tensions to rise between Hezbollah and Lebanon's Western-backed government.

It comes when the potentially explosive outcome of a UN tribunal to uncover the perpetrators of the 2005 assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, the ex-prime minister of Lebanon, could be announced this month.

Members of Hezbollah - that claims the trial is biased - could be indicted by the court. Many people fear that such an outcome could ignite violence.

The WikiLeaks website began releasing more than 250,000 classified US diplomatic cables on Sunday, infuriating Washington, which called the leaks an "attack on the international community".

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/12/20101246144971381.html