War in The Middle East

[Armenian]

Re: War in The Middle East

USA AIMS TO START WAR IN MIDDLE EAST, RUSSIAN PUNDIT TELLS AZERI WEBSITE



A Moscow-based Islamic leader has described a recent US draft bill as attempt to start war in the Middle East. In an exclusive interview with Azerbaijani website Day.az, the head of the Islamic Committee of Russia, Geydar Dzhemal said that "the resolution on "the genocide" of the Armenians in the Ottoman empire in 1915 together with the plans to divide Iraq means that the USA now intends to head for confrontation not only with Iran, but also with Turkey and Syria, by distancing itself from Israel. In a word, the USA wants a big war." The following is the excerpts from Emin Alakbarov's report on Day.az headlined "Geydar Dzhemal: "Washington has adopted a policy to destabilize the situation in the region. The resolution on "the genocide" of the Armenians together with the plans to divide Iraq means that the USA now intends to head for confrontation not only with Iran, but also with Turkey and Syria"; subheadings have been inserted editorially: An exclusive interview with the chairman of the Islamic Committee of Russia, Geydar Dzhemal. USA does not need Turkey any longer?

[Correspondent] Which interests does Washington have by actually recognizing "the genocide of the Armenians"?

[Dzhemal] The adoption of the resolution indicates two moments. First, Washington has ceased to view Ankara as its ally in the Middle East. This fact can be confirmed by the plans of the USA to divide Iraq into three parts, in one of which an independent country - Iraqi Kurdistan will be set up. As is known, Turkey is strongly against the US plans in Iraq. The US Congress has clearly shown that it "does not care" about the opinion of Ankara, indicating that the Turks are of no interest for them [the Americans]. In addition, the Congress passed the resolution on "the genocide of the Armenians". The acts of the Americans are making Turkey an enemy for the USA. Today the Turkish army is carrying out sporadic military operations in northern Iraq in coordination with the Iranian army. Second, Israel and its lobby are much unhappy with the adoption of the resolution since Tel-Aviv has an exclusive right to claim the holocaust. Israel's reaction was tough when France passed a resolution on "the genocide of the Armenians" and a law to prosecute anyone who does not recognize this "genocide" on its territory, comparing it with the holocaust. It means that the Americans have decided to distance themselves from the position of the xxxish lobby to a great extent. What is it leading to? It is leading to the fact that Washington has adopted a policy to destabilize the situation in the region. The resolution on "the genocide" of the Armenians together with the plans to divide Iraq means that the USA now intends to head for confrontation not only with Iran, but also with Turkey and Syria, by distancing itself from Israel. In a word, the USA wants a big war.

War to make gains

[Correspondent] Why do the Americans want this war?

[Dzhemal] The US hopes to benefit from this war since the First and Second World Wars have elevated the USA from a marginal nation to what it is now. In 1945 the Americans occupied Europe. But today Washington is losing its positions and therefore intends to start war in the Middle East in order to regain its status of a one-polar referee that makes judgments on the fate of the world.

[Correspondent] Is the USA capable of defeating such countries as Iran, Turkey and Syria which have strong military forces in view of the deplorable consequences of the US war in Iraq?

[Dzhemal] It has been decided to make air strikes on Iran. The Americans rule out the possibility of carrying out land operations. The USA hopes that such operations will be possible through the domestic resources of Iran - ethnic Azerbaijanis and Kurds. As for Turkey, Washington relies on the united Kurdistan of northern Iraq and western Iran. The Turkish army will be bogged down in the war with the Kurds, which may lead to the collapse of the Turkish state and provoke a crisis in Syria. Israel will also be involved in this conflict. The Americans will help both sides of the conflict, acting as a referee until the last moment, at which they will be able to enter the game as they did in 1944 to shape the region in the way they wish. The USA in no way intends to get involved in this full-scale war like in Iraq. The USA hopes for an armed conflict between the states of the Middle East as in the First and Second World Wars.

[Correspondent] Do you think that the plan of the Americans will end in their victory?

[Dzhemal] The war will be pursued not just in the Middle East. Russia and most probably Europe will also be involved in it. If this is the case, I do not think that the Americans will emerge unscathed from this situation because the USA is parasitically dependent on the external world today.

[Passage omitted: The USA may be affected by the ramifications]

I think that the plans developed by the George Bush administration will eventually erase the USA from the political board as a player. But this will take place, of course, through the great sufferings of the peoples of the Middle East.

Baku must refuse "US provocations"

[Correspondent] How does Baku need to act in this situation since it also affects the interests of Azerbaijan?

[Dzhemal] First of all, it is important to strengthen regional relations with the neighbouring countries and not to give in to American provocations. [Baku] should not accept any proposal from the Americans on any military partnership against its neighbours. Baku must develop military and diplomatic cooperation with Tehran and Ankara. Only this can save Azerbaijan from becoming a frontline cellar for the American army.

Armenia made "outlaw"

[Correspondent] Will Armenia benefit from this situation?

[Dzhemal] The resolution makes Armenia an outlaw. "The genocide" does not give it a chance to negotiate with anybody. Now Israel will also be negative about Armenia. The Americans made this resolution to take Yerevan out of the influence of Moscow and Tehran. The USA has Georgia and is negotiating with Azerbaijan. If Armenia becomes an enemy for Iran and Russia, remaining in full dependence of US aid, Yerevan will not have a chance to remain on the map as a country. Tehran and Moscow are Yerevan's tickets to life. Thus, the adoption of the resolution is a silent move leading to a wide-scale and long-term destabilization of the situation in the Middle East.

Turkey to step up anti-terror operation in Iraq

[Correspondent] What steps will Turkey take with its strong position to maintain its national interests?

[Dzhemal] I think that the Turkish army will expand its anti-terror operations in northern Iraq in response to the resolution. Moreover, the military operations against the Kurds will be carried out in coordination between the general staff of the Turkish and Iranian armies, which will bring Ankara and Tehran closer in military terms. The degree of toughness and independence of the Turkish army in Iraq will grow.

[Correspondent] Can we say that the Turkish, Azerbaijani and xxxish Diasporas have suffered a setback from the Armenian diaspora?

[Dzhemal] It is a pyrrhic victory. I would like to assure you that "the genocide" will make Armenia an outlaw. The recognition of "the genocide" by the Congress may strip Yerevan of the support from Moscow and Tehran. The Armenian Diaspora may be left without a geopolitical subject on the map unless Yerevan refuses "the genocide".

Source: http://www.eurasianet.org/posts/102307me_pr.shtml

[Armenian]

Re: War in The Middle East

DEBKAfile: Hizballah commando units slip back into South Lebanon – with upgraded missiles, new Iran-built military highway network. No Israeli response



According to two Lebanese dailies As Safir and Al Akhbar, Hizballah is staging the biggest military maneuver in its history under the eyes of UNIFIL and Lebanese army in S. Lebanon. They disclose that the Iran-backed terrorists’ three day-exercise, including anti-tank anti-air, missile, engineering and logistical units, is overseen by Hizballah secretary Hassan Nasrallah.

DEBKAfile’s military sources report that these largely inaccurate reports aim at boosting Nasrallah whose prestige took a knock recently when Tehran replaced him as Hizballah’s military commander with the ace terrorist and abductor Imad Mughniyeh. The goal of the exercise he is supervising in the last ten days is to train Hizballah fighters in the use of the fast military highways Iranian engineers have been laying. They are also testing Israel’s response to the southward transfer of Hizballah commando units including missiles in broad daylight, for the first time since Hizballah agreed to withdraw from South Lebanon under the 2006 UN-brokered ceasefire.

Six Israeli fighter-bombers executed several low passes over South Lebanon Sunday, Nov. 4, and the Hizballah troop movements halted. But the units and missiles already transferred have stayed put. Nov. 1, DEBKAfile revealed that since May Hizballah has augmented its fighting strength by 20 percent, including anti-air units freshly-trained in Iran and armed with Iranian anti-air missiles and guns. Iranian engineers are also paving 1,000 km of strategic highways across Lebanon to speed up military convoy movements.

Israeli military circles are perturbed by the Olmert government’s laxity and inertia in the face of Hizballah return to South Lebanon on Israel’s northern border, “rearmed at a level higher than prior to the conflict,” as the UN Secretary reported last week, with missiles that can reach Tel Aviv. The government equally is failing to address the Hamas buildup in the Gaza Strip on Israel’s southwestern border. Military experts say that Israel’s passivity serves only to encourage the cooperation between the two terrorist groups and their willingness to confront Israel on two fronts. The guerrilla exercise Hamas carried out in Gaza on Oct. 30 followed the same training format as Hizballah and focused on maximizing troop casualties and abductions. Israeli leaders’ lame pretext for inaction is the approaching Annapolis peace conference whose significance fades day by day.

Source: http://www.debka.com/

[Armenian]

Re: War in The Middle East

Interesting new revelation from Tel Aviv concerning a Libyan passenger airliner downed over Israel in 1973.

Armenian

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Israel on alert for Syria airstrike

Israel's Dimona Nuclear Reactor Complex

THE defensive missile shield around Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor was placed on red alert 30 times last week amid fears of an airstrike by Syria. A battery of American-made Patriot antiaircraft missiles has been moved to Dimona in the Negev desert following intelligence that a strike may be launched in retaliation for Israel’s bombing of a suspected nuclear site in Syria two months ago. In a highly unusual move, the officers in charge of the missiles were permitted to talk to Israeli state television about their preparations. “We’re ready to launch the missiles in seconds, once we’re on full alert,” said First Lieutenant Adi, a young female officer who is the deputy commander of the battery. Tension with Damascus has heightened since September 6 when Israeli fighters destroyed the suspected nuclear installation in northern Syria.

“The fact that the Syrians didn’t launch an immediate strike against Israel doesn’t mean that they won’t retaliate in due course,” said an Israeli defence source. “Dimona is on the top of their list.”

Tension is mounting in Israel. “Every civilian aircraft en route from Cairo to Amman, or from Jeddah to Cairo and vice versa, which deviates even slightly from its route, sets off an alarm and risks a missile being fired,” said the female commander of the Patriot battery. The unit is authorised to shoot down any aircraft which approaches, civilian or combat. An Israeli Mirage jet that approached Dimona by mistake was shot down during the Six-Day War in 1967, while a Libyan Boeing 727 which lost its way in a storm in 1973 and approached Dimona was also downed. All 113 on board were killed.

Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle2848246.ece

[Armenian]

Re: War in The Middle East

Before bin Laden, One of World’s Most Feared Men

Long before Osama bin Laden founded Al Qaeda and initiated the Sept. 11 attacks against the United States, Imad Mugniyah was perhaps the world’s most feared terrorist. Implicated in the hijacking of planes and in other devastating attacks against Americans, Israelis and others in the 1980s and ’90s, Mr. Mugniyah left a long trail of blood, and the list of those who might seek justice or revenge against him was a lengthy one. Mr. Mugniyah, who was killed Tuesday in a car bombing in Damascus, Syria, was the leader of the Islamic Jihad Organization. He was at the violent center of the Shiite group Hezbollah, acting under the auspices of radical Iranian sponsors, according to Western authorities and terrorism experts.

He is thought to have moved frequently between Beirut, Lebanon, Damascus and Tehran. His expertise and his protection by the leaders of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Revolutionary Guards Corps in Iran made him hard to capture or to kill, according to intelligence experts. He was considered an agent of a wing of the Revolutionary Guards, which the United States says has sponsored terrorist attacks around the world since the Iranian revolution. He eluded capture, with other nations in the region showing little interest in joining the hunt for such a dangerous man. For example, American officials discovered in 1995 that Mr. Mugniyah was on a commercial flight that was supposed to stop in Saudi Arabia, but Saudi officials refused to allow the plane to land, frustrating the attempt to arrest him.

In recent years, American officials sometimes received information on his whereabouts in Beirut. But according to several former American officials, the United States did not act on such tips, apparently out of caution about conducting a dangerous operation to capture Mr. Mugniyah in Beirut. On Wednesday, Syrian and Iranian officials sought to blame Israel for the strike on Mr. Mugniyah, but Israel denied any involvement. A State Department spokesman said he did not know who was responsible for his death. The Bush administration reacted largely with restraint to the news of Mr. Mugniyah’s death, in contrast to the way it might be expected to respond if Mr. bin Laden were captured or killed. The Central Intelligence Agency long considered Mr. Mugniyah’s organization more dangerous than Al Qaeda, largely because his group was backed by Iran, even as Al Qaeda began to attack American targets in the late 1990s.

The United States considered Mr. Mugniyah so fearsome that a $25 million bounty was placed on his head. American intelligence officials believe that Hezbollah and the Islamic Jihad Organization, working with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, had a list of American facilities around the world they were prepared to strike whenever they received orders from Tehran. But those attacks never materialized, and many American officials became perplexed in recent years over whether Iran had decided not to use terrorism as a weapon against the United States, at least outside the war zone in Iraq. As a result, it is unclear how big a threat Mr. Mugniyah posed, at least directly to the United States. Mr. Mugniyah emerged as a formidable terrorist leader out of the rubble of Lebanon’s prolonged civil war in the early 1980s. He studied engineering briefly at the American University of Beirut, but as a teenager joined Fatah, Yasir Arafat’s organization, and served in Force 17, Mr. Arafat’s personal security unit. After the Palestine Liberation Organization was forced out of Lebanon when Israel invaded in 1982, Mr. Mugniyah, then in his 20s, joined a series of radical Shiite-based groups in Lebanon.

He became an early leader in the formation of the Islamic Jihad Organization, the terrorist wing of Hezbollah, and was assigned to anti-American operations. Mr. Mugniyah, a Shiite allied with Iran, and Mr. bin Laden, a Sunni from Saudi Arabia, would not seem to have been natural allies, yet there is evidence of contacts between them. They held at least one meeting in the 1990s, possibly to discuss a terrorist relationship, according to statements made in federal court by a former close aide to Mr. bin Laden. Although Iran and Hezbollah are now thought by American intelligence experts to be active inside Iraq, the experts on Wednesday played down suggestions from the Bush administration that Mr. Mugniyah was recently involved in anti-American attacks there. He was so notorious and would have made such a prized catch that the Iranians would have been unlikely to risk his going into Iraq, said one former American intelligence official familiar with Mr. Mugniyah’s career.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/wo...4mugniyah.html

Hezbollah Leader Issues Threat to Israel

Hezbollah’s leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, told 10,000 mourners on Thursday at the funeral of a senior commander killed in Syria that Hezbollah was ready to retaliate “anywhere” against Israel, which it blames for the death. No one has claimed responsibility for killing the commander, Imad Mugniyah, one of the most wanted and elusive terrorists in the world, and Israel has distanced itself from any involvement. On Thursday, Israel ordered its military and embassies to heighten security. In one of his most belligerent speeches in several months, shown on a television screen in the hall where the mourners had gathered around the coffin of Mr. Mugniyah, Sheik Nasrallah said Israel had taken the war with Hezbollah outside of Lebanon, and Hezbollah was now prepared to pursue it outside as well. “Today Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance are ready to confront any possible Israeli aggression on Lebanon,” he said. “You killed Imad outside the battleground. Our battle was inside the Lebanese territory. You crossed the borders. Zionists, if you wanted open war, let it be an open war anywhere.”

At the funeral, in southern Beirut, mourners packed the hall and waited outside in the rain. Inside, four Hezbollah guards in black stood beside the coffin, which was wrapped in their militant Shiite group’s yellow colors. Mr. Mugniyah was killed in Damascus on Tuesday night when a bomb detonated under the vehicle he was in. His remains were brought by car to Beirut on Wednesday, drawing people to the hall, where hundreds paraded past the coffin, many taking photographs with mobile phones. The funeral coincided with a separate rally attended by thousands in central Beirut to mark the third anniversary of the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The Western-backed March 14 coalition, led by Mr. Hariri’s son Saad, had called for huge demonstrations, which many Lebanese feared could lead to confrontations with Hezbollah. Lebanon has been in a political deadlock because of a longstanding dispute between the Western-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition, supported by Iran and Syria. Many people at the rally for Mr. Hariri said they would not be intimidated by Hezbollah. “The crisis could be solved through politics,” said Kamil Haydar, 26, who was at the pro-Hariri rally in Martyrs’ Square. “But if it is not, we are going to do what we have to do even if it is going to war, and if this is what our leaders want us to do, then we are ready to go to war.”

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/wo...html?ref=world

[Armenian]

Re: War in The Middle East

US warship sails towards Lebanon

The United States has ordered a warship to take up position off the coast of Lebanon in a show of support for the country's embattled government. The deployment of the USS Cole is being seen as a warning to Syria which - along with Iran - backs the opposition. The Western-backed government and the opposition have repeatedly failed to agree a deal to end political impasse. A US official quoted by news agencies said the move was "a show of support for regional stability". "We are very concerned about the situation in Lebanon. It has dragged on very long," the unnamed senior US official told Reuters news agency. A US defence official quoted by Reuters said the USS Cole, a guided-missile destroyer, had left Malta on Tuesday and was heading toward Lebanon. He stressed that once in position, it would not be within visible range of Lebanon but "well over the horizon". The news agency said the official had indicated that the destroyer could be replaced by the USS Nassau, an amphibious assault ship, which is currently heading towards the Mediterranean. The USS Cole was attacked in the port of Aden, Yemen, in October 2000 by water-borne al-Qaeda suicide bombers. Seventeen US sailors were killed and the ship was badly damaged.

Postponed 15 times

Lebanon has not had a president since 24 November, when pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud left office. Parliament has repeatedly failed to elect a successor amid an ongoing row over candidates. The election was postponed once again this week, and is now due to take place on 11 March. It was the 15th such delay. There are fears that the political deadlock could lead to escalating sectarian violence. Recent clashes between supporters of rival factions have further raised tensions and prompted several countries to advise their citizens against travelling to Lebanon. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal warned earlier this month that the country was "on the verge of civil war". The setting up of an international tribunal to try the assassins of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri is another source of tension. Syria is widely blamed for the February 2005 car bomb attack that killed Hariri, but Damascus has denied any involvement. Two months after the assassination, amid US-led international pressure, Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon, ending a 29-year occupation.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7270102.stm

[Azad]

Re: War in The Middle East

USS Cole made it once, I doubt it has 7 lives.
I would be careful with all the hi-tech that Hizballa acquired from Iran.
israel's ship got a nice beating with those Iranian missiles.


USS Cole

[Armenian]

Re: War in The Middle East

Shiite-Sunni Clashes Intensify in Beirut

Fierce clashes escalated in Beirut on Thursday between Sunni supporters of the government and loyalists of Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group, after Hezbollah’s leader said the government had declared war by threatening to shut down the group’s private telephone network. The television station of the Sunni parliamentary majority leader's party went off the air on Friday, The Associated Press reported. Opposition forces also set the party's newspaper offices on fire. At least four people died and seven others were wounded, according to security officials. The comments by Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, were the strongest since Lebanon’s political crisis began 17 months ago. The developments could signal a new level of confrontation between Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran and Syria, and the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, which is backed by the West and Saudi Arabia. The standoff has left the country without a president since November.

Mr. Nasrallah left open the door for negotiations by saying that Hezbollah would back down if the Sunni forces left the streets of Beirut and the government reversed its decision to try to shut down the telephone network. After Mr. Nasrallah’s speech, the leader of the largest bloc in Parliament, Saad Hariri, a Sunni, proposed a deal to end the fighting and called the government’s decision on the telephone network a misunderstanding. Mr. Hariri said the decision should be left up to the army command, effectively taking it out of the government’s hands. He also urged the immediate election of the army commander, Gen. Michel Suleiman, as president and the convening of a national dialogue among the rival factions. Later on Thursday night, Al Manar television, which is run by Hezbollah, said the group had rejected Mr. Hariri’s proposal. The station cited a pro-Hezbollah official, who said the group and its allies would reject any ideas for ending the conflict that were not proposed by Mr. Nasrallah.

Hezbollah has previously rejected proposals for electing a president before there is an agreement on a new cabinet and a new election law. “The government’s proposal did not offer anything new on how to solve the political crisis,” said Talal Atrissi, a political sociology professor at the Lebanese University. “So one of the scenarios would be to continue fighting until either the government publicly backs off or the opposition agrees to hold dialogue.” Mr. Hariri, the parliamentary leader, also urged Hezbollah to lift what he called its siege of Beirut, withdrawing militants from the streets and reopening roads, including those leading to the airport. “My appeal to you and to myself as well, the appeal of all Lebanon, is to stop the slide toward civil war, to stop the language of arms and lawlessness,” Mr. Hariri said in a televised speech.

Mr. Nasrallah, speaking at a news conference via a video link, said the telephone network, which connects Hezbollah’s officials, military commanders and emplacements, was a vital part of the group’s military infrastructure. “We have said before that we will cut the hands that will target the weapons of the resistance,” he said. “Today is the day to fulfill this promise.” The government’s decision, he added, “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.” Minutes after Mr. Nasrallah’s speech, armed men in mixed Sunni-Shiite neighborhoods on the west side of Beirut engaged in heavy fighting using automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. The army raced in armored personal carriers from one neighborhood to another, with soldiers shooting in the air to try to stop the fighting.

By late Thursday masked gunmen were roaming the streets with walkie-talkies. Some were seen shooting out streetlights to keep rooftop snipers from directing their fire at targets. Many residents along Corniche Mazraa, a major highway that has become a demarcation line between the factions, were seen leaving their houses for safer areas. Others lined up in supermarkets, stocking up on food supplies. Several parts of the city were shut down, and roads were blocked by burning tires and garbage cans set on fire. Fighting also broke out in the Bekaa Valley, to the east, where government and Hezbollah supporters blocked roads and exchanged gunfire. The clashes started Wednesday after the government’s decision on Tuesday to take steps against Hezbollah’s telephone network, which government officials considered a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/wo...ebanon.html?hp

Lebanon in turmoil as Hezbollah takes west Beirut

Hezbollah fighters, their guns blazing, seized control of west Beirut on Friday after three days of street battles with pro-government foes pushed Lebanon dangerously close to all-out civil war. The sectarian fighting had eased by early afternoon and the army and police moved across areas now in the hands of Iranian-backed Shiite opposition forces who routed Sunni militants loyal to the Western-backed government. "There are no clashes anymore because no one is standing in the way of the opposition forces," a security official said as convoys of gunmen firing celebratory shots into the air and flashing the victory sign took to the streets. But as foreigners scrambled to leave the troubled nation, it was unclear what the immediate future would hold, amid fears the protracted political feud could plunge Lebanon back to the dark days of the 1975-1990 civil war.

"All those who believe in democracy and pluralism are under siege in Beirut," said Social Affairs Minister Nayla Moawad. Terrified residents cowered inside early Friday as the rattle of gunfire and the thump of exploding rocket-propelled grenades rang out across mainly Muslim west Beirut. Sunni government loyalists fought running battles with Shiite gunmen, routing them from their strongholds and forcing the closure of the media outlets run by the family of parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri. At least 11 people have been killed and dozens wounded in three days of fighting that dramatically escalated on Thursday after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said a government crackdown on his powerful militant group was a declaration of war.

Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, hailed Friday's events in the besieged capital as a "victory for Lebanon." The unrest triggered urgent international appeals for calm, while Arab nations led by regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia are pushing for a special session of foreign ministers to tackle the crisis. Lebanon's feud is is widely seen as an extension of the confrontation pitting the United States and its Arab allies and Israel against Syria and Iran, which back Hezbollah -- regarded as a terrorist group by the West.

In Beirut, most shops and businesses remained shuttered while tanks rolled through the streets and hundreds of riot police and troops patrolled the city but with orders not to intervene in the conflict. In scenes reminiscent of the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah , Lebanon was largely cut off from the outside world, with the international airport and Beirut port shut and several key highways blockaded. But hundreds of people were able to flood to border crossings with Syria to escape the violence and foreign governments began putting in place plans to pull out their nationals. An airport official said all flights had been cancelled on Friday with the main road from Beirut barricaded by Hezbollah fighters. "As soon as they open the road, the flights will resume."

Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in Lebanon and a growing political force, was the only Lebanese faction allowed to keep its weapons after the civil war to fight Israel forces occupying the south. "Hezbollah has used its weapons to carry out a coup. They said their weapons were for the resistance but they've made clear that they are for a coup," said former president Amin Gemayel, a member of the majority, speaking from Paris. Witnesses recounted the chaos and fear that reigned in Beirut overnight as people rushed to stores that remained open to stock up, while others were trapped in their homes. "It was a hellish night. The armed militants were everywhere shooting all over the place," said west Beirut resident Rima.

Although west Beirut was virtually under siege, in the predominantly Christian eastern sector of the city, life was going on as usual, with shops and other businesses open. Israeli President Shimon Peres claimed the violence was fomented by archfoe Iran to further what he said was Tehran's goal to control all of the Middle East. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- whose country is Iran's closest regional ally -- said the unrest was a purely "internal affair" but called for dialogue. Nasrallah delivered his defiant speech on Thursday after the government launched a probe into a private communications network run by Hezbollah, which critics say has become a "state within a state." "The decisions are tantamount to a declaration of war and the start of a war... on behalf of the United States and Israel," Nasrallah charged. "The hand that touches the weapons of the resistance will be cut off."

The United States delivered a blunt warning to Hezbollah to stop its "disruptive activities" while UN Security Council members said they were "deeply concerned" over the crisis, a view reflected by other Arab and European leaders. The crisis will be the focus of talks between President George W. Bush and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora in Egypt next week during the US leader's tour of the Middle East. Regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, which backs the Siniora government, called for an urgent meeting of Arab foreign ministers, which an Egyptian official said could be held in two days. The long-running political standoff, which first erupted in November 2006 when six pro-Syrian ministers quit the cabinet, has left the country without a head of state since November, when Damascus protege Emile Lahoud stepped down.

Source: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5...Q4PlxFDp1tdEJA

[Azad]

Re: War in The Middle East

Smart move by Iran. Shift the israeli/US focus away from Iran.
It seams that Hezbullah has full control of Lebanon ... what could israel do next? how could this effect the elections in the US. I believe this is all calculated with the election timing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrfxnCoPViI&eurl=http://arabist.net/arabawy/2008/05/09/updates-from-lebanon/

[Armenian]

Re: War in The Middle East

Smart move by Iran. Shift the israeli/US focus away from Iran. It seams that Hezbullah has full control of Lebanon ... what could israel do next? how could this effect the elections in the US. I believe this is all calculated with the election timing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrfxn...-from-lebanon/

That was an excellent speech by Nasrallah, as expected. Seems like the Hizbollah has another great victory on their hands.

Breaking News: Lebanon army moves to end crisis

Lebanon's army has overturned two key government measures in an attempt to defuse tensions between the pro-western government and Shia group Hezbollah. The army said the Hezbollah-allied head of security at Beirut airport should remain in his post and the group's phone network be maintained. A row over these two issues sparked this weeks's violence in which at least 24 people have died. The army also called on all groups to withdraw gunmen from Beirut's streets. Earlier, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora had called on the army to restore law and order, saying the country would not fall to Hezbollah after four days of street battles which saw the Shia movement push supporters of the government from western Beirut. "Your state will not fall under the control of the coup implementers," he said. In his first response to Hezbollah's de facto takeover of the west of the capital, Mr Siniora said his government would never declare war against the Shia group. At least two people were killed after gunfire broke out during a funeral in a Sunni area of Beirut, and clashes in northern Lebanon killed 10 more. The unrest has sparked memories of Lebanon's bitter, 15-year civil war.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7393982.stm

[skhara]

Re: War in The Middle East

That was an excellent speech by Nasrallah, as expected. Seems like the Hizbollah has another great victory on their hands.

I don't about that. I think they have to force the ruling coalition to abdicate. The overturning of their measures goes without saying since those same officials have pretty much stated that they would do so.