Posted on 02/20/2005 5:46:22 PM PST by HAL9000
Opposition Vows at Hariri's Graveside to Oust Syria from Lebanon
Opposition leaders took a collective vow at slain ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's graveside to drive the Syrian army out of Lebanon at all costs, declaring "the hour of freedom and liberation has struck."
"Syria to hell," roared the crowds maintaining a week-long vigil on Hariri's grave as one opposition leader after the other took the oath from a make-shift podium "not to stop an inch short of total liberation."
All wearing red scarves that are the emblem of Lebanon's newly declared unarmed uprising to expel the Syrian army, the speakers said the Intifada would "hunt down the assassins and bring each one of them to Lebanese justice."
Most of the speakers held Syria's intelligence service responsible for the assassination "from A to Z." They included Nassib Lahoud of Democratic Renewal Movement, Nadim Bashir Gemayel of the Lebanese Force, and Akram Shehayyeb of Walid Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party.
Jumblat, Hariri's closest friend and political ally, was below the podium, lighting a candle with tears welling down his cheeks and reciting Lebanon's national anthem. Hundreds standing shoulder-to-shoulder behind him were quick to pick the rhythm.
The opposition declared their welcome to the newly formed U.N. team to probe Hariri's assassination, demanding the investigation be neutral and comprehensive. Jumblat demanded that Syria's military intelligence chief in Lebanon Brig. Gen. Rustom Ghazaleh to be the first on the list of suspects of the assassination engineer.
The Beirut media is wondering whether President Lahoud's Syrian-sponsored regime would allow the U.N. team into Beirut. Lebanon's top juror Edmond Naim said the government t is duty-bound to let the international investigators in, but has the right to abstain from extending any help to them.
Lebanese children sign a banner in Beirut demanding Syria pull its troops out of Lebanon, Feb. 19, 2005. Opposition figures urged Lebanese to join what they called an independence uprising against Syria's grip on Lebanon on Friday, escalating a war of words after former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri's assassination. (Jamal Saidi/Reuters)
Lebanese sign a petition against violence at the site of the killing of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Lebanon's embattled pro-Syrian government said that it was unlikely to cooperate with a newly appointed UN commission of inquiry into the assassination of former premier Rafiq Hariri and hit out at France over opposition calls for an 'uprising'.(AFP/Ramzi Haidar)
We can only hope that this is the beginning of the end of Syrian occupation in Lebanon and the beginning of real democracy in Iran.
University gruaduates whose education was financed by Lebanon's slain former premier Rafiq Hariri (portrait) pay their respects at his gravesite in central Beirut.(AFP/Ramzi Haidar)
We the makings of an independence movement.
Like Bush said "if you take a stand for freedom we will stand with you".
I hope they can hold that thinking long enough to start doing something
Some two thousand Lebanese march with anti-Syrian banners and national flags from the site of the killing of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafiq Hariri towards the parliament building in central Beirut. Lebanon will cooperate with a UN commission of inquiry into the killing of Hariri, the pro-Syrian speaker of parliament, Nabih Berri, said, after earlier warnings that the Damascus-backed government would snub the probe.(AFP/Patrick Baz)
OOPSY---me thinks that George Bush just may have started something here---I think having the Lebanese watch the Iraqis living among them, vote on Jan 30th---and now this assasination, there just might be an uprising of people wanting to be free---
All we need now is for more of the Iraqis to get mad enough at the insurgents to help more and for the Iranians that want freedom to join together and ask for help---
Lebanese women pass next to a mural of Lebanon's slain former prime minister Rafik Hariri covered with poems and condolences from wellwishers near his grave in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005. After the murder Monday of the Sunni Muslim former prime minister, and especially at his funeral two days later, Christians, Muslims and Druse came together in a vivid manifestation of unity rare in Lebanon's violent, sectarian-charged history. Christian and Muslim areas alike shut down during the three-day period of mourning. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Syria is between a rock and a hard place here.....they can't get rough.... what with an American division sitting in Iraq....with all that airpower.
Will the impact of Iraqi elections = that of the French Revolution? Will Lebanon start a trend?
We can hope for the best for the people who wish to be free in those countries.
banner in english?
A terrorist act by Islamic bullies is FINALLY being confronted by fellow Muslims.
Lebanon: the opposition rejects the call to the dialogue
BEIRUT - the deputies of the opposition to Lebanon, with at their head the head Druse Walid Joumblatt, categorically rejected the new call to the dialogue launched Sunday by the allies of Damas after the assassination of Rafic Hariri. They call with demonstrations.
Joined together in the residence of the deputy Ghattas Koury, the members of Parliament of the opposition, who occupy about a third of the seats of the Parliament (128 members) rejected into an official statement the call to the dialogue, that they described as "operation".
They claimed a plenary meeting to discuss attack which cost the life, February 14, with the former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and required that this meeting be covered directly by the media. The deputy and head Druse Walid Joumblatt, principal figure of the opposition, rejected the call of combined of Damas and requested to engage of the direct discussions with Damas.
"That the dialogue is carried out directly with the Syrian authorities and relates to the implementation of the agreement of Taëf with a honourable withdrawal by stages of the Syrian troops and the dismantling of the services of information and the terrorist State (...) Lebanese", Mr. Joumblatt added to private chain Lebanese LBCI.
The agreement of Taëf (1989) envisaged a Syrian fold in 1992 in the east of Lebanon and stipulated a later agreement on points of parking of Syrian units supplied with a calendar for a total withdrawal. Some 14 000 Syrian soldiers are still deployed in Lebanon.
The opposition multiplied the calls to the participation, with a demonstration Monday, one week after the assassination of the former Prime Minister, in spite of the warnings of the persons in charge against his behaviour without preliminary authorization.
We have about the equivalent of 11 very heavy divisions in Iraq. Plus the other countries. More than enough to steamroller Syria if need be. Not to mention the Navy and Air Force. Not to mention Israel's Divisions and Airforce. Plenty of assets for whatever we decide to do.
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