Deadly battles as Hezbollah says Lebanon 'declares war'

DuH2 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

BEIRUT (AFP) - Deadly gunbattles erupted in Beirut on Thursday after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah charged that a Lebanese government crackdown on his group was tantamount to a "declaration of war," raising fears of a full-blown sectarian conflict.

Lebanon, paralysed by a political crisis for 18 months, has been rocked by two days of clashes between rival factions, leading to urgent appeals for calm in the deeply divided country and a blunt US warning to Hezbollah.

Three people were killed in the fighting which erupted between supporters of the Western-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition in several mixed Sunni and Shiite Muslim districts of the capital, hospital officials said.

In scenes ominously reminiscent of the 1975-1990 civil war, Beirut's streets were virtually deserted as loud explosions and gunfire shook the capital, as gunmen, some of them hooded, fired at each other with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns.

Nasrallah delivered his fiery speech on the second day of anti-government protests which saw supporters of the rival factions block roads with burning tyres and force the closure of Lebanon's international airport.

As many as 30 people have also been wounded in clashes over the two days in Beirut and other towns.

"The (government) decisions are tantamount to a declaration of war and the start of a war... on behalf of the United States and Israel," he charged during a rare press conference.

The government on Tuesday launched a probe into a private communications network run by Hezbollah, which is seen in the West as a terrorist outfit and which critics say has become a "state within a state."

The White House said Hezbollah must "stop their disruptive activities" while the UN Security Council appealed for calm.

"Hezbollah needs to make a choice: Be a terrorist organisation or be a political party, but quit trying to be both," said US national security council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

He said US President George W. Bush would discuss the turmoil when he meets Siniora in Egypt next week during a Middle East tour.

Security Council members were "deeply concerned" about the unrest, said John Sawers, Britain's UN ambassador and the current council president.

"They stress the need to uphold the security and sovereignty of Lebanon and express their support for the constitutional institutions of the country. They urge all sides to exercise calm and restraint and call for the immediate reopening of all roads."

Regional powers Saudi Arabia and Egypt voiced support for the government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora while Arab League chief Amr Mussa, who has repeatedly visited Beirut to try to resolve the crisis, urged Lebanon's leaders to avoid any further escalation

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080508...politicsunrest

Hezbollah better watch out!

The UN might make up another worthless resolution and enforce it with air.

Lebanon and its allies need to bite the bullet and go all out on exterminating Hezbollah.

justabubba · #2 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 01:17 PM

this is precious:

Quote:

The White House said Hezbollah must "stop their disruptive activities" while the UN Security Council appealed for calm.

"Hezbollah needs to make a choice: Be a terrorist organisation or be a political party, but quit trying to be both," said US national security council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

He said US President George W. Bush would discuss the turmoil when he meets Siniora in Egypt next week during a Middle East tour.

what will dubya bin lyin have to say, 'be nice or you can't ride my mountain bike'? 7+ years in office and still clueless what his job entails

by contrast, here is what hezbollah's leader threatened:

Quote:

Nasrallah vowed to fight any attempts to disarm Hezbollah in a speech that hiked tensions already running high after a long-simmering political crisis between the Hezbollah-led opposition and the government erupted into sectarian violence.
"Those who try to arrest us, we will arrest them," he said. "Those who shoot at us, we will shoot at them. The hand raised against us, we will cut it off."

if there was any betting going on, the smart money would be on nasrallah to be the one who prevails; the shrub is a chickenshiit wuss

97240sx · #3 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 09:03 PM

Wouldn't you be pretty ticked off if someone disconnected your internet and phone lines because they considered your postings and ideas bad?

Hezbollah kicked Israel's butt twice when Israel invaded Lebanon, in 2000 and again in 2006. Why can't Israel just stop invading?? The Lebanese people are just afraid to stand up for themselves against Israeli aggression. If they won't fight the Israelis, then they will not fight Hezbollah either. Hezbollah does not want to overthrow the Lebanese government. If they did, they would have done so, the Lebanese government and military is weak. If the Lebanese expect Hezbollah to defend them against Israel, then they had better restore their communications. This conflict is about Israel. Hezbollah wants Israel to invade Lebanon again so they can fight them on their own territory, or "home field." Many Lebanese are afraid and would rather appease Israel than allow this to happen.

Here is proof positive of Israel's policy of aggression and expansion. How dare anyone label them terrorists who stand up against tyranny. Any rational person who knows the difference between self-defence and offensive aggression can see who the true "terrorists" are.

Here is the full address:

YouTube - Nasrallah address Lebanon - 08 May 08

YouTube - Lebanon anticipates Hezbollah's revenge...

YouTube - Norman Finkelstein - Hezbollah, the...

Andaras · #4 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 09:36 PM

If Israel couldn't defeat Hezbollah, who says Lebanon can?

DuH2 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Hezbollah kicked Israel's butt twice when Israel invaded Lebanon, in 2000 and again in 2006.

LMFAO what utter BS.

Andaras · #6 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuH2

LMFAO what utter BS.

No one won in that war to be specific, Israeli airstrikes accomplished nothing but killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastucture, Israel advanced to the Litani river, taking 550 casualties, Hezbollah took about 500 casualties, Israel then withdrew under a UN ceasefire. Nothing accomplished.

97240sx · #7 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andaras

No one won in that war to be specific, Israeli airstrikes accomplished nothing but killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastucture, Israel advanced to the Litani river, taking 550 casualties, Hezbollah took about 500 casualties, Israel then withdrew under a UN ceasefire. Nothing accomplished.

Thanks for the correction. I just thought it may be counted as a victory when the aggressor withdraws.

Kazan · #8 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 11:09 AM

Doesn't anyone find it strange that when Iran really starts getting pressure about their nuclear program, Hezbolla starts acting up again. Geeee wonder if this just another diversion tactic

namvet · #9 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 12:36 PM

gee. should we send jimmy carter back over????

justabubba · #10 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kazan

Doesn't anyone find it strange that when Iran really starts getting pressure about their nuclear program, Hezbolla starts acting up again. Geeee wonder if this just another diversion tactic

you say that as if the international concern about iran acquiring nuclear weapons was an intermittent activity. because that concern is constant and on-going i would say your hypothesis is unsound

what i would offer instead is to look at what is happening in the middle east as a civil war between shiia and sunni which is igniting across the region. egypt and saudi arabia are the major sunni players (and in my personal estimation they have been the more moderate sect of the two). we upset the sunni applecart in iraq when saddam was overturned, allowing the shiites to fill the iraqi power vacuum. iran seems to be only too willing to add whatever fuel it has available to grow these fresh fires.
i believe the reason the house of saud snubs the appeals from dubya bin lyin to pump more oil to reduce prices is because he refused to heed the saudi warning not to topple the iraq sunni leadership. that has made the saudi bastards more than a bit more vulnerable to overthrow.
that shiite hezbollah has seized control of beruit today, while nasrallah rejected the western-backed sunni government offer for compromise, appears to underscore the growing forment. this civil war among the two religious factions appears to be on the verge of exploding into something major. we may soon have the Islamic equivalent of long raging Christian conlict in northern ireland between protestants and catholics. isn't it great how mans' fervor for God leads us into so much killing and mayhem

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