Eye on Lebanon: Hizbullah's temporary triumph

All pictures in this entry were sent to me by friends and colleagues in Beirut. A.M.

As I start to write this post, a friend wrote to say that,

The fighting has spread throughout the country. In Tripoli and Akkar in the north, Sunnis are fighting and killing Alawites and vice versa. Hizbullah and the Druze PSP have been settling scores in the Chouf Mountains just east of Beirut, including heavy shelling. Muslim-on-Muslim, Sunni-Shi'ia violence has broken out in the ancient cities of Sidon and Tyre in the south and the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border. The way it looks now, things will be getting a lot worse before they get any better; the dieing continues. To date, the minority Christian population and the Palestinians have managed to stay out of the fighting. However, with would-be president General Michel Aoun gloating on TV yesterday about the successful siege of Beirut having "put the cart back on the right track" and that we can now return to business as usual, it seems to be only a matter of time before his predominantly Maronite Free Patriotic Movement starts taking some flack from the utterly humiliated Sunni and Druze population."

In these past few days I've spoken to many people in Lebanon . The division could not be clearer. Some were glad that Hizbullah and Amal took the streets. Well, they were glad that the above-mentioned private armed forces took, and I quote, "Hariri's gang down", "cleared the streets of PSP and Future Movement thugs", and that Hizbullah protects the country against conspirators that want to transform it into a second Iraq. Oh boy!

Others said that Hizbullah revealed its true colors by turning their arms against fellow citizens, the same ones that offered the Shias shelter in July 2006. Moreover the army did not lift a finger against Hizbullah, pretending it plays the neutral role. Don't forget that General Michel Suleiman was appointed by the Syrians.

Conspiracy synopsis

March 14 sides with the United States (indirectly Israel) and the treason of this illegal government went as far as to betray the holy resistance, Hizbullah. Who did it? All of March 14, but Jumblatt and Hariri were the spokespersons. They (allegedly) revealed crucial information about the telecommunication networks and Sheikh Nasrallah to those who want to bury the resistance, and get rid of  Nasrallah in the fashion of Mousawi and Sheikh Yassin. The communication network is yesterday's news. This network is for years in Lebanon. Prior to the July conflict, Hizbullah updated it, and ever since it is in continuous expansion. The government knew, the army knew, and of course all the countries affiliated with either one group knew about it. The understanding was that as long as Hizbullah does not extend it to Christian, Sunni and Druze areas, everything is peachy.

Add to the list the disclosure that Hizbullah controls the airport. Should we be surprised that it put a man loyal to the party to manage the airport?

Hizbullah has infiltrated all state institutions. We can start with the army, the police, the intelligence services (plus Hizbullah's own top notch intelligence service), the government, the Parliament, the media. . . Shall I go on? This is a group working its way up since the early 80s. It cannot be taken down easily.

Jumblatt's recent speech was for Western consumption. If the move was made to provoke Hizbullah and Amal to resort to violence against fellow Beirutis, then the plan was successful. Hizbullah promised that it will never, ever use its weapons inside the country. This promise was broken no matter how the party tries to justify it. On the other hand, if the plan was to intimidate Hizbullah, then it failed.  

March 8 used the syndicate demonstration to take the streets. Not any streets. The road to the airport, and the streets in the vicinity of Saad Hariri's castle (really, it's a castle) in Qoreitem. There were reported clashes in Clemenceau as well, near Jumblatt's residence. That did not happen by chance, as you can imagine.  
 
A quick note about a technicality, that might be exploited in the months to come. Amal fought on the ground together with Hizbullah's regular supporters, while the trained Hizbullah army men coordinated the attacks. Aha! Therefore, Sheikh Nasrallah could say, that the party did not bring the resistance into the struggle.   

I cannot resist the temptation of saying, that I struggled (kind of) to imagine the Speaker of the House, Berri, plotting with his militia to take this street. Everyone has weapons in Lebanon, and most political leaders have a militia. Seriously now, can you imagine, the reality of Lebanon? The Speaker of the House with his own private army.

The party proves its military might on the streets, sends messages, and, as expected under current leadership, it involves the army into its plots. Still with me? Fine, because the next sentence will blow your mind (so to say).

Hizbullah and Amal took the gangs' weapons and handled them to the army, together with the areas they "secured." How splendid is that?! Do you think that Amal and Hizbullah also handed their weapons to the army? I'm sure they'd wanted to, but you see, so many conspirators in the country. . . 

Hizballah should not have said, 'my way or the highway'. That means civil war (at some point in time) followed by partition (federalism and confederalism implies a common foreign and defense policy, and this precisely is on opposite poles).

How ridiculous is it to say that March 14 works for foreign powers, when March 8 allies are Syria and Iran? Is the United States more foreign than Iran?! Or Iran more Lebanese than US?

The funny thing is that I admire Hizbullah for what it has done for the Shias. The Shias were literally put on the map by Musa Sadr and later on by Hizbullah. Amal too had a role to play. Furthermore, Shias are one step ahead of the other sects. They got rid of the feudal lords.

Resistance is a temporary solution, and the fact that in Lebanon every party I can think of, has its own private army/security firms/militia/resistance, is in itself a lack of respect for fellow citizens. I don't even dare to mention that it goes against a state of law. Which state? And what law?

Hizbullah can win a conflict, two or ten, but it will never win the war. Fact is that at the end of the day, a minority with a highly sophisticated, disciplined and loyal resistance, is still a minority. It cannot win in Lebanon, and it will never be allowed to win in the region. Will the Sunnis sit idle while Shias take over? Never.