lebanon's government collapses

[agitpropagent9]

happening right now. government resigns en masse. tens of thousands of protesters in the streets.



BBC story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/4305927.stm

[davidinalameda]

1. lovely

we're going to be invading Syria instead of Iran now

[Warpy]

2. Let's hope it's highly contagious

and spreads here.

No government might be preferable to the anti American bunch we have now.

[Just Me]

3. US and Israel are really stirring shit up over there.

Syria does appear to be next in line. She doesn't have the military strength that Iran has.

:scared:

I wish I could wake up tomorrow morning and this nightmare would be over.

[Blue Wally]

5. We must be putting a lot of pressure on Syria

They just coughed up Saddam's half-brother and former chief of intelligence.

[agitpropagent9]

6. US and israel?

i would submit that the people are "stirring up the shit" by kicking out an occupying army that's stayed long past the mandate of the taif accords.

[Just Me]

9. Both are swearing they have evidence linking Syria to a variety of,...

,...attacks.

Btw,...what does the resignation have to do with Syrian troops?

[Igel]

20. Syria backs Lahoud and Hizbullah; Hizbullah backs Lahoud and Syria;

Lahoud backs Syria and Hizbullah.

Nifty little triangle there.

The Taif accords had the timetable for withdrawal determined by later negotiation between the Lebanese government and Syria; Syria all but appointed the government, and firmly backs it.

Resign from the government, show lack of support for both Lahoud and Syria in one swell foop.

[lastknowngood]

12. Bullstuf it's right out of the PNAC and necon playbook

n/t

[Just Me]

14. It's unfolding before our very eyes.

We're going to be at war for awhile.

Our poor children :cry:

[theboss]

18. So you are in favor of Lebanon having a puppet government?

I just fail to see how that can be a Democrat's position.

[Colorado Blue]

25. Maybe not. Maybe the people of Lebanon and Egypt will

have an opportunity to have REAL elections. Maybe Syria will be persuaded to withdraw its army from Lebanon. Maybe Iran will stop sending money to terrorists. Maybe Israeli science and technology will start spreading to the Arab world and GOOD jobs will be produced, not jobs related to the oil industry. Maybe the tentative peace between Israel and the Palestinian people will bear a full-blown flower and the occupation will end in the creation of a new, democratic state for the Palestinian people.

Good jobs, a chance to voice one's opinion - it's worth a try, isn't it?

I don't think democracy should be just for Americans, do you? Even if Bush did mention it, ggggrrrrrrrr:)

[Vladimir]

30. And maybe I'll win the lottery tomorrow

look, all these things you speak of could happen, and if they did that would indeed be very good (and you are right, Bush taking credit is no reason to oppose something). It could be that Fukyama was right, and liberal democracy really is the end of history, and that once everyone adopts it we will all stop fighting and join in a chorus of 'Drop it like its Hot'. But I'm definitely not holding my breath...

[Renew Deal]

4. That's good for the lebanese.

The neo-cons will take credit for this. Bush's vision. Bullshit like that.

[Capt_Nemo]

7. A new civil war is comming

and it was created in Washington DC and Tel Aviv.

The last time the Israelis played with fire that way in Lebannon
they got burned.

Seems like now they want another dose... and the americans too.

Be careful of what you wish for...

[Just Me]

11. That's what I suspected.

And Syria is being pulled in, as well. Two nations being divided and/or targeted with one event.

[Capt_Nemo]

15. Just like with Archduke Ferdinand

But I'll be laughing my ass off when the law of unintended consequences
comes back to bite the neo-cons in the ass... AGAIN!

[PresidentErnestTBass]

22. Fundies want Bush to burn Damascus

so that the end times and the rapture can kick off. Bush is God's chosen instrument you know.

That's what some people honestly believe.

[plcdude]

8. is there a site for

this story?

[agitpropagent9]

10. checking now

will update with links as i find them. for now, here are some blogs covering the situation.

http://www.publiuspundit.com/?p=537

http://blissstreetjournal.blogspot.com/

http://beirut2bayside.blogspot.com/

http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/Joshua.M.Landis-1/syriablog/index.html

[izzie]

13. You know I lived in SA and everyone I met wanted to be free.

I lived in the open society and not with other Am. All the local people knew what they wanted and it sure in hell was not be run by some Prince. Since I was a kid almost the whole world has started to rule them self. It is coming. I have watched every place from India etc. go this way.Why would the Middle East do any thing less?

[fishface]

16. interesting..nt

fv

[theboss]

17. This is a genuinely hopeful moment

As a Democrat, I should be happy when the people rise up and throw out a puppet government. Lebanon should not be under the control of Syria.

Just because something is good for Bush does not mean I should be against it.

[agitpropagent9]

19. thank you!

[Colorado Blue]

23. Thank you! I can't believe that Americans, liberals yet -

would be AGAINST people in Lebanon speaking their minds.

[paineinthearse]

21. Nominated, this needs to get to to more DU'ers.

See (later) related thread in LBN - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1271439

[Sandpiper]

24. Looks like Mossad and the CIA have been busy

The timing of this is all so very convenient.

[SoCalDem]

26. Hmmmm.... where'd they get all those identical flags?

For a "spur of the moment" protest, they seem to be well-orchestrated.

And about the fact that "real" elections can now take place? Not likely.

Certain things must be in place prior to elections. Rounding people up and handing them a ballot, does make for a "real election".

It kills me to think that Beirut (and the rest of Lebanon) might be at war again.. It has just begun to heal from the last one:(

[BeFree]

28. War again in Lebanon?

There has been peace there since the Syrians moved in, and the Israelis and the US moved out.

Now the Syrians may be leaving and the Iraelis and US will move back in?

Some here figure democracy is coming to Lebanon. I only wish it were so, hell, I wish democracy would come to America.

The Lebanese may not be ready for our kind of democracy, or democracy of any kind. But one hopes they still can keep their peace.

[Califooyah Operative]

29. same with ukraine,

the us is up to it's usual cia operations abroad. Encouraging revolutions, supplying flags/even weapons, has never been beyond us, especially under a republican administration.

[maxsolomon]

27. i will not weep for the syrian baathists

i think bush is as much of an idiot as anyone, but i fail to see why the assad dynasty has any credibility here. this is a good thing.

when old man assad died i didn't think his son would be able to be as ruthless. but i am going to hate it when the neocons give bush the credit. its the lebanese people doing it, not president presenile dementia.