As Lebanese president Emile Lahoud, emboldened by a massive pro-Syria demonstration, reinstates Omar Karami as prime minister just 10 days after the Syrian-backed leader resigned under popular and international pressure, the Times Online (UK) notes British and Arab anger over the reinstatement, and UPI rounds up reaction in the Arab press:
The political crisis in Lebanon continued to be a favorite commentary issue in Arab newspapers Thursday, with the London-based al-Hayat daily criticizing the reappointment of Prime Minister Omar Karami to form a new government in Beirut. The Saudi-financed daily accused the pro-Syrian forces in Lebanon of having “moved the clock backward” in the country, saying that for Karami to remain in power showed that “those who decide the (official) posts in Lebanon are still the same,” in clear reference to Damascus […]
[…] Another London-based Saudi-owned daily, ash-Sharq al-Awsat, commented that the size of Tuesday’s pro-Syrian rally in Beirut—whether a half-million or 1½ million – did not matter as much as its “political presence” and whether demonstrators could prevent a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon. The paper said while the rally was a show of power, “large demonstrations on important issues are not able to make changes.” It said that people of countries all over the world had taken to the streets to protest the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq before it started in 2003. “But when the hour struck,” it argued, “the demonstrations did not stop the war planes, Baghdad quickly collapsed and the protests dwindled until all forgot the issue.” The paper also cited the massive demonstrations against George W. Bush in the United States, saying they did not stop his re-election. It said the lesson to learn from demonstrations is that they only express opinions but do not have impact on changing politics, insisting it was “stupid to believe that flags, posters, banners and six hours of walking will change much.” It warned that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, which called on Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon and dismantling the armed groups, would remain a big problem regardless of the massive opposition against it […]
But of course, not everyone takes the side of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, the US, Europe, and a growing number of Arab nations. “Not so fast, FREEDOM!” these supporters of Hezbollah say. “Take a few steps back, cool your heels, mind the clerics for just a little while longer. Then—once we place a Democrat in the White House—we’ll work something out, okay? Because let’s face it: this is about putting Chimpy TriumphalistMcHitlerBurton in his place. And some things are just more important than a little immediate self-determination…”
Now you’ve done it, Jeff. You’ve poked the hellboy again. Prepare to feel his witty wrath.
Gritty rash, you mean?
A student of mine once wrote a paper called “Stalking the Witty Pheasant.” Is this the kind of wit you mean, Howard?
Wow, you guys should get paid for this high quality stuff.
Extra credit for English majors: Compare and contrast the summoning capacities of Jeff Goldstein and Owen Glendower.
<snicker>
But we do get paid, Blazer. The VRWC Club raises quite a bit of cash from the sale of Iraqi oil and distributes the funds to the least needy among us. I just got my quarterly disbursement yesterday. Off to buy another Hummer and a fur coat for the wife.
Turing word: “big”, as in Peter Gabriel’s hit song.
Wait up, BLT, I’ll come with you. I just gotta finish lighting my cigar with a c-note soaked in baby seal blubber.
Please follow the Hellblazer link! Please! I envy Jeff’s traffic, low brow though it is! Come visit my site for more unhappy, cynical, veiled, (but witty! very witty!) we-had-it-coming analysis of events in the Middle East!
That is, if you possess the brainpower and hand-eye coordination required to move the mouse where you want it to go.
Chimps.
Purgatoryposeur only has wit of the nit variety. Forget him. Notice me! ME!
Quoth the Chimp:
Nice finger work there, Hellblazer, er…. Halblazer … er, whatever it is you want to call your own bad mistyping self.
Easy there, Bumper. One’s a parody. Dare you to guess which.
I know, I know, I always thought some things were beyond parody.
Like blazerbeazelbub, for instance.
What bugs me about the coverage of the “pro-Syrian” demonstration the other day is that no one mentioned that resolution 1559 not only calls for the end of Syrian occupation, but also calls for the disbanding and disarmament of Hizballah. The headline should have been: “Terrorist Army Brings Extended Family to Protest; Demands Right To Continued Existence, Proxy War On Jews”. The idea that a “political party” should be able to retain it’s own Army is a complete anathema to democrats. Neglecting to mention this isn’t “bias”, it’s just stupid.
While I’m not a blogger, I’ve received my share of compensation from the Vast Right Wing Zionist Conspiracy Party Headquarters and hope to continue to do so.
On that note, JEWS RULE !!!
CACHING.
Take= “I’ll take that Jewish conspiracy money, thanks Wolfy”.
Me?
I’m using my VRWC quarterly cash to retool all my factories to put out more pollution just to hear all those orphans downwind cough and cough.
Oh, and Granma, if you’re reading this, I’m foreclosing your place on Monday.
God, it’s fun being a Republican!
Trolls are boring.
That said, when can I expect a big chunk of the proverbial “fat cash” from this VRWC thingie?
I have needs, people!
If you’re using money to satisfy your needs, you need to be careful. A lot of those gals walking down Sunset Boulevard in their tube tops and high heels are actually undercover cops.
Amazing what you can learn watching ‘70s cop shows.
(Spam word: “years”—sure, rub it in why don’t ya?)
”…insisting it was ‘stupid to believe that flags, posters, banners and six hours of walking will change much.’”
LOL!
Yeah, but it keeps them out of trouble and right where we can find them, fo a while.
What was it that Garrison called us of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy? Hairy-backed swamp developers? I beg to differ. I had my back waxed with the money the devil gave me after I sold my soul. I do enjoy eating a pleasant Modest-Proposal Ragut with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Is that so wrong?
Would it be appropriate to say that the Syrian government has jumper ash-Sharq?
Keyword: Space, as in “Sorry for taking up space with that lame joke.”
I meant ”jumped”” ash-Sharq.
Its bad enough to not be too terribly witty, but even worse to mistype the lameness.
I came to this thread expecting hot Lebanese prison sex. No fair.
*A lot of those gals walking down Sunset Boulevard in their tube tops and high heels are actually undercover cops.*
Anyone else wonder why cops still care about hookers and johns when we’ve got more important law enforcement issues to worry about ?
Plus, I resent the implication that if I want to drop my jew-cash on hookers, I’m not allowed to do so. I’m taking this issue to Rove- something tells me GW would have all kinds of support from the left on legalizing prostitution (I see Bill CLinton leading the charge ?).
Word= Paper= “I paper my walls with all the zionist cash”
It’s a little-known fact that soliciting a hooker for sexual commerce really isn’t illegal. But soliciting an undercover cop dressed like a hooker for sexual commerce—that’s a crime.
And when one does the latter in spite of billboard-sized warning signs reading WARNING: PROSTITUTION STING IN PROGRESS—well, that’s just stupid. Yet for some reason the cops still manage to make a pretty decent haul with such stings, signs and all.
Oh, I get it. “Ana” is short for Anabal Lechter.
*WARNING: PROSTITUTION STING IN PROGRESS*
Wait, they put up signs ? What are the odds we could get some legislation passed that would require them to wear buttons that light up?
Worked : I can’t make this up.
Hhmmmm! “Report: UN envoy to present Assad with ultimatum”
At least they’re thinking about it!
Interesting history.
In pursuit of Arab reform
There are some fascinating links in the aljazeera.com articles above and [Related]. Interesting that the western MSM is usually only interested in televising the worst of the worst from them. Might/could be that aljazeera is being given somewhat of a bad rap. They do seem to be exploring “ideas” and actually “reporting” from the region and publishing some interesting stuff. Take some time, folks, to check these out. Sure, there are negatives, but there also seem to be some interesting and thoughtful words from an area struggling to keep up.
Dr Amir Al-Naffakh is a professor of Islamic philosophy at Baghdad University
This is the legacy of those brave souls!
“Let’s Roll”