Posted on 10/20/2008 6:05:11 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
DAMASCUS - Word is coming out of south Lebanon that Saudi money under United States urging is being pumped into the Shi'ite community - in vain - to create a bloc among Lebanese Shi'ites against Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The Saudis are strongly opposed to Hezbollah, claiming that it is an extension of Iranian influence in the Arab world. More recently, the Saudis have began coordinating with former vice president Abdul-Halim Khaddam to break Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon.
In testimony of just how influential Nasrallah is as secretary general of Hezbollah, the Saudis have stunningly failed - despite tremendous efforts and allegations of huge sums of money being spent - at creating a serious anti-Nasrallah team in places controlled by Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Party of speaker Nabih Berri.
This applies to places like al-Dahiya, the Hezbollah stronghold in the suburbs of Beirut, and cities like Baalbak. That is why they have shifted their attention recently to other districts with "Shi'ite pockets" where Hezbollah does not completely reign, like Nab'a, and certain villages in south Lebanon.
Coinciding with this story and probably related to it, are unconfirmed reports saying that Michael Hayden, the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency, went to Beirut for a secret mission, probably aimed at working towards crushing - or at least disarming - Hezbollah.
That coincided with another high-profile visit by US Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman to Beirut, where he met Prime Minister Fouad al-Siniora, signing an agreement to grant automatic grenade launchers to the Lebanese army. The visit - Edelman's fourth in one year - raised eyebrows among members of the Hezbollah-led opposition, who were welcoming Michel Aoun, Hezbollah's main Christian ally, who was returning from a five-day visit to Iran.
The Americans are trying - again - to
(Excerpt) Read more at atimes.com ...
Ayatollah Sistani did have some level of influence in southern Lebanon IIRC...interesting.
About the author from your link on post no. 1:
“Sami Moubayed is a Syrian political analyst.”
Something just doesn't sound right about this whole thing.
We should build a wall around the Middle East, then fill it with water.
I guess they prefer “moderate” Shia to “radical.”
Most Mohammedan Arabs are Sunni, long reconciled to the Prophet's lineage.
Most Iranian Mohammedans, Persians, are Shiite and still contesting the lineage, especially with Sunnis.
Saudi Arabia is not happy with Hezbollah, Arab Sunni surrogates for Iran in the fight against Israel, and would likely support anyone against them.
yitbos
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