Vital Perspective

Walid Jumblatt is a funny guy

On February 14, 2007 Lebanese Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt had the following to say to Syrian dictator Bashar-Al Assad (aka the opthamologist):   "oh tyrant of Damascus, you ape unknown to nature, you snake from which even the snakes have fled, you whale vomited by the ocean, you wild desert beast, you creature that is only half-man" (he also indulges in the standard Middle East rhetoric by calling him an "Israeli product", which Basher may have found more insulting, but at least he didn't call him a shoe)

In a Feb. 23 interview, Jumblatt decided to apologize...(drumroll.....)

Other people's blood

Hizb'Allah is trying to refocus the quite bloody Shia holiday of Ashura on killing other people, rather than letting one's own blood in an orgy of self flagellation:

Hezbollah held its main [Ashura] ceremonies in Al Dahiya, a southern suburb of Beirut. Bloodletting wasn't on the agenda, but violence was. "Do you want to suffer with Hussein? Then the setting is ready: the Karbala of the South," Fadlallah said in one of his Ashura polemics, encouraging listeners to martyr themselves fighting Israel. "You can be wounded and inflict wounds, kill and be killed, and feel ... the spiritual joy of Hussein when he accepted his own blood and wounds."

[...]Hezbollah is trying to recast Ashura to serve its political agenda--and to focus Muslim anger on Hezbollah's political targets (mainly Israelis and Americans). Though blood is usually associated with violence, the self-flagellation traditionally practiced on Ashura actually encourages political quietism; it directs violence inward, in contrast with the activist attitude cultivated by Hezbollah. "Self-flagellation doesn't serve a revolutionary, radical purpose," says Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, an expert on Hezbollah. "You are beating yourself rather than your enemy."

Some Shia recognize the naked self interest in Hizb'Allahs efforts:

[...]many Ashura mourners in Nabatiyya explicitly rejected any contemporary political resonance for Ashura. "This is the only thing we have left that has not been used by politicians," said one participant from Nabatiyya. "We sacrifice our blood to honor the memory of Imam Hussein, not to further their agendas." [...]Hezbollah's attempt to recast the Ashura rite is a way of consolidating its control of Lebanese Shia. [...]as squeamish as Western audiences might be when confronted with the bloody images of Ashura, they may have more in common with Nabitiyyans [who ignored Hizb'Allah's edict] than initially meets the eye. As one blood-covered Ashura participant proclaimed defiantly, "Who said Hezbollah can tell us what to do?"

Video: Brigitte Gabriel Discusses Radical Islam in Heritage Foundation Forum

Happy New Year to you all. Before we get too far into other activities, we thought we'd leave you with an excellent series of videos of Brigitte Gabriel discussing radical Islam at the Heritage Foundation. Gabriel is a Christian Lebanese-American journalist, author and activist. She is the founder of the American Congress For Truth, a conservative think tank. The videos will take just under an hour to go through.

YouTube Video on Sectarian Problem: When Will the Lebanese be... Lebanese?

FYI: Michael Totten has just returned from three weeks in southern Lebanon and Israel. Check back often to his site for photos, stories and more.

58% of Americans Believe War in Lebanon 'Justified'; Partisan Divide Shows

Israel was justified in invading Lebanon in the wake of the kidnapping of two of its soldiers by Hezbollah, respondents to a UPI-Zogby International poll said.

A total of 57.6 percent of the 6,296 U.S. respondents to a Zogby interactive poll said Israel was "justified" in its response while 31.1 percent said it wasn't. Of the 124 respondents who said they were Jewish, 69.9 percent said the invasion was called for and 19.3 percent said it wasn't.

There was a sharp political divide with 85.5 percent of Republicans supporting the Israeli invasion and 52.7 percent of Democrats saying it wasn't justified. Some 57.8 percent of independents agreed that Israel was justified to invade Lebanon. While 16.1 percent of "progressives" said they agreed with Israel's actions, 92.1 percent of those defined as "very conservative" backed the invasion.

Bush Calls on Syria to Stop Using Hezbollah to Intimidate Siniora Government

President Bush has just released the following statement on Syria and Lebanon through the office of Tony Snow:

The United States supports the Syrian people's desire for democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression. Syrians deserve a government whose legitimacy is grounded in the consent of the people, not brute force.

The Syrian regime should immediately free all political prisoners, including Aref Dalila, Michel Kilo, Anwar al-Bunni, Mahmoud Issa, and Kamal Labwani. I am deeply troubled by reports that some ailing political prisoners are denied health care while others are held in cells with violent criminals.

Syria should disclose the fate and whereabouts of the many missing Lebanese citizens who "disappeared" following their arrest in Lebanon during the decades of Syrian military occupation. The Syrian regime should also cease its efforts to undermine Lebanese sovereignty by denying the Lebanese people their right to participate in the democratic process free of foreign intimidation and interference.

The people of Syria hope for a prosperous future with greater opportunities for their children, and for a government that fights corruption, respects the rule of law, guarantees the rights of all Syrians, and works toward achieving peace in the region.

The meat of this statement is the last sentence in paragraph three, where Bush says that "the Syrian regime should also cease its efforts to undermine Lebanese sovereignty by denying the Lebanese people their right to participate in the democratic process free of foreign intimidation and interference." Translation: Stop using Hezbollah, which has brought Beirut to a standstill for the past thirteen days, to try and overthrow the democratically elected Siniora government.

Israel's Chief of Military Intelligence Warns of al-Qaeda Plot to Attack UNIFIL

MediaLine reports that Israel's chief of Military Intelligence, Brig.-Gen. Yossi Baidatz, has warned that al-Qaeda has increased its presence in Lebanon and has plans to attack the international peacekeeping force stationed there. Baidatz is reported to have told PM Ehud Olmert that al-Qaeda presence is strongest in refugee camps and that because it is seen as a symbol of the West, UNIFIL is an inviting target. An al-Qaeda-Hezbollah alliance is unlikely, however, because al-Qaeda is vehemently anti-Shiite while Hezbollah is comprised primarily of Shiites.

U.S. Signs Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with Lebanon

Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East Shaun Donnelly and Lebanon's Minister of Economy and Trade Sami Haddad have signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), which will provide a forum for expanding and strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations between the U.S. and Lebanon.

The U.S. uses TIFAs to strengthen bilateral trade and support economic reform through regular senior-level discussions on commercial and economic issues. The U.S.-Lebanon TIFA creates a Joint Council that will consider a wide range of commercial issues and sets out basic principles underlying the two nations' trade and investment relationship.

According to Meat Processing Global, U.S. exports of agricultural products to Lebanon were valued at $63 million, including course grains and tree nuts. U.S. imports from Lebanon in 2005 were valued at $92 million. U.S. imports of agricultural products from Lebanon in 2005 were valued at $17 million. The U.S. also has TIFAs with Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen.

Saudi King Abdullah Phones Lebanese PM Siniora to Extend Full Backing of Govt

Saudi King Abdullah called Lebanese PM Fuad Siniora to denounce "security breaches" Friday after protestors surrounded his office to demand that he quit. King Abdullah "extended Saudi Arabia’s full backing to his political positions" and expressed that "Saudi Arabia objects completely to any security breaches."

Youth and Sports Minister Ahmed Fatfat said Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Abdel Aziz Khoja called Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an opposition ally, to help "stop the siege." Fatfat said the siege seemed to have eased after the telephone call.

Saudi Arabia is a major backer of Lebanon’s Western-backed government and its Sunni prime minister and provided a massive aid package after this summer’s war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Nasrallah Calls on Lebanese to Demonstrate in Effort to Shut Down Siniora Govt

Thursday afternoon, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah spoke to the Lebanese people about the state of the government. His remarks indicate that Hezbollah intends to do whatever is necessary to bring the Siniora government to its knees. Nasrallah has called upon the Lebanese to demonstrate and go on strike in Beirut tomorrow as a sign of solidarity with Hezbollah.

HASSAN NASRALLAH: In the name of God, the Beneficent and the Merciful. Praise be to God Almighty, and peace and blessings be upon our prophet - Abu Al-Qassem, Mohammad - and upon his good-hearted family and companions, and upon all the prophets and messengers. Peace and blessings of God be upon you.

Dear Lebanese, a year and few months have passed since the formation of the current Lebanese government. This government presented a huge, important, clear and specific ministerial declaration, and also presented important and sensitive assurances to the Lebanese, but after all this time, it is clear that it the government is impotent, unsuccessful and incapable of fulfilling its promises or accomplishing any significant achievements.

We even find that the crises have become worse in all spheres - politically, socially and economically, regarding security and financial aspects and more.

We think that the main reason for the impotency and failure of the government is that it is a one-team government. It is true that the Amal movement and Hezbollah were participating in this government, but they were never actually allowed to be seriously or effectively involved, because the government was a mere superficial legal framework to pass decisions taken within a framework of leadership outside the government, and it is the leadership of the March 14th forces.

Lebanon, with all its complexity, variety, nature and aspects can never be governed or have its crises solved by one side or by a certain coalition, especially given these harsh internal circumstances, and even much harsher regional situation, and very dangerous international situation.

So we called for and are still calling for the formation of a national unity government, because if we want to protect Lebanon's independence and sovereignty, and prevent any external guardianship over Lebanon - because if we want to consolidate and strengthen the support for security, stability and civil peace in Lebanon, because if we want to seriously cooperate to deal with the suffocating social and economic crisis, because if we want to deal with our political crisis on the basis of granting actual representation to all the Lebanese streams and groups, and actual participation in governing the country, because if we want to deal with the various crises and confront the various present challenges - locally, regionally and internationally at this stage - we must cooperate, unite and gather all our efforts. This can only achieved by a real national unity government.

When we talk about a national unity government, we are talking about integration, unity, cooperation and solidarity. We are not talking of cancellation, omitting, uprooting, a monopoly or exclusivity.

In any case, we found that all peaceful attempts at dialogue, negotiation and consultation were met with closed doors because the ruling party insists on its exclusive authority, contrary to the actual national interest and despite its impotency, failure and inability to accomplish any achievements on any level.