Assad Supporters Suspected in New Beirut Incidents

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BEIRUT, Lebanon — Gunmen erected roadblocks, burned tires and fired into the air in downtown Beirut in the predawn hours of Tuesday, while in the suburb of Jounieh to the east, at least two land mines were found on the grounds of a hospital.

The roadblocks were manned by Shiites who apparently support President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and who were angry over the arrest of a Shiite man for firebombing and shooting into the offices of New TV, a Lebanon broadcaster that has been critical of the Syrian government. The incidents aroused renewed concern that Lebanon’s sectarian factions would once again be dragged into the conflicts of its neighbor.

Syria has close ties with Hezbollah and Amal, the dominant Shiite political parties here, and their activists have been strong supporters of Mr. Assad.

The firebombing suspect was identified as Wissam Alaaeddine, according to local news reports. A Facebook page in that name, reported by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation TV network, showed photographs of the Syrian president, and news accounts said Mr. Alaaeddine was formerly a member of the Amal party.

Security camera footage at the television station showed masked men pouring gasoline on tires near the entrance and setting them alight. The attackers apparently set one of themselves on fire and one was seen fleeing the scene with his foot aflame.

After Mr. Alaaeddine’s arrest, gangs of young men, many masked, set up roadblocks in downtown neighborhoods, setting tires on fire and firing into the air.

Karma Khayat, the deputy head of news for New TV, said that political leaders from the Hezbollah and Amal parties visited the station after the attack to assure officials there that they had not approved of the attack. However, he said those who took to the streets after the arrest were supporters of the Shiite parties, even if not officially connected to them, and their actions were clearly organized.

“The problem with this country, it’s been so severely divided that if anything happens to a member of a sect, he thinks he should be protected by other members of the sect,” Ms. Khayat said. “This is a matter that sooner or later will ruin this country.”

In April, a television cameraman for New TV, Ali Shaaban, was killed inside Lebanon but close to the border when his car came under fire from the Syrian side. Ms. Khayat, however, linked the attack on the station to anger over a broadcast on Sunday of a Sunni sheik, Ahmad al Assir, who condemned both Hezbollah and Amal in remarks for which the station later apologized. “We’re a secular TV and we’re against any act of sectarianism,” she said.

The land mines were found in a bucket near the entrance of the Our Lady of Lebanon Hospital in Jounieh, in the Christian area east of Beirut. There were no claims of responsibility and no indication that the two incidents were related.

NY Times

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23 responses to “Assad Supporters Suspected in New Beirut Incidents”

  1. Fauzia45 Avatar
    Fauzia45

    This will continue to happen until all arms are under the control of the state!! When a state is in control,law can be enforced ,people and institutions can be protected !!!!

  2. Fauzia45 Avatar
    Fauzia45

    This will continue to happen until all arms are under the control of the state!! When a state is in control,law can be enforced ,people and institutions can be protected !!!!

  3. Borbok4 Avatar

    Fauzia, I don’t know what world you live in, but the fact is government cant and wont
    protect you. That’s why we have the right to bear arms in the USA.

    I’m sure Bashar thinks the same thing. Guns in the hands of his mercenaries only.

    1. master09 Avatar
      master09

      He is talking about the 60,000 rockets and other hard weapons that HA is holding, not the shot guns for birds and rabbits…so it is ok for this gang HA to hold these weapons and point them at people who do not follow what they believe in or because they want to take Lebanon to war with Isreal…..and destroy the country….not sure what world a lot of people live in….. 

    2. borbok4
      here in australia the government bought all the firearms off all its citizens
      its more or less illegal for any body except farmers lawenforcement or gun clubs to own guns of any kind
      not saying they got them all or criminals handed theirs in
      but compare the murder rate to the two countries per populations big difference
      law enforcement farmers gun club licenced hunters army fullstop

    3. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Well, I’d guess he doesn’t live in the ‘Cold Dead Hands’ USA 😉
      And that ‘right to bear arms’ was a line put in for Private Militias of that time … not every Borbok, Mohammad and Wargame. Totally perverted by now … along with the ‘popular’ history of the Tea-Party … of course. It’s Big Business.

  4. Borbok4 Avatar

    Fauzia, I don’t know what world you live in, but the fact is government cant and wont
    protect you. That’s why we have the right to bear arms in the USA.

    I’m sure Bashar thinks the same thing. Guns in the hands of his mercenaries only.

    1. master09 Avatar
      master09

      He is talking about the 60,000 rockets and other hard weapons that HA is holding, not the shot guns for birds and rabbits…so it is ok for this gang HA to hold these weapons and point them at people who do not follow what they believe in or because they want to take Lebanon to war with Isreal…..and destroy the country….not sure what world a lot of people live in….. 

    2. borbok4
      here in australia the government bought all the firearms off all its citizens
      its more or less illegal for any body except farmers lawenforcement or gun clubs to own guns of any kind
      not saying they got them all or criminals handed theirs in
      but compare the murder rate to the two countries per populations big difference
      law enforcement farmers gun club licenced hunters army fullstop

    3. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Well, I’d guess he doesn’t live in the ‘Cold Dead Hands’ USA 😉
      And that ‘right to bear arms’ was a line put in for Private Militias of that time … not every Borbok, Mohammad and Wargame. Totally perverted by now … along with the ‘popular’ history of the T-Party … of course. It’s Big Business.

  5. Leborigine Avatar
    Leborigine

    Scum and uneducated people supporting a scum and uneducated government, which is not even their own – What more can I say!

  6. Leborigine Avatar
    Leborigine

    Scum and uneducated people supporting a scum and uneducated government, which is not even their own – What more can I say!

  7. Philassie Avatar
    Philassie

    Lebanon supported Hezbollah despite its terror tactics; it celebrated vile sub-human murderers like Kuntar; Well, here’s a taste of your own medicine.  Enjoy.

    1. master09 Avatar
      master09

      The thing is Lebanon do not support HEZbollah they are scared and can not openly speak out against them, as we know they hold the guns to peoples heads, look at what they did in 2008…. In 2006 when Isreal and HA went to war most politicians begged Isreal to finish them, but never in the open because they new they would be dead the next day….So no most Lebanese do not support them just the brainwashed……who allow them to bring Lebanon to it,s knees… 
       The problem with this country, it’s been so severely divided that if anything happens to a member of a sect, he thinks he should be protected by other members of the sect,” Ms. Khayat said. “This is a matter that sooner or later will ruin this country.” This sort of action is what drug lords and gangs do….

      1. Moe2000 Avatar

        Total BS and you know it.

        1. master09 Avatar
          master09

          The divide over Hezbollah followed mostly sectarian lines, with Shias largely supporting the group and Sunnis, Christians and Druse mostly opposing it.[287
          At the outbreak of hostilities, Prime Minister Fuad Saniora promised to rein in Hezbollah…

          Yes moe total BULLSHIT but if we support a group what do we do hate them or love them and they become the power to brainwash us not just them but all sides do that to people who FOLLOW LIKE SHEEPPPPP….BAH BAH…IT IS FACT AND YOU KNOW IT LOL…

          Read the article on this site..Sheikh Assir refuses to end the protest in Saida, just another group in Lebanon who wants the non state arms gone, but there is a loooooot more who stop short because they are scared with the muscle they flex on th people…..Freedom yes MOE….or control……???

  8. Philassie Avatar
    Philassie

    Lebanon supported Hezbollah despite its terror tactics; it celebrated vile sub-human murderers like Kuntar; Well, here’s a taste of your own medicine.  Enjoy.

  9. Pass26 Avatar

    Lebanon supported Hezbollah despite its terror tactics; it celebrated vile sub-human murderers like Kuntar; Well, here’s a taste of your own medicine.  Enjoy.

    1. master09 Avatar
      master09

      The thing is Lebanon do not support HEZbollah they are scared and can not openly speak out against them, as we know they hold the guns to peoples heads, look at what they did in 2008…. In 2006 when Isreal and HA went to war most politicians begged Isreal to finish them, but never in the open because they new they would be dead the next day….So no most Lebanese do not support them just the brainwashed……who allow them to bring Lebanon to it,s knees…  

      1. Moe2000 Avatar

        Total BS and you know it.

        1. master09 Avatar
          master09

          The divide over Hezbollah followed mostly sectarian lines, with Shias largely supporting the group and Sunnis, Christians and Druse mostly opposing it.[287
          At the outbreak of hostilities, Prime Minister Fuad Saniora promised to rein in Hezbollah…

          Yes moe total BULLSHIT but if we support a group what do we do hate them or love them and they become the power to brainwash us not just them but all sides do that to people who FOLLOW LIKE SHEEPPPPP….BAH BAH…IT IS FACT AND YOU KNOW IT LOL… 

  10. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    “….. and one was seen fleeing the scene with his foot aflame.” …. hehehehe … Darwin-Award nomination?
     Hot-footed it out of there, of course. :-)))

  11. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    “….. and one was seen fleeing the scene with his foot aflame.” …. hehehehe … Darwin-Award nomination?
     Hot-footed it out of there, of course. :-)))

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