Lebanon in the pocket of Assad, says Former P.M.

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In the wake of a bombing that killed Lebanon’s intelligence chief, that country’s former prime minister is calling on his government to step down, saying that it is in the pocket of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.

“This government has failed. It is practically dead in the real sense of the word,” Fouad Siniora told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview. “This is the best solution in order to save Lebanon from instabilities and from any attempt of the Syrian regime to create a sedition.”

Siniora has allied himself with demonstrators who blame Prime Minister Najib Mitaki for failing to prevent the attack Friday that killed Lebanon’s intelligence chief, Wissam al-Hassan.

“This government is in the hands of Syria and Iran at the same time,” he said.

Mitaki has rejected the protestors’ call, telling reporters that it is “unfair” to hold him personally responsible for the assassination.

The attack that killed Hassan is only the latest – though certainly the most serious – in a series of events that have raised concern about spillover of Syria’s sectarian conflict into Lebanon. Lebanon itself suffered a brutal, nearly 15-year-long civil war.

Siniora, who is also a member of parliament, said that he was asking U.N. troops – first deployed in the country after a 1978 war with Israel – to amass along the border with Syria.

The prospect of spillover has only been heightened by the rhetoric of Syria’s Assad, who last year told the Financial Times that “any problem in Syria will burn the whole region. If the plan is to divide Syria, that is to divide the whole region.”

Siniora put Assad’s rhetoric within a familiar history.

“Throughout the past several decades, all dictators in the Arab World, they have been sending a clear message to everybody – to their people as well as to the international community – that either you let me stay in office, and do whatever I want, or the other alternative is chaos or destruction,” Siniora said. “This intimidation and threat to the international community will continue.”

Over the past months, there have been several incidents of Syrian shells landing across the Lebanese border, as well as shootouts with Lebanese border guards.

Many observers suspect that Hassan was targeted for assassination by Syria, because of his criticism of Assad, as well as his rare investigation into a Lebanese official supportive of the Syria regime.

Three days after Hassan was assassinated, does Siniora fear for his life?

“Let me put it this way, I am a believer,” Siniora said. “And I know that irrespective of all the precautions that one can take, if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.”

CNN

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12 responses to “Lebanon in the pocket of Assad, says Former P.M.”

  1. Leborigine Avatar
    Leborigine

    No kidding!! Since when wasn’t Lebanon in the pocket of assad?!!
    That is the problem from the beginning and we still have idiots here who keep repeating that syria stopped the civil war and they withdrew in 2005 and so on. They did withdraw in 2005, physically they did, politically they got stronger through their leeches!

  2. Blood with flowing tears
    Sunday 21 October 2012
    By Mshari al-Zaydi

    What is happening in Syria – the Levant – today represents a blot on all of humanity; this represents a disgrace on the conscience of the international community, and particularly the Arab world which claims to be based on values of freedom, dignity, humanity and civilization. 
    What is taking place in Syria is a violation of every human norm and standard, even during traditional wars. This is something that “none beside Allah can avert” [Surat An-Najm; Verse58]. 
    This is something that has only one inevitable result; Bashar al-Assad and his criminal gang will be toppled, whether this happens today or tomorrow. However the international community will pay the price of this betrayal, cowardice and lack of vision, not to mention the political brokering with Russian Tsar Vladimir Putin and his cold-hearted foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. 
    As for Obama and his “super” political team, they rushed to get involved in the wrong place in the Middle East, namely Tunisia and Egypt, whilst they are now reluctant to get involved in the right place, namely Syria. This has resulted in the situation deteriorating to the point that we now fear the outbreak of a large-scale civil war. Syria has become a vital destination for fundamentalist and radicals, and this is something that was not noticeable during the early days of the revolution. During this time, the ever-present slogan was “One, one, one…the Syrian people are one.” However due to the weakness and inattentiveness of the Obama administrative, the situation has deteriorated, whilst the Russians and Iranians have also gone too far in the game of extortion. 
    All of this prompts one to think outside of the box, and brings to mind a well-known incident in the history of the Levant, this geographical area which has always been the arena for international conflict in the Middle East. 
    An Arab poet and intellectual, living almost 1,000 years ago, lived through a tumultuous incident in the history of the Levant, such as that being witnessed today. The only difference is that the conflict at the time was with the Crusaders, whilst today it is with a criminal sectarian regime that claims to be the protector of the beating heart of Arabism. 
    When the Frankish Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they committed such crimes against the people that testimony of this wrung the hearts and brought tears to the eyes of the Caliphs ministers
    Abu al-Muzaffar al-Abiwardi, one of the greatest Arab poets, composed a poem about this subject, writing: 
    We have mingled blood with flowing tears, and there is no room left for pity 
    To shed tears is a man’s worst weapons when the swords stir up the embers of wars
    Dare you slumber in the blessed shade of safety, where life is soft as an orchid flower?
    How can the eye sleep between the lids at a time of disasters that would wake any sleeper?
    While your Syrian brothers can only sleep on the backs of their chargers or in vultures bellies!
    Must the foreigners feed on our ignominy, while you trail behind the train of a pleasant life, like men whose world is at peace?
    When blood has been spilt, when sweet girls must for shame hide their lovely faces in their hands!
    When the white swords’ points are red with blood, and the iron of the brown lances is stained with gore!
    At the sound of sword hammering on lance young children’s hair turns white
    This is war, and the infidel’s sword is naked in his hand, ready to be sheathed in men’s necks and skulls
    I see my people slow to raise the lance against the enemy:
    I see the Faith resting on feeble pillars
    For fear of death the Muslims are evading the fire of battle, refusing to believe that death will surely strike them.
    Must the Arab champions then suffer with resignation?
    This is a message from the poet about the tragedy of the Levant, almost one thousand years ago, tears and blood and war! However in the end, the sun will shine over the Levant, long after the invaders have been repelled, whether this is the Crusaders or Moscow, Washington, Tehran and the Southern Suburbs of Beirut! 

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      I liked the poetry (prose) … Thanks for the input. Humans never remember long enough, unless taught.
      Yes the sun will shine … and we should be getting electric power from the sun-god.

  3. Leborigine Avatar
    Leborigine

    No kidding!! Since when wasn’t Lebanon in the pocket of assad?!!
    That is the problem from the beginning and we still have idiots here who keep repeating that syria stopped the civil war and they withdrew in 2005 and so on. They did withdraw in 2005, physically they did, politically they got stronger through their leeches!

  4. Blood with flowing tears
    Sunday 21 October 2012
    By Mshari al-Zaydi

    What is happening in Syria – the Levant – today represents a blot on all of humanity; this represents a disgrace on the conscience of the international community, and particularly the Arab world which claims to be based on values of freedom, dignity, humanity and civilization. 
    What is taking place in Syria is a violation of every human norm and standard, even during traditional wars. This is something that “none beside Allah can avert” [Surat An-Najm; Verse58]. 
    This is something that has only one inevitable result; Bashar al-Assad and his criminal gang will be toppled, whether this happens today or tomorrow. However the international community will pay the price of this betrayal, cowardice and lack of vision, not to mention the political brokering with Russian Tsar Vladimir Putin and his cold-hearted foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. 
    As for Obama and his “super” political team, they rushed to get involved in the wrong place in the Middle East, namely Tunisia and Egypt, whilst they are now reluctant to get involved in the right place, namely Syria. This has resulted in the situation deteriorating to the point that we now fear the outbreak of a large-scale civil war. Syria has become a vital destination for fundamentalist and radicals, and this is something that was not noticeable during the early days of the revolution. During this time, the ever-present slogan was “One, one, one…the Syrian people are one.” However due to the weakness and inattentiveness of the Obama administrative, the situation has deteriorated, whilst the Russians and Iranians have also gone too far in the game of extortion. 
    All of this prompts one to think outside of the box, and brings to mind a well-known incident in the history of the Levant, this geographical area which has always been the arena for international conflict in the Middle East. 
    An Arab poet and intellectual, living almost 1,000 years ago, lived through a tumultuous incident in the history of the Levant, such as that being witnessed today. The only difference is that the conflict at the time was with the Crusaders, whilst today it is with a criminal sectarian regime that claims to be the protector of the beating heart of Arabism. 
    When the Frankish Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they committed such crimes against the people that testimony of this wrung the hearts and brought tears to the eyes of the Caliphs ministers
    Abu al-Muzaffar al-Abiwardi, one of the greatest Arab poets, composed a poem about this subject, writing: 
    We have mingled blood with flowing tears, and there is no room left for pity 
    To shed tears is a man’s worst weapons when the swords stir up the embers of wars
    Dare you slumber in the blessed shade of safety, where life is soft as an orchid flower?
    How can the eye sleep between the lids at a time of disasters that would wake any sleeper?
    While your Syrian brothers can only sleep on the backs of their chargers or in vultures bellies!
    Must the foreigners feed on our ignominy, while you trail behind the train of a pleasant life, like men whose world is at peace?
    When blood has been spilt, when sweet girls must for shame hide their lovely faces in their hands!
    When the white swords’ points are red with blood, and the iron of the brown lances is stained with gore!
    At the sound of sword hammering on lance young children’s hair turns white
    This is war, and the infidel’s sword is naked in his hand, ready to be sheathed in men’s necks and skulls
    I see my people slow to raise the lance against the enemy:
    I see the Faith resting on feeble pillars
    For fear of death the Muslims are evading the fire of battle, refusing to believe that death will surely strike them.
    Must the Arab champions then suffer with resignation?
    This is a message from the poet about the tragedy of the Levant, almost one thousand years ago, tears and blood and war! However in the end, the sun will shine over the Levant, long after the invaders have been repelled, whether this is the Crusaders or Moscow, Washington, Tehran and the Southern Suburbs of Beirut! 

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      I liked the poetry (prose) … Thanks for the input. Humans never remember long enough, unless taught.
      Yes the sun will shine … and we should be getting electric power from the sun-god.

  5. wargame1 Avatar

    “Let me put it this way, I am a believer,” Siniora said. “And I know that irrespective of all the precautions that one can take, if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.”
    This is the sprit of the Syrian mujaheddin too. They have lost their fear and ready to die for a righteous cause. Who can defeat tham? Inshallah There is no power on earth can defeat them even if they combine all their force against the Syrian mujaheddin. 

  6. wargame1 Avatar

    “Let me put it this way, I am a believer,” Siniora said. “And I know that irrespective of all the precautions that one can take, if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.”
    This is the sprit of the Syrian mujaheddin too. They have lost their fear and ready to die for a righteous cause. Who can defeat tham? Inshallah There is no power on earth can defeat them even if they combine all their force against the Syrian mujaheddin. 

  7. “This government has failed. It is practically dead in the real sense of the word,” Fouad Siniora told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview. “This is the best solution in order to save Lebanon from instabilities and from any attempt of the Syrian regime to create a sedition.” how many people were assasinated when he was pm? why didnt he resign??
    Siniora, who is also a member of parliament, said that he was asking U.N. troops – first deployed in the country after a 1978 war with Israel – to amass along the border with Syria. why wasnt our army deployed along the border? why do we need the un? until we learn to take matters into our own hand this will never stop….you can not run a country by showing weakness to the outside….the army should have been deployed along the border and refugee camps set up in a zone…nothing in or out without the control of the army…look at turkey they have a designated area set up…..

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      By the way, Dateam … did you notice any electric-ship trying up lately? 

  8. “This government has failed. It is practically dead in the real sense of the word,” Fouad Siniora told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview. “This is the best solution in order to save Lebanon from instabilities and from any attempt of the Syrian regime to create a sedition.” how many people were assasinated when he was pm? why didnt he resign??
    Siniora, who is also a member of parliament, said that he was asking U.N. troops – first deployed in the country after a 1978 war with Israel – to amass along the border with Syria. why wasnt our army deployed along the border? why do we need the un? until we learn to take matters into our own hand this will never stop….you can not run a country by showing weakness to the outside….the army should have been deployed along the border and refugee camps set up in a zone…nothing in or out without the control of the army…look at turkey they have a designated area set up…..

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      By the way, Dateam … did you notice any electric-ship trying up lately? 

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