Conflict in Beirut

[removeduser_487563287433]

In 2006 Israel invaded Lebanon in order to tackle Hezbollah militants, in response to a Hezbollah missile attack and ambush, in which seven Israeli soldiers were killed and two kidnapped.

The war was disasterous. Initially claiming they would destroy Hezbollah's capacity to launch missiles within a matter of days, the IDF failed to do so, and the amount of missiles Hezbollah launched every day actually increased towards the end of the conflict. Israel ended a period of reconstruction and relative stability for Lebanon, massively destroying infrastructure and killing and wounding thousands of Lebanese civilians whilst the Lebanese Army stood by doing nothing. This all massively entrenched Hezbollah in Lebanon militarily and politically, the precise opposite of what Israel set out to achieve. A grateful muslim (particularly Shia) Lebanese population perceived Hezbollah as patriots; the sole group that fought against the Israeli invasion and Hezbollah was the first and often only group providing humanitarian relief to civilians, very visibly rebuilding desperately needed hospitals and schools after the conflict. Its political wing in the Lebanese government significantly increased its control.

Now the consequences of this all are playing out very grimly indeed, as Hezbollah gunmen fight in the streets of Beirut and are winning, sparked by the government's attempt to shut down Hezbollah's telecoms network. They now control west Beirut and have shut-down pro-government media. Yet again, the army is trying not to take sides.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/7391600.stm

[Carach]

people are quick to attack israel (verbally i mean) here for what they did, yet lebanon's authorities want to get rid of hezbollah's destabilising influence too... everyone ignores that bit though.

[removeduser_487563287433]

people are quick to attack israel (verbally i mean) here for what they did, yet lebanon's authorities want to get rid of hezbollah's destabilising influence too... everyone ignores that bit though.

The point is Israel's efforts strengthened, not removed Hezbollah.

[nemgod]

Even now their biggest enemies in Lebanon the Christian leadership are actually in the same camp as them. There was a time this was considered unthinkable but recent protests against the government over past year or so have shown the two groups side by side. Hezbollah is too popular now in Lebanon to be ignored or destroyed.

Also with the reconstruction, schools and hospitals built by Hez is it any wonder why they are so popular while since the civil war the government has been inept and corrupt.

[Rush Limbaugh]

So you are blaming Israel?

[removeduser_487563287433]

So you are blaming Israel?

Israel is unambiguously responsible for Hezbollah's rise in the past couple of years.

[Rush Limbaugh]

Arab people have the tendency to support the factions they think will protect and/or benefit them.

The operative word here being THINK. Removed

[Erebus Pasha]

The operative word here being THINK.

I suppose living in the USA as opposed to living in Palestine and Lebanon it's easy to have that opinion.

[Burnum]

The operative word here being THINK. I hate to say it but they have to be some of the stupidest people on earth.

An American calling somebody stupid?

[Carach]

So you are blaming Israel?

duuuh. Jews ffs. Theyre everyones scapegoats..

Uve been around long enough to know that rush, tsk tsk

[Rush Limbaugh]

The leader of Hezbollah said Thursday the U.S.-supported Lebanese government had declared war by targeting its communications network, pushing the country closer to civil war.

Shiite supporters of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Sunnis backing the government clashed in several Beirut neighborhoods with automatic rifles and rocket propelled grenades, security officials and witnesses said…

Hezbollah launched a new street campaign on Wednesday, piling pressure on the government after it declared the network illegal and removed the head of airport security, a figure close to the group, from his post…

“This decision is first of all a declaration of war and the launching of war by the government… against the resistance and its weapons for the benefit of America and Israel,” Nasrallah told a news conference in reference to the government’s move…

Shortly after he finished, heavy clashes with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades erupted between Hezbollah supporters and pro-government gunmen in Beirut’s volatile Mazraa and Ras el-Nabae districts, and later spread to other areas.

I cant believe no one posted this yet. LINK

OOPs I see they did and are blaming Israel . Man thats dumb

[Каие]

Well the Lebanese government should have thought twice before going against the tenants of democracy and free speech by turning off their ability to communicate.

And notice its pro Hezbollah supporters and pro government supporters which are fighting not the government and hezbollah themselves.

[danzig]

Well the Lebanese government should have thought twice before going against the tenants of democracy and free speech by turning off their ability to communicate.

And notice its pro Hezbollah supporters and pro government supporters which are fighting not the government and hezbollah themselves.

Yeah because we all know Hezbollah has a long history of engaging in meaningful talks with other entities. I mean god forbid a goverment crack down on terrorist.

[Каие]

Yeah because we all know Hezbollah has a long history of engaging in meaningful talks with other entities. I mean god forbid a goverment crack down on terrorist.

Big flaw in your argument is that the Lebanese government and Lebanese people do not class the Hezbollah political party as a terrorists organisation, and only 4 countries worldwide do so. They have won 1/3 of seats in parliament but are forbidden to be PM becasue the constitution forbids Shias from being Prime Minister, they have the largest welfare and social organisation in lebanon and have rebuilt and built far more schools and hospitals and houses than the government for poor people and are supported by a large majority of the population.

As you can see what happened the government attempted to fire the Hezbollah ministers and turn of their communications the hezbollah supporters got mad. Even the army who haven't intervened in politics for years have seen this move by the government as provocative and unnecessary and have overturned it.

I was listening to radio four yesterday in which they were travelling around beirut and in discussions with students who support hezbollah, they said they cannot support government because they think Israel has a right to exist. They have no future with a government who would make peace with Israel.
In the background a van drove past and heckled that they had attacked a zionist news station, death to zionists. Democracy in action.

Well its funny how your feelings greatly change to those who murder 1,200 of your own people. ditto September the 11th, the American people hate anyone involved in the attack, the Lebanese hate anyone involved in their attacks.

After all Israel does not accept Lebanons right to choose their leaders.

[Denny Crane!]

Well its funny how your feelings greatly change to those who murder 1,200 of your own people. ditto September the 11th, the American people hate anyone involved in the attack, the Lebanese hate anyone involved in their attacks.

After all Israel does not accept Lebanons right to choose their leaders.

My point in that post was that democracy is not an issue on either side of this conflict, that they have completely seperate aims and Hezbollah is more than capable and is using violence and intimidation to further their aims as well.

You have your own little propaganda thing going on though so I will indulge you for a moment.

Israel is a country under constant threat of attack.

On the day the rockets stop flying into Israeli towns they will become a lot more easy going I'm sure. Until then, if I was living in that country, I would probably be in the IDF.

[christof139]

Reminds me of when the Labanese Army/Government and the Lebanese citizens got rid of the Hezoballahites at that one refugee camp that Hezbollah took-over. Maybe Israel and the USA and the UN and whomever were also behind that incident??:hmmm:

Chris

[Primvs Sextvs Loverlord]

As much as you may like it, Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization. Hezbollah represent more than a third of all Lebanese people and are sitting in government through elections. So if they are on the opposite side of the political spectrum, they're terrorists?

Lebanon's government has declared an extensive telecommunications network run by the powerful Shia opposition movement, Hezbollah, illegal.

BBC

What Saddam Hussein ruthlessly cracked down on his opponents, he was called a tyrant. In this case, the deniers of "freedom of speech" are being hailed as being on the right side and the "champions of the export of freedom and democracy" are on the side of the undemocratic ones. How Middle-Eastern. How convenient.

Rush, Israel is the result of the West's one-sidedness and hence biased and entirely self-serving foreign policy in the Middle-East, if that's what you mean. Yeah, so you're right. In this case though, the puppet government is fighting America's enemies.

[Denny Crane!]

I was listening to radio four yesterday in which they were travelling around beirut and in discussions with students who support hezbollah, they said they cannot support government because they think Israel has a right to exist. They have no future with a government who would make peace with Israel.

In the background a van drove past and heckled that they had attacked a zionist news station, death to zionists.

Democracy in action.

[wilpuri]

Hezbollah, like Hamas, is a state within the state. They have created a parallel state, with its own armed forces and leaders. Of course their aim is political take-over, but I don't think this makes them terrorist, which is a rather simplistic label for a complex phenomenon like Hezbollah and Shiite political activism. Some of their tactics are terrorist, sure, but they are much more than just that.

It seems like its enough to say "they're terrorist, end of story" and suddenly the plan of action is clear: no negotiation, no need for further analysis, kill 'em all!

[pajomife]

In 2006 Israel invaded Lebanon in order to tackle Hezbollah militants, in response to a Hezbollah missile attack and ambush, in which seven Israeli soldiers were killed and two kidnapped.

The war was disasterous. Initially claiming they would destroy Hezbollah's capacity to launch missiles within a matter of days, the IDF failed to do so, and the amount of missiles Hezbollah launched every day actually increased towards the end of the conflict. Israel ended a period of reconstruction and relative stability for Lebanon, massively destroying infrastructure and killing and wounding thousands of Lebanese civilians whilst the Lebanese Army stood by doing nothing. This all massively entrenched Hezbollah in Lebanon militarily and politically, the precise opposite of what Israel set out to achieve. A grateful muslim (particularly Shia) Lebanese population perceived Hezbollah as patriots; the sole group that fought against the Israeli invasion and Hezbollah was the first and often only group providing humanitarian relief to civilians, very visibly rebuilding desperately needed hospitals and schools after the conflict. Its political wing in the Lebanese government significantly increased its control.

Now the consequences of this all are playing out very grimly indeed, as Hezbollah gunmen fight in the streets of Beirut and are winning, sparked by the government's attempt to shut down Hezbollah's telecoms network. They now control west Beirut and have shut-down pro-government media. Yet again, the army is trying not to take sides.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/7391600.stm

Maybe Im wrong but the only support to Hezbollah is from the Amal movement,the Maronite Christians and the Sunni Arabs supports the government.
And i think that Israel don't have nothing to do with that.Blame Iran and Syria.