I had a cold smile when I heard the cynical statement: “Will the 2010 Range Rover event replace the 1975 bus event?”. Sadly, and again, what really happened will vanish in the midst of the unknown, because we do not have a reliable independent, un-politicized justice to really pin point the events based on factual evidence.
This sad situation allows politics and media to fuel emotions, and allows me to speculate.
So here we go with some basic 101 facts:
- Lebanon in general, and Tripoli specifically has been lately very tense because of the events in Syria.
- Tripoli has two antagonist suburbs: Bab El Tebbaneh which is Sunni-Salafi and Jabal Muhsen which is Shite-Alawite.
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Ammunition is being tunneled through Tripoli, to Syria. This is possible because of its Socio-Polical formation and geographical location.
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Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Wahed has been actively fighting the Syrian regime and supportive of the Syrian Revolution. I recommend you follow his speeches, specifically the one done, a couple of days before his demise, on the tomb of late PM Hariri, downtown Beirut, with scarfs blending the Future party and the Free Syrian Army.
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Syrian regime is used to diverting attention from Syria by creating problems in Lebanon. And I recommend to hear the Syrian delegate to the UN available on the net.
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Assassinations in Lebanon are a finger print of the Syrian Regime throughout the past 40 years.
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Checkpoints by Moles (undercover secret services) in Military garments were always common during the war to instigate battles to be fought for others, or in after the war for assassinations.
Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Wahed was the focal point. Not only politically, but now with a military force. That checkpoint was not an error, I believe it was meant to terminate him and instigate a sparkle.
Based on which I have to let out my opinion:
I totally, utterly, irrevocably, refuse all the military and para-military activities that the Future Movement is undergoing so to “support unilaterally the Syrian revolution”. I quoted that last statement because I think this support is not done by respect to that revolution as much as it is done by an itch to strengthens themselves internally versus their archenemy Hezbollah: an intent of counter domination. The wrong doing of Hezbollah does not justify, to date, a worse doing, let alone by inexperienced fanatics. Future are playing with a barrel of highly explosive powder, and this inevitably will backfire on them.
To M8, Hezbollah Party Specifically: While I believe that Hezbollah is a looser of such assassination, I think remaining silent and not supportive to justice, places him in a biased side. Personally, I and cannot stress enough now much I refuse any type of assassinations, let alone cowardly ones, on any Lebanese. I will never accept that such demise be dealt with lightly, by anyone, for any cause. While it might work with an enemy, it never works with a fellow country man. It builds up an unforgiving, ever-growing need for retaliation, and will snow balls to a never-ending armed conflicts down to generations below. I’ll leave a question as food for thought: Did any assassination serve positively on a long-term solution? Do your math, Never.
To the governors of our country: by that i mean the men and women holding decision-making positions, responsible and accountable, remunerated from our taxes: We need courageous decisions that overrule selfish political pulling! There has been many small but culminating mistakes, and by not being proactive, by not intervening on the small breaches, when they occurred, this mediocrity allowed this build up. Then all this was topped with a last “no decision no action”: It did not the order to the army to terminate the problem, unbiased on both frictionning trouble makers in Tripoli. Instead they paralyzed the army, and in consequence paralyzed itself. Sadly every political and military leader had his own “beneficial” reason to do so.
There on, I believe the army will do another mistake by not leading by example with a transparent investigation on what happened, this will set it free and allow it to overcome and take action again when necessary without any hesitation. The honor of the army by doing what is Right should be greater than the mistake or misdoing of an element: even if it was a breach. It should remain our only credible source of power by being subject to accountability and auto adjustment.
As for Hezbollah and Future parties, by your actions, not to mention the actions of your clapping alliances, you have turned my lack of trust in you, into a deride… Consequently, the country’s near future remains grim… Sigh… I just hope that something will occur that proves that all what I’ve wrote is wrong, and that what happened was a simple and sad incident….
I cannot say how much I agree with you on this issue. It is sad that once again, what is going on in Syria creates outcomes in Lebanon.
“Future are playing with a barrel of highly explosive powder, and this inevitably will backfire on them.”
Despite the presence of frustration in Future’s supporters (due to Hariri’s government dismissal a couple years ago), it is dangerous to let it out now more than ever. It is true that Hezbollah didn’t take a strong stance on the matter, I would praise them for calling to a restrain of actions and for calm.
Lebanon will only be and at peace the day it will be totally free of foreign influence. This goes both ways: to those who fight in support of the Syrian regime, and to those who fight against it, inside Lebanon.
About the outcome of these tensions, I doubt (and I hope to be right) that it will go to an all out conflict. Both parties don’t have much to win from a civil war: their respective leaders already fought the precedent one, which didn’t lead to much change/gain. They cannot afford to have this happen again.
I hope with all my heart that people will go back to their senses. Inchallah….
How so typically Lebanese to blame your own faults and disabilities on the problem at hand in Syria. We are people who do not look at the mirror and recognize our own failures and massive errors. The streets were not invaded by Syrians nor was the sit in. in any shape or form associated with the Syrian crisis. A criminal was put behind bars and justice was not served because the country could not handle it. Our educational system was affected, students sitting for official exams did not need the stress nor their parents. It is high time we Lebanese get our act together, or we will forever be doomed by our own hands.
Hi Elisee,
You are right: we do have the tendency of blaming others, whether Syria, Saudi, the US and Iran. Sadly we are the First and Most responsible if every act that we decide endeavor.
My intent was not to point solely on the Syrian Regime as a possible instigator but as well and mainly let it out on the players in Lebanon and how they shut an eye, instigate or play “see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil” so that it suits their “clan”.
Finally, i hope someday we will be able to have facts, based on which the culprit should be judged without our tendency to generalize to all identical in confession, nationality, breed, genes and descendants, and I am not saying that I have these facts.
you are confusing the readers by changing the truth.
Probably I am Ramez, that is what we call “an opinion”. But who are we to state what is the truth?
I would rather we have some body, you & I trust and rely on, so I would not have to write all this… Next time we vote Ramez, let us give a second to think on whether we you and I, are voting for a team that can provide that to all of us, not only to you or only to me.
Hi
This is very simple, our people and governments are the blame here.
But this has been going for a generation, and can not be changed over night.
I live in Canada and applied four years ago for a lebanese tizikra for my second born, I still have not received it. Each year I visit the embassy and they ask me if I’m in a hurry… I could send money to my father or uncles and get this done within a week, but i refuse to become like them (government ) , I want to do things the legal way… What a waste of time. If they don’t have the ability to get a tizikra made without corruption, you think they have the balls to point the finger at the right people???? They will probably put this on some donkey like them and people will clap and forget while others will shut up from fear.
If your a good person with good intentions when u first join the government, you will either become corrupt like them, or they will kill you, or simply become a yes man so you keep the job and make some money on the side.
We need change, but in a systematic way,Nd only bring into the government people that have knowledge,a proven track record, and can only stay two terms and let someone else make it better.
All this is talk, and people in Lebanon live on who they know and the wasta, it will not change for another 100 years.
Hi Nicola,
I read your reply and found a good analitical start with a desparte end: You indentified a problem, you hinted on a solution and then you let go:)
My share of experience is that we lebanese are an emotional people, very volatile, and while we are jacks of all trades and master of none, we surely lack of patience as if solutions should be imediate. Wait: i am not talking about the ID experience so that we do not get confused, I really think it is horrible that this happened, I got mine in 3 months and am extremely carefull not to loose it:)
I am talking about the systematic change. Systematic change is gradual, step by step, vote by vote, I noted once that we are only 2 years “free elections” old (2005 & 2009). We still have not outlived or out voted the war leaders we hoped that would be our god like saviours, and we cannot do a unified revolution before melding the shattered pieces of our society. So patience is at stake here. while our job as Lebanese is a gradual grasp of power, this can only happen when we free our selves from this fake party protection collectivity and always lobbying for a proper electoral system that will not be limited by a geographical boudary rather by a communal Lebanon, worldwide. After all doent this really describe our society?
Long shot you might say. Well I’ll take off from where you finished: Since it will not change for another 100, and since I believe that I am still part of it for the next, say 40 years, Why keep it at ease? I would rather a million times make sure I am heard by talking & letting it out, instead of letting it go… After all isnt the word vote derived from voice, or talk, with a mix of trust?
I agree with you.
If only it. Was only a few issues that the lebanese people need to tackle. The problem inlebanon is layers upon layers of corruption. I agree that the start must be elections,but what needs to be done is the people wanting change, and having enough power behind it to ensure it doesn’t stop. There has to be a start somewhere, and elections is it. But we need good qualified people that willwork for Lebanon and it’s people.
Cheers.