'Eyewitness Beirut'

Here's an excellent report from members of the Indymedia Ireland collective in Beirut. It's a very interesting account of what is going on on the ground - much missing information on events and issues not mentioned in much mainstream coverage. A courageous piece of journalism too:

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87494

What's noteworthy is how the actions of working people in Lebanon are being so crudely mis-described or entirely ignored in the mainstream. Robert Fisk in today's Independent (UK) is pedalling the line that Shiite Hezbollah are fighting a proxy war in Lebanon against the US backed Siniora government, on behalf of Shiite Iran - a claim for which many observers say there is zero evidence. On the face of the facts, it doesn't make sense. The most obvious explanation is far more likely as the Indymedia report makes clear: the anti government forces in Lebanon are understandably agrieved at their governments subservience to the US/Israel perspective and its impact on people's daily lives - across a wide range of issues. More to follow.

Two things interest me in particular about what is happening: one is that it seems to have been driven by food and fuel price increases, and the other is the notion that Hizbollah had its own independent telecommunications network. Perhaps we should give them a contract to sort out Irish broadband.


Note: there is also a good coverage of this on Al jazeera and the IT on today's MN News Review thread.

Robert Fisk takes the 'west-centric', top-down view of things this morning:

Quote :

By Robert Fisk in Beirut
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Another American humiliation. The Shia gunmen who drove past my apartment in west Beirut yesterday afternoon were hooting their horns, making V-signs, leaning out of the windows of SUVs with their rifles in the air, proving to the Muslims of the capital that the elected government of Lebanon has lost.

And it has. The national army still patrols the streets, but solely to prevent sectarian killings or massacres. Far from dismantling the pro-Iranian Hizbollah's secret telecommunications system – and disarming the Hizbollah itself – the cabinet of Fouad Siniora sits in the old Turkish serail in Beirut, denouncing violence with the same authority as the Iraqi government in Baghdad's green zone.”

Rest of article:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/fisk/hizbollah-rules-west-beirut-in-irans-proxy-war-with-us-825430.html

Comment on Fisk's article from the poster 'Lenin' of 'Lenins Tomb' on the media monitoring website Media Lens:

Quote :

“This is dreadful Hariri-dynasty propaganda. Fisk has been abysmal on Lebanon for a while now, far too admiring of the 'elected' minority government of Siniora and his allies, as well as a dinner party pal of the seasoned sectarian opportunist Walid Jumblatt. The reason that there is an outbreak of violence has nothing to do with Iran waging a proxy war with the West, and Fisk gives absolutely no evidence that it is anything of the sort. The reason is perfectly obvious: the Siniora government, probably under pressure from the US and Israel, sought to destroy the only serious armed resistance movement in Lebanon. Were it not for Hezbollah, Israel would be the ruling power in Lebanon today with an updated version of the South Lebanese Army keeping 'order', Fallujah-style. The only surprise here is that Fisk didn't mention his driver, Abed.”

More excellent analysis from Lenin of the Lebanese situation earlier this year:

http://leninology.blogspot.com/2007/01/lebanons-brewing-civil-war.html

Media Lens:

Media Lens: http://www.medialens.org/board/

So Hezbollah can now do what it wants then?

Looks like they have pretty well carved out territorial control of west Beirut and no doubt will be able to dictate terms.

One of which is bound to be a free hand to deal with Israel...

Al Qaeda working with the US in Lebanon?


http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=54916§ionid=351020203

Aragon wrote:

Al Qaeda working with the US in Lebanon?


http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=54916§ionid=351020203

Wouldn't be surprise, but can't get the link to work.

I use this Site a good bit to get up to date info - obviously it's a Christian viewpoint though.

http://yalibnan.com/index.php

Brandubh wrote:

I use this Site a good bit to get up to date info - obviously it's a Christian viewpoint though.

http://yalibnan.com/index.php

Very good photographs. Battle for control of communication and media seem to be at the centre of this - along with the unrest over food and fuel prices.

It may be a Christian site but it still carries Muslima.com ads. just like the ones on P.ie.

cactus flower wrote:

Brandubh wrote:

I use this Site a good bit to get up to date info - obviously it's a Christian viewpoint though.

http://yalibnan.com/index.php

Very good photographs. Battle for control of communication and media seem to be at the centre of this - along with the unrest over food and fuel prices.

It may be a Christian site but it still carries Muslima.com ads. just like the ones on P.ie.

Nasrallah responds to Lebanese governments crackdown on Hisbollah's communications network:


http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19890.htm

Indymedia reporter Paula G stresses the anti government Lebanese resistance is not Hisbollah alone - but a combination of opposition and civilian groups opposed to the US backed government:

Link

Lebanon rivals agree to Doha talks

Looks like they're all off to Doha to sort things out.

Aragon wrote:

Robert Fisk takes the 'west-centric', top-down view of things this morning:

Quote :

By Robert Fisk in Beirut
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Another American humiliation. The Shia gunmen who drove past my apartment in west Beirut yesterday afternoon were hooting their horns, making V-signs, leaning out of the windows of SUVs with their rifles in the air, proving to the Muslims of the capital that the elected government of Lebanon has lost.

And it has. The national army still patrols the streets, but solely to prevent sectarian killings or massacres. Far from dismantling the pro-Iranian Hizbollah's secret telecommunications system – and disarming the Hizbollah itself – the cabinet of Fouad Siniora sits in the old Turkish serail in Beirut, denouncing violence with the same authority as the Iraqi government in Baghdad's green zone.”

Rest of article:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/fisk/hizbollah-rules-west-beirut-in-irans-proxy-war-with-us-825430.html

Comment on Fisk's article from the poster 'Lenin' of 'Lenins Tomb' on the media monitoring website Media Lens:

Quote :

“This is dreadful Hariri-dynasty propaganda. Fisk has been abysmal on Lebanon for a while now, far too admiring of the 'elected' minority government of Siniora and his allies, as well as a dinner party pal of the seasoned sectarian opportunist Walid Jumblatt. The reason that there is an outbreak of violence has nothing to do with Iran waging a proxy war with the West, and Fisk gives absolutely no evidence that it is anything of the sort. The reason is perfectly obvious: the Siniora government, probably under pressure from the US and Israel, sought to destroy the only serious armed resistance movement in Lebanon. Were it not for Hezbollah, Israel would be the ruling power in Lebanon today with an updated version of the South Lebanese Army keeping 'order', Fallujah-style. The only surprise here is that Fisk didn't mention his driver, Abed.”

More excellent analysis from Lenin of the Lebanese situation earlier this year:

http://leninology.blogspot.com/2007/01/lebanons-brewing-civil-war.html

Media Lens:

Media Lens: [url=http://www.medialens.org/board/

http://www.medialens.org/board/[/quote[/url]]

Hmmm - Who would I trust to give a more honest view of whats going in the Leb

A good reporter who has made Beirut his home since 1976 and has reported all aspects of the Middle East and managed to piss off all of the various parties in the area by pointedly not taking sides and reporting as opposed to op-editing.

Or an online wise-ass who calls himself "Lenin" and preaches to those who agree with his views.

Hmmm.........yeah.............hard decision there.

I think Edo that you might make your own judgement based on the best information you have to hand.
Some of that information may come from Mr. Fisk who said

Quote :

"When Hamas became part of the Palestinian government, the West rejected it. So Hamas took over Gaza. When the Hizbollah became part of the Lebanese government, the Americans rejected it. Now Hizbollah has taken over west Beirut. The parallels are not exact, of course. Hamas won a convincing electoral victory. Hizbollah was a minority in the Lebanese government; its withdrawal from cabinet seats with other Shias was occasioned by Mr Siniora's American-defined policies and by their own electoral inability to change these. The Lebanese don't want an Islamic republic any more than the Palestinians. But when Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, the Hizbollah chairman, told a press conference that this was a "new era" for Lebanon, he meant what he said.

The other piece of information I found interesting was in the video of the Hizbollah leader posted by Aragon - the reason for the Hizbollah telephone system being that use of mobile phones means being targetted and killed by the Israelis. We are in many cases talking about elected representatives here. Does democracy only count when the electorate come up with the answer we like?