Posted on 02/08/2010 7:21:30 AM PST by Traianus
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Sfeir: Possibilities of War Exist as Long as Hizbullah Wants to Play State Role Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir lamented what he called continued Syrian influence in Lebanon and said that the possibilities of war exist as long as Hizbullah wants to play the role of the state. "The side that has arms is forcing itself on others," Sfeir told al-Massira magazine in an interview. "The possibilities of war exist as long as Hizbullah wants to play the role of the state." The patriarch also rejected the presence of two armies in the country, calling "for the continuation of the struggle until the rise of the state." On relations with Damascus, Sfeir said: "The Syrians kept their influence despite their withdrawal from Lebanon as a result of the compliance of some (Lebanese) with their tutelage." He said he visited Damascus when he was still a bishop. "What has changed so that I visit Damascus today?" he wondered. "We won't visit Damascus unless we have the support of our sect," the head of the Maronite church stressed. He told al-Massira that the situation of the country's Christians wasn't better in previous decades. "Lebanon's Christians weren't better during Turkish rule. The Turkish state was against us but we preserved our presence." "At a later stage, they (Christians) weren't in a better situation than today," the patriarch added. Asked about ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and the Feb. 14 mass rally to mark his 5th assassination anniversary, Sfeir said Hariri's death was a big loss for Lebanon. Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat should "demonstrate his presence during the Feb. 14 occasion to the March 14 team and not me," he said. |
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Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 13:57 |
This has been going on for a very long time. Reagan put U.S. Marines in Lebanon to hopefully preserve a peace of sorts after the elected Christian president was assassinated. The Muzzies then blew up the Marine barracks and killed over 400 of them. We then went to a hands off position. That was about 25 years ago.
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Actually Reagan intervened to end the siege of Beirut which, had it gone on would have ended with the destruction of the PLO and Hizbullah. We sent in “peacekeepers” before there was peace. Then negotiated the terms of the PLOs excape to Tunis, with a living, breathing Arafat. Later his VP crowned Arafat a peacemaker. A bad idea all around.
Thank you for the correction.
I knew my memory was vague but I remember the assassination of the newly elected Christian president and I remembered the bombing of the barracks. So, I put two and two together and got 492.
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