Lebanon Updates:
The May, 2008 Conflict
Saturday, May 10, 2008
The May, 2008 Conflict
Saturday, May 10, 2008
(This post near top today – Scroll for never post below...)
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-Map courtesy of UN-
I’ll start off today’s post on Lebanon with a statement made by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday...
United States Condemns Violence in Lebanon
Statement by Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Washington, DC
May 9, 2008
Backed by Syria and Iran, Hezbollah and its allies are killing and injuring fellow citizens, undermining the legitimate authority of the Lebanese government and the institutions of the Lebanese state.
Seeking to protect their state-within-a-state, Hezbollah has exploited its allies and demonstrated its contempt for its fellow Lebanese. No one has a right to deprive Lebanese citizens of their political and economic freedom, their right to move freely within their country, or their sense of safety and security.
Our support for the legitimate Lebanese government, its democratic institutions, and its security services is unwavering. This support is a reflection of our unshakeable commitment to the Lebanese people and their hope for democratic change, economic prosperity, and confessional harmony.
We will stand by the Lebanese government and peaceful citizens of Lebanon through this crisis and provide the support they need to weather this storm.
Taken from a press release by DoS
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Travel Warning
United States Department of StateBureau of Consular AffairsWashington, DC 20520
This information is current as of today, Sat May 10 02:55:52 2008.
LEBANON
This information is current as of today, Sat May 10 02:55:52 2008.
LEBANON
April 21, 2008
This Travel Warning updates information on security threats and ongoing political tensions in Lebanon, and informs U.S. citizens of current safety and security concerns. The Department of State continues to strongly urge that Americans defer travel to Lebanon and that American citizens in Lebanon consider carefully the risks of remaining. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Lebanon issued on October 17, 2007.
The U.S. remains concerned about the threat of terrorist attacks against Western and Lebanese government interests in Lebanon. Groups such as Al-Qaeda and Jund al-Sham are present in Lebanon, and they have issued statements calling for attacks against Western interests. The Department of State is also concerned that the clashes between terrorist extremists and the Lebanese Armed Forces that occurred in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon from May to September 2007 could occur in other camps in Lebanon. U.S. citizens who visit refugee camps in Lebanon risk becoming trapped during hostilities.
There have been several assassinations of military and political figures in Lebanon within the past year. On December 12, 2007, a senior member of the Lebanese Armed Forces was killed by a car bomb; a Lebanese Internal Security Force officer was killed in a similar fashion on January 25, 2008. Two anti-Syria Members of Parliament were assassinated in separate car bombings in Beirut in June and September 2007. On January 15, 2008, an Embassy vehicle was damaged and two Embassy employees were injured in yet another bombing. In each of these incidents innocent bystanders have been injured or killed.
On June 7, 2007, a bomb exploded in the town of Zouk Mousbeh, north of Beirut. This followed the discovery of explosive-laden vehicles in Eastern Lebanon. Since May 20 2007, explosions have occurred in the Beirut neighborhoods of Achrafieh and Verdun, the Beirut suburb of Sad Al-Bouchrieh, and the resort town of Aley.
The terrorist group Hizballah has threatened retaliatory actions for the assassination of Hizballah official Imad Fayez Mugniyah, who was killed in Syria by unknown assailants on February 12, 2008. Prominent members of Hizballah have intimated that they hold the United States partially responsible for Mugniyah's death, and it is possible that someone may lash out against U.S. interests or persons.
* Economist.com has this article that puts this mess in order... if that’s at all possible....
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* AFP.Google.com website brings us this news report on Lebanon and it starts off like this...
Lebanon was steeped in tension on Saturday after Hezbollah seized control of west Beirut in three days of deadly fighting with pro-government forces, triggering fears of all-out civil war... At least 16 people were killed in the violence that erupted on Wednesday and quickly escalated after the head of the opposition Shiite Hezbollah movement called a government crackdown on his powerful group a declaration of war...The unrest led to urgent international appeals for calm as Arab foreign ministers prepared to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis on Sunday amid regional Sunni Muslim fears about Shiite Iran's influence in Lebanon...The United States said Hezbollah's actions proved it was a threat to the entire region... "Hezbollah's relationship with Iran and Syria, as well as its history of international terrorism and provision of lethal support and training to Iraqi-based extremist groups, demonstrates the threat it poses to international peace and security," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said on Friday.
Analysts said there were fears the violence could spread beyond Lebanon's borders...
Read the full report at link below...
Lebanon was steeped in tension on Saturday after Hezbollah seized control of west Beirut in three days of deadly fighting with pro-government forces, triggering fears of all-out civil war... At least 16 people were killed in the violence that erupted on Wednesday and quickly escalated after the head of the opposition Shiite Hezbollah movement called a government crackdown on his powerful group a declaration of war...The unrest led to urgent international appeals for calm as Arab foreign ministers prepared to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis on Sunday amid regional Sunni Muslim fears about Shiite Iran's influence in Lebanon...The United States said Hezbollah's actions proved it was a threat to the entire region... "Hezbollah's relationship with Iran and Syria, as well as its history of international terrorism and provision of lethal support and training to Iraqi-based extremist groups, demonstrates the threat it poses to international peace and security," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said on Friday.
Analysts said there were fears the violence could spread beyond Lebanon's borders...
Read the full report at link below...
Tension reigns after three deadly days in Lebanon
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Diplomatic Pressure Mounts On Hezbollah
* CNN.com put this report up around 10:00am CDT. It starts off like this... Prime Minister Fouad Siniora accused Hezbollah of trying to stage a "militant coup d'etat" on Saturday in his first public comments since violence began three days ago in Beirut... He also called for the army to intervene after Hezbollah militants took control of the Lebanese capital's western suburbs..."I call on it once again to impose security on all, in all areas, deter the gunmen and immediately remove them from the street ... to restore normal life," Siniora said, according to The Associated Press... The Lebanese army, which has its own political factions, did not join the battles that erupted this week... Soldiers instead effectively negotiated a surrender of pro-government positions, Lebanese Internal Security Forces and Western military observers said... But it responded to Siniora's speech by releasing a statement calling on all parties to withdraw their gunmen and reopen roads while offering Hezbollah a compromise, AP reported...
Read this report in full at link below...
* AP.Goolge.com reports... Lebanon's army command is ordering troops to establish security in the capital and is calling on all parties to withdraw their gunmen from the streets...
Read the rest at link below - Note: Has graphic photos...
Lebanese army command tells gunmen to withdraw from streets
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- Lebanon: Raw News Video -
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- Lebanon: Raw News Video -
About News Video: Shows Street Protest in Towns around Lebanon and more
Video posted on LiveLeak by barnesy
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Video posted on LiveLeak by barnesy
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* MonstersAndCritics.com brings us a bit of good news and it goes in part like this... Militants from Lebanon's Shiite Amal movement allied with the militant Hezbollah movement began withdrawing from west Beirut on Saturday after four days of deadly clashes, an official from the opposition said... 'All militants were asked to withdraw from the streets of Beirut,' the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said... A number of militants could be seen withdrawing from the streets of the Lebanese capital. The withdrawal of the gunmen raised hopes for a political settlement after four days of street battles that have left at least 35 dead across Lebanon...
Read the full report at link below...
* Bloomberg.com has this take...
Hezbollah Pledges to Pull Its Forces Out of Beirut
(Hopefully it will settle down for a while)
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(Hopefully it will settle down for a while)
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Note: I will update this post as needed today.
I’ll also post more News/Raw Videos as I run across them.
AubreyJ.........
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