大象传媒

TOO MANY 'PARTIES OF GOD'

I can't decide if there are also not enough gods. The spinner who came up with the ploy of monotheism, has a lot to answer for. But you can see the Machiavellian quality of it. The only counter-move then left, was to claim YOU have access to the SON OF THE ONE GOD. Game set and match.

Religion is soooo like politics. No surprise Tony is doing both. . .

looks to me lebanon is being used to fight other people's wars ie syria and iran versus saudi and the usa? ie a proxy chess board . the middle east in general is a chess board [iraq]?

Hezbollah is a creature of the israeli occupation. If you think its a monster go look for its creator?

This is clearly the desperation of guilty men. If they are innocent why are they trying to derail and obstruct the UN Tribunal? As for Hezbollah's creation the monster concerned is the terrorist state of Iran which uses it to destabilise the entire region.

3
if you mean by 'stability' a usa funded israeli occupation that depends on ethnic cleansing then yes.

Lebanese politics is dominated by the fallout from the israeli occupation. Hiz has become dominate after they defeated the israeli invasion of lebanon.

The solution is easy for just minded people. The IRA are a creature of the norman monarchy model occupation of ireland. They were funded from the USA where they had political support. Without USA support after 9/11 the IRA had to talk. In the same way if the USA stopped funding the occupation israel would also have to talk.

talking of guilty men why did the israelis apologise for using british passports thus admitting to their State backed international murder crimes?

Lebanon is a victim of other people's wars.

'..it is widely believed that it will blame Hezbollah* for killing the popular Sunni politician by detonating a truck bomb as his motorcade passed....

*Hezbollah (literally the Party of God) is a real force to be reckoned with.'

Good job they didn't pop 'peace' in any form in there, as the irony meter would have exploded. Is Mr. Bowen still on hols?

Anyway, when it comes to priorities, they seem to be at the forefront of media savvy: you simply cannot have enough microphones at times like these.

I love how long the bow gets drawn in trying to blame Israel for every problem in the region (Mossad sharks and vultures aside). Sorry to shatter the myth of Arab passiveness, innocence and victimhood but a reminder that every conflict between Israel and Lebanon since 1948 has been caused by attacks launched from Lebanese soil, including the 2006 War. Lebanon has chosen to remain in a state of war with its southern neighbour since it's abortive invasion of Israel in 48. It has allowed every nutcase terrorist group, from the PLO to Hezbollah, to launch murderous attacks on northern Israel, killing Jews and Arabs indiscrimitely.
Lebanon has been a sectarian political basket case since the 1930s, before Israel existed.. The current situation has everything to do with Arab tribalism and the desire of Iran and Syria to embolden the Shia minority to use violence and the threat of violence to impose its will on the non-Shia majority. When they don't get their way, they take to the streets and gun down their fellow Lebanese, blow up a few opposition politicians, or launch a cross-border attack on Israel so they can perversely pose as the 'resistance.'

Having watched two large white media blowhards self-detonate with contradictory hypocrisy over the media's role in burning bridges between tribes on SKY Breakfast earlier, I popped over to Mr. Mardell's blog to find out the latest from across the pond.

This seems now to have become as objective on American politics as Richard Black's is on (A)GW, with the number and volume of 'you're not welcome here with you... your... views' groupies camped there. It is hardly worth visiting either any more.

At least here is more civilised and more open to varied opinion.

But it is interesting how media standard bearers can rally, and inflame, by personal position and corporate affiliation.

And it does matter.

From the Middle East to Tuscon, when 'reporting', and on events in places far away, one has to trust the 'news' you are getting is not tainted by opinion unnecessarily. And hence the person and those who employ them.



'Shortly before Barack Obama was elected, I spoke to a woman outside a Republican rally.
鈥淲hy do you dislike Obama?鈥� I asked. 鈥淏ecause he鈥檚 a baby killer!鈥� she replied.
The woman鈥檚 hatred was bizarre, chilling 鈥� and a sign of what was to come.'

Now, though one is used to a fellow 大象传媒 correspondent, and colleague, spinning as 'news' a story out of what a bloke in a pub may have told a SPAD who emailed him a bit of gossip, I for one prefer my reporting to be a smidge better attributed, substantiated and confirmed, especially when passions are running high.

Plus a little less hubris in claiming to speak to and for all folk when this is patently impossible, and what one can really only manage to do is speak for those you agree with, or agree with you, in a mutual comfort zone. Be it the Mirror. Or the 大象传媒.

If one chooses. Uniquely.

pretty hard to talk about hiz without talking about israel?

..Hezbollah first emerged in response to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon

A poll of Gaza Strip and West Bank residents indicated that 79.6% had "a very good view" of Hezbollah, and most of the remainder had a "good view". Polls of Jordanian adults in December 2005 and June 2006 showed that 63.9% and 63.3%, respectively, considered Hezbollah to be a legitimate resistance organization

In August 2008, Lebanon's cabinet completed a policy statement which recognized "the right of Lebanon's people, army, and resistance to liberate the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, Kafar Shuba Hills, and the Lebanese section of Ghajar village, and defend the country using all legal and possible means."

would love to visit the Lebanon, that troubled land has so much to offer and on Radio 4 last week there was correspondent who had lived there and the picture he painted was one that was so different from what I had imagined. I only hope that Beirut can be back on the Easyjet/Ryanair route so we can visit......sometime soon..

I have to admit that I've been puzzled as to why the investigation into Hariri's assassination has taken so very long - 6 years and counting.
The Lebanon Alliance - Hezbollah, Amal, and the Free Patriotic Movement - have resigned from the Lebanese cabinet; the Labanese Government has fallen. Apparently the Ministers made the decision after the Saudi-Syrian efforts to settle the crisis over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) reached an impasse: Since the Lebanese Government had fallen, Saad Hariri was not PM of Lebanon when he met with US President Barack Obama this past week.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is backed by the United States and Israel; this onto itself could have very likely caused a feeling of prejudice or "fixing" regarding the UN investigation. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent a message to Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz & Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri saying that the US would reject and would not allow any settlement at the expense of the UN tribunal.
Since when is the United States such a keen supporter of UN resolutions, except of course in defence of Israel?
The collapse of the Saudi-Syrian initiative followed talks in Washington & New York & involved: US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Saudi Arabian King Abdullah, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, & US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The Lebanese Government has been stalled for months because of
- the political tension over the STL鈥檚 impending indictment and
- the rival factions鈥� dispute over the issue of witnesses who may have provided false testimony to the UN investigation. The Lebanon Cabinet has met only once since November 10, and in its last meeting on December 15, failed to settle the issue of false witnesses.
The Alliance DEMANDED a vote to refer the case to the Judicial Council, the country鈥檚 highest court, prompting Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to delay any discussions.
State Minister for Administrative Development, Mohamad Fneish expressed deep regret over the deadlock the Saudi-Syrian effort 鈥渁s a result of US pressure.鈥� Fneish was speaking to reporters in Rabieh at the residence of MP Michel Aoun who is leader of the Free Patriotic Movement. Fneish: 鈥淭here was an Arab effort which we dealt with positively. We even bargained on it. However, as a result of US interference and the inability of the other side to deal with it, this effort has reached deadlock.鈥�
Saad Hariri said the settlement had been finalized. What settlement? What were these high-level talks in Washington? It's still not clear what Clinton told Hariri - alone, without witnesses. But Clinton may have told Hariri & King Abdullah that the United States will not accept any solution in Lebanon before the STL indictment is released.鈥�
The indictment is expected to implicate Hezbollah members in the Hariri assassination...but then there is that outstanding issue of false witnesses.
Iran鈥檚 ambassador to Lebanon, Ghazanfar Roknabadi: 鈥淯S intervention has resulted in the failure of efforts made to bring peace and stability to Lebanon.鈥� Lebanese MP Michel Aoun said that the Saudi-Syrian effort to resolve the controversy over the United Nations tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of Rafiq Hariri had failed. In the wake of this development, the ministers representing Hezbollah and its allies, quit the cabinet, toppling the government of US-backed Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
Iran鈥檚 ambassador to Lebanon, Ghazanfar Roknabadi: 鈥淭he Americans and Israelis have always sought to undermine regional peace, and since the time this plan (the Saudi-Syrian initiative) was proposed for Lebanon鈥檚 stability, have made efforts to sabotage the plan and apparently have been successful.鈥�
July 16, 2010: Hezbollah Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah initiates debate over the pending tribunal indictment by labeling the court an 鈥淚sraeli project鈥� which sought to exploit Israel鈥檚 penetration of Lebanon鈥檚 communications network. Nasrallah claims that the tribunal will indict Hezbollah members.
Aug 8, 2010: Nasrallah accuses Israel of assassinating former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, claiming Hezbollah has intercepted an Israeli surveillance drone that shows Israeli spy footage, including the route Hariri took before his death.
Sept 6: Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said that he was wrong to blame Syria for killing his father, calling the charge a 鈥減olitical accusation.鈥� Hariri also acknowledges that false witnesses have misled investigators.
Oct 3: Syria issues 33 arrest warrants for Lebanese and international officials for allegedly lying to the United Nations investigators. Arrest warrants are issued for the commander of Lebanon鈥檚 Internal Security Forces, Major Genral Ashraf Rifi as well as German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis who led the initial UN investigation team.
Nov 10: The Lebanese cabinet meets to discuss these several false witnesses, but the session is adjourned by President Michel Suleiman.
Alliance ministers demand that false witnesses be referred to the Judicial Council. Ministers of Hariri鈥檚 Alliance believe that trial by the regular judiciary is preferable. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rejects this alternative.
Dec. 15: Five weeks after its last session, the Lebanese cabinet is again adjourned without making headway on the issue of all these false witnesses. More than 300 agenda items are left unaddressed.
Jan. 7: Hariri meets with Clinton & UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York. Clinton also meets with Saudi King Abdullah and expresses Washington鈥檚 鈥渙ngoing support for the special tribunal.鈥�
Jan. 11: Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun says the Saudi-Syrian initiative has failed. Alliance ministers resign from the Lebanese cabinet, toppling the government of US-backed Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
Having followed this situation closely, I have to wonder about the integrity of the UN investigation and the potential involvement of the US and Israel.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon: The chief prosecutor investigating the 2005 assassination of the Lebanese politician/businessman, Rafik Hariri is expected to hand down his conclusions 鈥渆arly next week鈥�. The development comes just days after the collapse of The Coalition Government of Saad Hariri whose Government was brought down by the resignation of 11 cabinet ministers.
Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Shia Islamic movement, has accused Israel of being behind the UN-appointed tribunal, and that several false witnesses (as many as 33) have committed perjury.
Saad Hariri returned to Lebanon after meetings with leaders in Washington, Paris and Ankara. He has been appointed care-taker PM by Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and will likely try to form a new coalition.
Tribunal officials say there will be 鈥渘o public event鈥� at which the indictments will be announced; there will only be a press release indicating that the recommendations have been handed over to the tribunal鈥檚 judicial wing (i.e. no names).
An odd point: The names of those for whom indictments are being sought will not be released anytime soon. A pre-trial judge is to take 鈥渟ix to 10 weeks鈥� to determine which, if any, of the named will face prosecution. Only then, they insist, will the names be made public.
While Hezbollah leaders have made it clear they do not want to be seen as instigating any violence, neither do they want to be indicted for the murder of the late Mr. Hariri, a popular figure who was largely responsible for rebuilding of Lebanon.
In 2008 Hezbollah militants terrorized several Sunni and Christian districts in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, in a show of force to protest certain restrictions that had been imposed on the Shia group. The restrictions were lifted and a new political arrangement made to accommodate Hezbollah.
A former Canadian federal prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, is the tribunal鈥檚 Chief Prosecutor, appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. He has headed up the investigation for the past three years.
But there will remain the complication of those who may have testified falsely, and how does one resolve the truth?

I just wish people from within the world jewish community could be free to talk about a withdrawl from the Middle East back to the West ....for the sake of those six million innocent Jews who have congregated in probably the most dangerous place imaginable for a colony of American backed westernised jewish people to be.

Israelis are fed paranoia and racism by the Zionists as a way to hold them together...yet surely it`s clear to them that the Islamists will eventually expel them by one means or another?Surely the USA will not be able to fund the Zionist cult for ever? (As a matter of interst isn`t Zionism a form of racism?)

If you ever try to talk about this as a gentile the response is predictably venomous from some jewish people...but if I marched back into Wales (because I have a welsh surname) and started bulldozering the houses of people with English or Jewish names and telling them to get out of my ancestral homeland .....I would be locked up!

#12

Is Welsh nationalism a form of racism?

My apologies for going off-topic.

Please ignore the question.

SG...not at all ..it`s a very important subject....because the English are told any nationalist sentimentents they harbour ARE racist...and right wing and anti-democratic and xenophobic..... and anything else the London Mafia can dream up in their mission to bring transparency and ojectivity and impartiality into our lives.

BTW It`s all because that prize possession of American capitalism ...the City of London...is in England ...and Wall Street won`t let that fall into unreliable hands!(Also the UK is the USA`s main milch cow and Trojan Horse for controlling and financing and asset stripping the EU)

.If Kosovo or Georgia want independence well that`s a different thing!But England? No fear!

Wales? Nobody cares!

By the way Scotch Git...most of my ancestors came from the Hebrides and it has often struck me that my cousins were always encouraged to dream of separation from England....particularly once oil revenues had flowed through London to finance America`s EU project to take over the Soviet Block........but we English born chaps get a very different reception if we dream of an English assembly.

And don`t get me started on the London luvvies beloved republicanism (has Ken Loach or the Beeb ever done a sympathetic portrayal of a Protestant?)..Irish nationalism and American support for Irish independence.

Yes...in America`s global empire it very much depends on where you are and how it suits the objectives of the USA whether you can become a "free country"!