Hezbollah protest rally
"Hezbollah and its allies escalated Lebanon's month-long political crisis into a popular confrontation Friday, sending hundreds of thousands of supporters into the streets, parking lots and sidewalks of downtown Beirut, vowing to topple the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and reorient the country.
. . . If the protests fail to force the government's resignation, flatly ruled out by Siniora in a speech Thursday, Hezbollah's supporters have talked about resignations from parliament, work stoppages or civil disobedience to shut down ministries.
The group's opponents, sensing that Friday's mass demonstration was the biggest card it had to play, promised to wait.
. . . The slogans played on themes that Hezbollah and its allies have pushed relentlessly since the crisis began. Corruption was a key complaint.
Often the language was directed against the United States' sway in Lebanon. Nasrallah has called the government more loyal to U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman than Siniora himself." [1]
"People started to jam into the city well before the demonstration’s scheduled 3 p.m. start. The army closed off Martyrs Square, a symbolic site, blocking it with swirls of razor wire and guarding it with armored personnel carriers and heavily armed troops." [2]
"Hezbollah moved quickly after the war with Israel to capitalize on its enhanced political standing at home and abroad, out of a conviction that the governing coalition had effectively colluded with Israel in the hope its bombing campaign would destroy Hezbollah’s militia. Political leaders initially held talks aimed at resolving the standoff. But the talks collapsed when Hezbollah refused to give up its demand that its alliance be given more seats in the cabinet — one-third-plus-one members, ensuring it veto power — a demand the governing coalition also refused.
'Lebanon,' Sheik Nasrallah said, 'with its structure, diversity, nature and confidentiality, cannot be ruled by one single party and cannot be ruled by a specific coalition to solve its problems, especially in light of the internal difficult conditions, which are regionally more difficult and internationally very dangerous.' " [3]
sources
[1] The Washington Post. Crisis Intensifies in Lebanon As Hezbollah Takes to Streets. December 2, 2006.
[2] The New York Times. In Beirut, High Spirits and Demand for Change. December 2, 2006.
[3] The New York Times. Hezbollah Calls for Rally to Grip Beirut. December 1, 2006.
posted: monday, december 4, 2006, 8:15 AM ET
. . . If the protests fail to force the government's resignation, flatly ruled out by Siniora in a speech Thursday, Hezbollah's supporters have talked about resignations from parliament, work stoppages or civil disobedience to shut down ministries.
The group's opponents, sensing that Friday's mass demonstration was the biggest card it had to play, promised to wait.
. . . The slogans played on themes that Hezbollah and its allies have pushed relentlessly since the crisis began. Corruption was a key complaint.
Often the language was directed against the United States' sway in Lebanon. Nasrallah has called the government more loyal to U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman than Siniora himself." [1]
"People started to jam into the city well before the demonstration’s scheduled 3 p.m. start. The army closed off Martyrs Square, a symbolic site, blocking it with swirls of razor wire and guarding it with armored personnel carriers and heavily armed troops." [2]
"Hezbollah moved quickly after the war with Israel to capitalize on its enhanced political standing at home and abroad, out of a conviction that the governing coalition had effectively colluded with Israel in the hope its bombing campaign would destroy Hezbollah’s militia. Political leaders initially held talks aimed at resolving the standoff. But the talks collapsed when Hezbollah refused to give up its demand that its alliance be given more seats in the cabinet — one-third-plus-one members, ensuring it veto power — a demand the governing coalition also refused.
'Lebanon,' Sheik Nasrallah said, 'with its structure, diversity, nature and confidentiality, cannot be ruled by one single party and cannot be ruled by a specific coalition to solve its problems, especially in light of the internal difficult conditions, which are regionally more difficult and internationally very dangerous.' " [3]
sources
[1] The Washington Post. Crisis Intensifies in Lebanon As Hezbollah Takes to Streets. December 2, 2006.
[2] The New York Times. In Beirut, High Spirits and Demand for Change. December 2, 2006.
[3] The New York Times. Hezbollah Calls for Rally to Grip Beirut. December 1, 2006.
posted: monday, december 4, 2006, 8:15 AM ET
Labels: hassan nasrallah, hezbollah, jeffrey d. feltman, lebanon
posted by eric at 7:49 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home