Lebanese army closes Christian TV

The Middle East Times ^ | September 6, 2002 | staff

[rmlew]

Lebanese security forces acting on a court order raided the private MTV television station, the main voice of the anti-Syrian Christian opposition, and shut it down on Wednesday, its owner said.

“Security forces broke into the broadcast room and forced technicians, cameramen and journalists to stop the programs," said Gabriel Murr, who became a member of parliament in June by defeating his niece, the sister of Interior Minister Elias Murr.

Murr said "the army then ordered the personnel to evacuate the building, but we refused to do so because the judicial decision does not speak of evacuation."

Murr said that he also refused to leave the premises because his parliamentary immunity prevented the security forces from the interior ministry from breaking into his offices.

A judicial source confirmed the prints court had earlier in the day ordered the closure of MTV, accusing the station of harming relations with powerful neighbor Syria, undermining the dignity of the Lebanese president and broadcasting illegal electoral propaganda.

The sources said the prints court order, which did not specify if the suspension was permanent or temporary, came after two lawsuits were filed August 8 against MTV on the charges.

The crackdown on MTV came a day after a meeting between US Middle East envoy David Satterfield and members of the Qornet Shehwan gathering of leading Christian figures opposed to Syria's political dominance of Lebanon.

On August 6, a lawsuit was filed against the country's leading television station, Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, for "instigating sectarianism" by highlighting the religion of the culprit and victims in a recent crime report.

AFP

[rmlew]

In 1990, to secure Syrias "help" in the Gulf War Presidnet George HW Bush accepted Syrian occupation of Lebanon. Since then it was been a hotbed of Islamic terror and anti-christian repression.
I hope President George W Bush can fix his father's mistake.
For more information on Lebanon go to http://www.freelebanon.org/

[BraveMan]

Add one to your ever-growing list, knighthawk . . .

[Diddle E. Squat]

the private MTV television station, the main voice of the anti-Syrian Christian opposition,

?

[Robert_Paulson2]

The nations are lining up... Syria will move to defend Iraq... but using Lebanon to proxy war for starters.

When will the rocket attacks on israel start?

Anybody else want to come get some?

[Gracey]

Thank you for this article. I have sent this to my Christian Lebanese relatives and friends.

How sad... how very sad.

[rmlew]

ping

[rmlew]

I don't know what the acronym MTV stands for here. I presume that it stands for Maronite.
Maronites are a large Christian sect in Lebanon.

[Light Speed]

Trouble is on the horizon from this region for sure.
There is sure to be a backlash of revenge after Saddam falls.
The scale of this will be measured by how willing Iran is to go to war with Israel.
Sure Hezbullah and terror orgs Lebanon will freak and retalliate..they probably have to..its part of the psychotic upbringing..but wether Damascus is willing to risk everything on Hezbullah and Iranian promises is another.
It has been forwarded that Israel has gamed the Syrian missile reality out exstensively..pre-empt bringing highest success outcome desired.
How ever it goes...Israel has less than 8 minutes before the vx capable Scuds land...the intel sites point to Israels continual overhead watch via satillite and spy networks...if Syria mobilizes too many troops..activates too many military assets..and shows activity at its missile sites...I.A.F. jets will be on their way....tunneling nukes to take out the deep underground sites.
If Syria does the bravado thingy...they may get nuked..even though they were only posturing.

[Paleo Conservative]

Yep! Once we've taken over Iraq, we need to go after Syria.

[Cacique]

btt

[A_perfect_lady]

Religion of Peace Bump! (Oh boy, I got to say it first! It pays to be up at 1:00 in the morning!!)

[sheik yerbouty]

i hope one day the jihadist butchers of damour will be defeated, and Lebanon can return to its former prosperity. The Syrians have to go.

[LenS]

Not to be rude, but Syria's control of most of Lebanon goes back to the late 70's/early 80's. There was nothing for Bush 41 to concede.

That being said, smashing Syria and ending it's presence in Lebanon should be high on the list of things to do for Dubya (along with Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran).

[GaConfed]

My Christian Lebanese wife is sleeping in this morning. I'm sure this will be of interest to her. I must interject here that the Syrians came into Lebanon at the behest of the Christian Phalangists back in the early 80s, or there about. That was a big mistake on the part of the Phalangists. Assad suckered them big time.

BTW, Lebanon has a problem with illigal aliens from Syria similar to the US's Mexican illigal alien problem. Just imagine everything being the same except Mexico being more powerful militarily than the US and influencing everything that the US does politically; that is what is going on between Syria and Lebanon.

[Cynderbean]

Funny timing. Cardinal George (from Chicago) just arrived there (Lebanon).

[rmlew]

Double standard here. The US accepted Syrian occupation as legitimate while pressing Israel to surrender the 1/3 of Lebanon it held.

[knighthawk]

Lebanese security forces acting on a court order raided the private MTV television station, the main voice of the anti-Syrian Christian opposition, and shut it down on Wednesday, its owner said.

Middle East list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[tictoc]

For more information on Lebanon go to http://www.freelebanon.org/

What an amazing site! Thank you for this discovery.

Might we be looking at a historic opportunity to restore Lebanon and Beirut to their former grandeur as the United States begins to remake the entire Middle East?

[Squantos]

the main voice of the anti-Syrian Christian opposition............I'm confused ???

Was the TV station anti Syrian or anti christian ? Or just the anti-syrian "christian" station.......

Stay Safe !

[rmlew]

These Lebanese Christians are anti-Syrian. Syria is occupying and colonizing Lebanon.