These horrific scenes are sadly not a look back at Lebanon 20 years ago, but the reality on the ground today. Wednesday was Hezbollah's latest attempt to hide behind the cause of the underdog, in this case the labor union, to stage an unprecedented attack on Lebanese civilians.
Hezbollah-led Demonstrators started their protest by burning tires in their strongholds, including blocking access to the Beirut International Airport. The closure of the airport led to cancellation of 32 incoming and outgoing flights.
The icing on the cake has to be the new tents set up by Hezbollah along the airport road, perhaps the start of a similar tent city to the one the militia has used to effectively destroy the economy of downtown Beirut. Eighteen months later, the crippled government has yet to evict Hezbollah from their occupation of downtown Beirut.
A similar masked coup was staged in January 2007, when tires were set ablaze, the airport forced shut, and citizens terrorized in what Hezbollah called an "intifada".
At the start of the July-August war in 2006, Israel's Prime Minister vowed to send Lebanon back 20 years. Hezbollah joins Israel in its ability to shut down Beirut's airport, and effectively Lebanon's desperately needed summer tourism. Hezbollah is doing a fine job executing the vision of Ehud Olmert.
Hezbollah proved to the Lebanese again today that they present an even worse threat to Lebanon than Israel. The Lebanese people can not continue to allow Hezbollah to take the country hostage.
A medic attends to photographer Wadih Shlink after he was beaten by Hezbollah supporters
Hezbollah supporters flash victory signs after inflicting chaos
A family takes cover during gun battles in Beirut
Civil defense personnel put out fires from burning cars
An Hezbollah supporter holds a gasoline bottle as he stands near a burning car
Hezbollah used dump trucks to create roadblocks, as the Army looks on
Stranded passengers wait in Beirut international airport as Hezbollah blocked streets forcing its closure
Tags: Black Wednesday, coup, Hezbollah, Israel, July-August 2006 War, riots, source: Ya Libnan, Terrorism, Violence
