Live Free or Die

Once upon a blog, a long time ago, I was a member of loose federation of Canadian bloggers knows as the Red Ensign Bloggers, and as was our tradition one member would host the carnival of Red Ensign Bloggers bi-monthly. I wrote this the last time I hoisted the Red Ensign Standard:

Fifty years ago, school children in Canada could have told you what it means to be a Canadian but the parameters have changed so radically that I fear we are in danger of losing not only our place in the world but our national will. Regionalism threatens all the ties that use to bind us. And sorry, I cannot rally around our healthcare system and do not see waiting patiently in line for years for a hip replacement or an MRI as a value that I want to pass onto my children.

We live in a land whose geography leaves its imprint upon our character early in life, and we were a nation forged and tempered by war from the Plains of Abraham, to Vimy Ridge, to the beaches of Normandy. Freedom meant something beyond an existential definition - which is all the value we place on freedom today. Here is the new Canada's truism; I am less free today by law than I was in 1985. In 2005, freedom is now measured by the quantity of law and by-laws that weighs down and restricts our daily existence.

The new Canada denies our warrior past and says we are a nation of peacekeepers with blue helmets. Frankly, I'll take Vimy Ridge and you can keep Rwanda and the helmets. For there will be no peace to keep if our leaders have lost the will to fight to keep the peace for freedom's sake.

We claim tolerance as a national virtue and yet we have Hate Speech laws. Tolerance in the New Canada seems to mean; think as I think, do as I do, speak as I speak, rather than allowing individuals the freedom to speak what they think or even reason - if that speech could potentially create division or dissonance in this new Canada. Our national tolerance seems a very shabby fragile thing.

After I wrote my little piece, a ferocious discussion broke out in the comment section of a fellow Red Ensign blogger (whose blog has since gone awol). I watched the discussion from sidelines for the sake of my mental health. I was appalled at the absolute ignorance and obtuseness of my critics, but what made me despair was the defense offered up by my so-called defenders. Moreover, here I thought I had made my mind so obvious and plain. Talk about a virtual comeuppance.

It appeared my critics had very little knowledge or perspective on Canadian military history. This nation was built on the backs of rugged and unruly individuals who more often than naught deliberately chose to exercise their own best judgment and then act, rather than blindly carrying out any command order which flew in the face of reason or was contrary to the spirit of the mission.

I deliberately chose the year 1985 as my reference point, as it was well after our constitution was repatriated. I did not want to get blogged down in any discussion on whether or not the repatriating of the constitution was a good or bad thing as it was not relevant to my point that - there are far, far too many laws regulating the most minutiae detail of our lives. This sorry state of affairs has not enriched us nor made us better people.

Why bring up all this old history? Because my new hero is a skateboarder from Fredericton, New Brunswick who displayed more sense than the asinine city councilors who passed these horrendous by-laws curtaining our freedom for our alleged own good. The Toronto Star carried the details:

A 25-year-old Fredericton man is behind bars today after surrendering to police. His crime? Skateboarding on the streets. Lee Breen was originally ticketed in the summer of 2007 for skateboarding on the streets of Fredericton. This was after receiving several warnings about Bylaw S-9, which makes it illegal to use a sled, toboggan, wagon or skateboard on the streets of New Brunswick's capital.

"I was skating on King St. in Fredericton (and) was actually going to buy my brother a skateboard helmet," he said yesterday. "(When) I saw the police car, I jumped off my board. The officer who pulled over and approached me had actually given me a warning the day before."

Breen, a local businessman who has no previous criminal record, said he politely told the officer he wasn't going to pay the fine or stop skateboarding. In April, a judge increased the fine to $100 and gave him the choice of paying it or spending five days in jail. Breen decided he'd rather be locked up. "I won't pay because I believe I'm following the Fredericton Green Matters campaign in finding alternative transportation with my skateboard," he said yesterday at a rally in support of him at city hall. "If I pay the fine, I would be admitting I was doing something wrong."
(…)
But a City of Fredericton spokesperson said it all boils down to the issue of safety. "It's a public safety issue," said Wayne Knorr. "It's not about a 12-year-old kid going through a neighbourhood, it's about an adult male, endangering himself and the motorists around him. "The bylaw itself is related to nuisances. When you're out in traffic, obstructing traffic, backing up traffic, you're creating a nuisance by endangering yourself and others."

Breen said he takes all the necessary precautions when skateboarding by wearing a helmet, staying clear of sidewalks and using hand signals – making it no more dangerous than riding a bike in the city.

Let me go straight to the point. I pay taxes, in fact, I pay a great many taxes. A fair portion of those taxes goes to the creation and maintaining of public roads. A public road does not mean it is for the exclusive use of anyone who drives an automobile or a truck. I have just as much right to drive my bike, my wagon, dog sled, or use my in-line skates on the public road as anyone else in their gas guzzling air polluting car. If concern for public safety turns your crank - why are you not lobbying for the banning of all motorized traffic from our roads? Cars, trucks, taxis, and motorized scooters (driven by unlicensed cripples) poise a far greater hazard to the public than a guy on a skateboard or a woman on her in-line skates.

But Breen's situation is just so wrong on so many different levels and is indicative of just one of the things which ails modern Canadian society. Why do we even allow city councilors to pass traffic by-laws which target and restrict the free mobility rights of citizens? Or elect councilors to pass by-laws restricting the use of a clothes line on one's own property? What kind of country are we, when a judge decides the refusal to pay a minor traffic ticket is an offense worthy of being incarcerated for five days, and yet, I know people convicted of criminal offenses who never spend one day in jail - let alone be sentenced to five days. Is there such a shortage of criminals that we need to start jailing minor traffic violators?

Why do we presume that the risk inherent in living can be legislated out of existence if only there are enough laws passed? Why are we so willing to let others define for us the quality or shape our lives should take or allow others to limit the measure of our freedom?

Because I am a brilliant closet economist and a Canadian

I thought I would wade into the whole carbon tax hoopla and offer Liberal leader Stephane Dion the benefit of my two cents of opinion.

I will not vote for any government which would suggest I pony up and pay another tax just for simply living, but more importantly, neither will most Canadians.

In their own words

I have long been an opponent of the so-called two-state solution (which really is a three state solution) to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and not for any reasons of Zionist/Jewish supremacy because it is a completely unworkable solution in the real world. Even if tomorrow the Israeli Prime Minister gave Palestinian Authority Chairman 100% of the West Back and the Gaza Strip with absolutely complete control over all resources, borders and airspace; it would only be a matter of time before once again missiles were flying into Israel and people were imploding on the streets. Of course, this time one might see a more conventional type warfare and I get those kinds of ideas by looking at what the popular Palestinian leaders say. Ynet News.

Senior Hamas member Mahmoud al-Zahar spoke Wednesday at a Gaza Strip event marking the 60th anniversary of the Nakba – the anniversary of the 1948 events which led to the induction of the State of Israel – and promised his listeners that "the right of return is closer than ever."

The events of the Gaza pullout and the Second Lebanon War, he added, proved that the Israeli military is not beyond defeat. "The Palestinians and the Arabs have crushed the Jews' assumption of supremacy… The Zionist legend of invincibility has been destroyed.

"Now more than ever I tell you – we will never recognize Israel… We will form the Palestinian state on all of Palestine's territories and the sun of liberty will burn the Zionists. To them I say – you will lose. You will leave and we will keep hounding you. The blood of our slain sons will haunt you forever," he said.

There is just no concept of sovereignty or borders for Jews with these people.

Apparently Israel is the paymaster

So just how far has the anti-Semitism canards of the Mid-East spread? According to this Ynet News Sudan qualifies:

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir ruled out on Wednesday the possibility of holding peace talks with the head of the Darfur rebel group that staged a daring assault close to the capital that killed more than 200 people last weekend.
The UN and African Union have tried for months to open new peace talks between Sudan and Darfur rebel groups after a previous peace agreement failed to stem the violence. But most rebel chiefs, including Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) leader Khalil Ibrahim, have boycotted the initiative and security has further deteriorated.

JEM stunned the Sudanese government with Saturday's attack on the city of Omdurman, located next to the capital Khartoum. Ibrahim is still believed to be hiding there, and told AP by telephone Monday that his fighters would keep up their offensive.

They accused the Khartoum regime of stonewalling the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force that would try to establish security before peace talks. At a rally orchestrated by the government Wednesday in Khartoum, al-Bashir called Ibrahim "an agent...Who sold himself to the devil and to Zionism.”

"We are for peace and a peaceful solution, but there is no room for Khalil or agents like Khalil, who sold his cause, his people, his tribe and his region," Al-Bashir told thousands of supporters waving flags and chanting pro-government slogans. He also accused Ibrahim of receiving money from Israel to topple Sudan's government.

For a little country whose primary resource is the ingenuity of its people; how on earth did it get the reputation of being the paymaster to the world?

Where have all the Sabra's gone????

Some days, I wonder where all the Sabra's have gone? Could it be something in the water? Anyways, the Israeli response to the missile attack on a civilian mall inside pre-1967 Armistice lines Israel? Ynet News:

Israel's Deputy Permanent Representative Amb. Danny Carmon sent a severe letter of complaint late Wednesday to the UN Security Council following the rocket attack at the Ashkelon mall.

Israel demands the UN "to respond immediately and appropriately to the serious incident of harming one of life center of one of Israel's main cities, causing dozens of injuries in a commercial mall."

I wonder what the odds are that the Israeli Prime Minister was bribed by Hamas or even Bush to just look the other way whenever an attack is launched against Israeli civilians?

Death in the Mall

Ashkelon shopping center after attack (Photo: Amir Cohen)


This week has been hellish week for Israeli civilians courtesy of the Gaza Strip. Today, a rocket attacked was successfully launched against civilians attending a shopping mall in the Israeli town of Ashkelon – well within the 1949 Israeli armistice lines. Ynet News:

As US President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were sitting down to an intense two-hour meeting in Jerusalem early Wednesday evening, a Palestinian Grad rocket was launched from northern Gaza towards Israel.

The rocket crashed into a women's health clinic on the second floor of a busy shopping mall in central Ashkelon just before 6:00 pm, wounding 15 people and burying several shoppers under piles of rubble. MDA paramedics dispatched to the scene fought to extract those trapped under large pieces of debris, including four people who were evacuated in serious condition, including a mother and her 2-year-old daughter, and 11 more who suffered from moderate wounds.

Medical personnel also treated 62 people for shock at the scene.

The Salah al--Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for the group, Abu Abir, told Ynet: "This attack was intended as a message to Israel that if it continues to escalate the situation and reject the ceasefire proposal, Zionist residents of southern Palestine will continue to live under danger of mortal peril and this will be their own government's responsibility."

The attack, said Abu Abir, was dedicated to Palestinian refugees marking 60 years since the 'Nakba.' "We promise Palestinian refugees scattered all over the world - you will return to your homes that were robbed from Palestine in 1948," he said.

The Jihad Jibril brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, have also claimed responsibility for the attack.

Really, nothing less than the total of the destruction of the Jewish state, will ever satisfy these people.

Carpetbagging

While war and civil unrest usually hurts a country's economy there is apparently a segment of Lebanese society which profits greatly from the civil disray according to this Ha'aretz article:

For the cannabis-growing residents of eastern Lebanon, recent internecine fighting in the country has been a blessing - one covered in hash resin and dollar signs.

To these villagers, gunshots and warfare are good for business, and the last three years have been far too quiet for their taste, leaving the authorities more than enough time and resources to come for their crops.

Peace and quiet frees the Lebanese Army to help local law enforcement combat the drug trade, especially in the summer, when soldiers and police are deployed to cannabis fields to rip and cut the flowering stalks of marijuana set for processing and export to Israel, Europe and beyond.
(...)
The last time the cannabis farmers of Lebanon had such a bumper crop was during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, when the security situation in the country brought anti-drug law enforcement to a halt. With fighting flaring up again in Lebanon, the farmers can expect another marijuana windfall, especially if the army is deployed in force throughout the country's cities to quell the recent bloodshed.

Newspaper reports have stated that even in peacetime security forces are often wary of entering the cannabis growing areas, as many of the farmers and their security guards are heavily armed.

An investigation by the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat has found that over 25,000 acres of cannabis were planted in Lebanon this year, an amount that should yield an impressive amount of hashish for the area's farmers.

Well, I suppose one should look on the bright side - maybe Hezbollah will be too stoned to get up to much once the first crop is harvested - well, one can always hope.

Am Yisrael Chai

This being the month of all things Nakba, this response resonates in my Zionist Heart. Ynet News:

“Not a foreign land we took and not with foreign possession but a land that belong to our ancestors that was occupied without a trial. And when we had the opportunity, we took our land back.”

Simon the Hasmonean’s words, now directed at Sheikh Kamal Khatib and his comrades while speaking at an Islamic Movement ceremony to mark the “Nakba,” you, Mr. Khatib, said: “I emphasize this to the members of the Jewish people. We, the Palestinians, are here. We are the past, present, and future of this land.” And as I consider myself to be a member of the Jewish people, which you addressed, allow me to respond to your words.

Someone should have brought you up to date on this matter, Mr. Khatib. You may be able to sell your dubious merchandize in Gaza or on Tel Aviv’s Shenkin Street, but not to someone who studied history for more than 15 minutes. Or perhaps this was some kind of sense of humor, when you happened to speak at the location of two magnificent communities from the Second Temple era, Kfar Kana (today it’s Qana) and Zippori, while calling on me to recognize your right to this land.

If you visit the Louver, the British Museum, Chicago’s Oriental Institute, or any other place where historical facts speak, the ancient artifacts would surely shake their head with sadness upon hearing your words.

You should visit your brothers in Egypt. I am certain that they would be delighted to present to you the Merneptah Stele (also known as the Israel Stele,) which dates back to 1208 B.C. and commemorates Egyptian ruler’s Merneptah’s war against the tribes of Israel he encountered in Canaan.

Do you understand, Mr. Khatib? More than 3,000 years ago, there were Israelites at Canaan. And it isn’t me who’s claiming it, but rather, an Israel-hater called Merneptah. By the way, this Merneptah also claims that he exterminated Israel. Yet at this time, he is the one who happens to be lying in a museum, while we just celebrated our renewed independence.

But why go so far? At the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the capital of the sovereign State of Israel, you can take a look at the Tel Dan Stele and read about the “House of David.” Very surprisingly, this inscription was not found in Lithuania or in Poland, but rather, in the Galilee; and in this inscription too, the king of Aram boasts of victories over Judea and Israel. Look around Mr. Khatib, can you spot any Arameans around here?

Not far from there, in the very same Jerusalem, you can find the Shiloach inscription, made by the slaves of Judean King Hezekiah. Just like any other Israeli, I can read it easily because, wonder of wonders, it’s written in the Hebrew language. There you go, Hezekiah and I are linked through culture, religion, and language, despite the 2,700 years separating us. This, Mr. Khatib, will not be changing. And even if you turn the entire Temple Mount into dust, you won’t be able to find even one inscription written in Arabic that dates back to the period before 638 A.D. – the year of the Muslim conquest of the land of Israel. Yes sir, Muslim conquest, I’m not confused – 1,600 years after David, the King of Israel, was at the throne.

So, Mr. Khatib, go out there and learn from Merneptah and from the king of Aram. Learn about the destiny of the Assyrian kings, Rome’s rulers, Hitler, and his good friend, your very own Mufti al-Husseini. All of them wanted to exterminate us. Take a look at them, and take a look at us.

Assaf Wohl could have ended his piece by calling for an end to the occupation of Jewish lands, but he didn't.

Lost in Translation

In a follow-up to my previous post, Ynet News carries this little real life dittie:

Hizbullah's television station rushed to warn its viewers about the close ties between Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Israel, following a flawed interpretation of an article written by Yedioth Ahronoth columnist Nahum Barnea.

In his article, Barnea was aiming to criticize Israel's domestic political scene and used the situation in Lebanon as a metaphor. The essence of his argument was that the process undergone by Israel in recent years could lead to a situation whereby the government would not be able to exercise its power, as is the case in Lebanon.

"One day we will wake up and discover that our prime minister is Fouad Siniora," Barnea wrote, but then quickly clarified: "Maybe not Siniora himself, but rather, a Siniora-twin: Someone who orders the army to operate, but the army chief ignores him and the troops remain in their barracks…someone who needs to resort to tears, to outside help, or alternately to the mercy of God in order to exercise State authority."

Several Lebanese websites proceeded to translate a summary of the article, and used the first sentence about Siniora as the headline. This was apparently enough for the editor on shift at al-Manar, Hizbullah's television station, who rushed to post a breaking news bulletin at the bottom of the screen implying that Yedioth's story was an Israeli admission of the close ties between Jerusalem and Siniora.

Generally, in Mid-East politics, one just slanders a political opponent with the Israeli 'slur', so you can imagine how excited Hezbollah was to have a real life Israeli allegedly acknowledging an association and jumped the gun.

Is there nothing the Jews cannot do?

One learns early watching Middle East Politics that literally, anything and everything, can be blamed on Israel – and there will be no exceptions. I suppose the surprise factor is only logical due to how much of the anti-Semitic ravings/absurdities our press automatically filters out for our consumption in the West.

A great case in point is the speech given by Lebanese pro-government, Future Movement leader Saad Hariri yesterday. I quote from Naharnet online because you will not find any references to any of the allegations raised against Israel in any European or North American newspaper - although most international papers did touch on other aspects of his speech.

"We were expecting open war on Israel, but the open war was launched on Beirut," Hariri said.

"Did Beirut assassinate Imad Mughniyeh?" he asked.

Hariri said Hizbullah launched its attack upon instructions from Iran and Syria.

He charged that the Sunni-Shiite confrontation has started and called for containing it before it explodes into all out civil war.

The citizens, according to Hariri, "protected the army unity."

Hariri accused Hizbullah and its allies of "committing a crime under the pretext of defending the resistance and now they are using resistance weapons against the people."

"History would not have mercy on champions of the Sunni-Shiite confrontation," Hariri declared.

"The attack couldn't have happened without an Israeli cover," Hariri charged and asked: "how did thousands of fighters move from the south to Beirut?"

"This is the first indication to a Syrian-Israeli rapprochement," he added.

Righhhhhhhhhht. The Israelis gave Hezbollah cover at the Syrian's request. If you believe that I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale too.

Resurrection, and this time without a Jew in sight.

It really is hard for me to believe there are so few Palestinian Christians considering how often the dead resurrect from the grave. Ynet News:

Muhammad al-Harrani, a father of six from Gaza diagnosed with cancer who reportedly died while waiting for a permit to enter Israel, miraculously "came back to life." This was not the result of a miracle, but rather, just part of the tactics used by al-Harrani's family in a bid to secure a permit for him.

Al-Harrani is currently awaiting an entry permit into Israel, so that he can undergo head surgery at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and receive radiation and chemotherapy treatment. At the end of April he was summoned to a questioning session at the Erez Crossing as part of the permit process, but the session was postponed by a week.

On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, al-Harrani's story was published. His family reported to the "Physicians for Human Rights" organization that he died. "The sick man could not withstand the wait for the permit," claimed Ran Yaron, Director of the Occupied Territories Department who blamed the Shin Bet for adopting cruel policies against cancer patients.

However, the next day, the organization discovered that al-Harrani was still alive. Members of group estimated that his brother, who reported the death, "killed" him so he does not report to the questioning session."This is a rare case where a family member knowingly provided false information to the organization," Physicians for Human Rights said. "Usually, the organization receives information from the families and from the hospitals, but in this case the information was received from the family and was not confirmed by the hospital."

Physicans for Human Rights claims its rare, but according to this Jerusalem Post article, the Israeli Shin Bet has identified it as a new growth industry:

Palestinians from Gaza bribed local doctors to declare that they were seriously ill and required treatment in Israel, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) charged on Monday.

"Recently there has been an increase in the exploitation of Israel's humanitarian policy by way of fraudulent medical permits in return for bribes to doctors in the Gaza Strip," a Shin Bet spokesman told The Jerusalem Post. "This, plus the requests of terrorist activists to enter Israel for medical treatment, increases the danger to state security."

The statement came in response to the latest allegations by Physicians for Human Rights, which charged that since the beginning of April, the Shin Bet has been preventing 12 new cancer patients from receiving life-saving treatment in Israel. In addition to these 12, the Shin Bet had for several weeks been preventing dozens more, including cancer and heart patients, from passing through Israel on their way to treatment in Jordan and Egypt.

PHR charged that the Shin Bet response to requests for entry permits to Israel is complicated and takes a long time, and thereby ignores the urgency of the situation. The slow processing by the Shin Bet follows an already protracted process in the Palestinian committee that approves the requests and in the IDF Liaison Office, before the matter comes to the Shin Bet.

Geeze, and you know, nothing says fully vetted like Palestinian committee.

Can we just deny passports to stupid people?

There are some days when it is really hard for me not to think we deserve the fate which awaits us in the coming war. Apparently Iran has just received its 10,000th pledge for volunteers to act as human shields against the coming American launched attack. IfPayvand's News of Iran:

The Human Shield Movement to Iran today claimed its 10,000th pledge volunteer and warned President Bush that any attempt at military intervention against Iran would be met by a massive mobilization of human shields.

The human shield movement to Iran has been mobilizing for over three years now using online mechanisms such as Pledge Bank to secure volunteers willing to travel to Iran to position themselves around civilian infrastructure sites in order to try and prevent what they believe would be a catastrophic and unjustified attack. Whilst it is expected that most missiles will be directed at military installations the human shields are concerned that sites in the Iranian capital will also be targeted. Today Steven Morris from Birmingham was the 10,000th person to pledge himself as human shield volunteer. Volunteers from 22 countries have already pledged themselves to the mission and are currently in the latter stages of preparation in order to be ready to travel to Iran "at very short notice".
(...)

Today, a powerfully-worded warning was sent to the White House listing the shields who are willing to risk their lives to try and prevent further illegal military intervention in the Gulf.

Steven Morris, the 10,000th pledge member of the movement said today, "I am fully committed to going to Iran to try and stop an attack on Iran. I demonstrated against the Iraq war and it made no difference. Having ten thousand Westerners will make the war-mongers think twice before they attack Iran. I do not support the Ahmadinejad regime but if we ignore international law and start bombing a sovereign nation that has not deviated from its obligations under the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty and offers no direct threat to any nation, the world will be an much more dangerous place."

A spokesperson for the movement, David Tyler said today; "Travelling to Iran as human shields is the 'last resort' but it seems that an attack on Iran is not just a real possibility but an imminent reality. The military and political maneuvers all seem to point to one thing, The unproven allegations that Iran is arming insurgents in Iran, the labeling of the Revolutionary Guard as terrorists, the increased military spending, the build up of forces on the Iranian borders and the unverified and unverifiable claims about Iran's nuclear weapons program have left us in little doubt that time is running out. Traditional methods of protest are ineffective in the face of the neo-Con determination to implement their global vision.

Since the spring of 2005, I said there would be no US launched offensive against Iran. After 3 years of reading or listening to the hysterical claims of the coming 'imminent attack' being launched by the Americans against Iran - my patience has run out for the terminally stupid.

Jihad, 1948

May 10th in Toronto was Palestine's House commemoration of 60 years since the al-Nakba began. For those not up to the Pally-lingo 'Nakba' or the 'catastrophe' began when five Arab armies declared war on the nascent Jewish state in 1948. Call it the logical consequences of being on the perpetual losing side of war.

Not to be too coy about it - the goal of the five Arab armies was to destroy the Jewish state. If the Arab armies had been successful, Israel would not exist and one can be reasonably sure - neither would Palestine. I suspect the borders of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt would all be considerably larger than they are now. Think I am wrong? Then ask yourself just why Jordan did not establish an autonomous state in the West Bank? Ditto for Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Alternatively, you could just review the history of the Syrian adventures in Lebanon.

Anyways, Benny Morris (yes that Benny 'Zionist Headache' Morris) has a new book out which really sounds interesting called, Jihad, 1948. The Jerusalem Post offers this review to tempt me:

Morris's new book, called 1948, reshapes half a century's published research on the first Arab-Israeli war, vitalizes it with his own extensive archival forays and weaves a tale so gripping that even an informed reader feels he is learning about the country's early history for the first time. (Disclosure: This writer worked at the desk next to Morris's in the newsroom of The Jerusalem Post when the world was younger.)

Morris's book on the refugees, which brought him international renown when published two decades ago, made him a hero to the political Left, which saw him boldly acknowledging the plight inflicted on the Palestinians by Israel. It made him anathema to the political Right, which saw him gratuitously granting comfort and political ammunition to the country's enemies. In subsequent interviews, Morris made it clear that both sides had him wrong: The tragedy which overtook the Palestinians was something that merited an honest historical account, he argued, but not an apology. The Arabs had started the war with the intention of driving out or annihilating the Jews. Furthermore, he says, if a large, demonstrably hostile and fast-growing Arab minority had subsequently remained in place, a Jewish state would not have taken root.

Despite the new book's title, the story it tells begins in 1881 with the onset of modern Jewish settlement in Palestine; the chapters devoted to the pre-1948 years are among Morris's most absorbing. A sense of déjà vu that the book sometimes evokes comes from recognition that the underlying state of play a century ago and 60 years ago is often still the state of play today.

The 1948 war was a conflict between two national movements, but something else underlay the passions, says Morris. "It was also a jihad. 'To wipe out the infidel' - that's what drove the masses in the squares of Cairo and Baghdad to demand war and that's what drove the Arab leadership in making war. I don't know how much they were thinking about the Palestinians."

The Jews were divided into contentious political camps but it was rare for them to employ violence against each other and they proved able to achieve broad unity on major issues in orderly fashion. However, differences within the Palestinian camp - between militants led by the Husseini family and the more moderate faction led by the Nashashibis - were bloody and debilitating to the Palestinian cause, a theme echoed in the current Hamas-Fatah face-off. Lack of common purpose was in abundant evidence. The Nashashibis as well as the Husseinis publicly condemned the influx of Jews but both secretly sold land to them and hundreds of Arabs collaborated with the Zionist intelligence agencies.

MORRIS DIVIDES the war into two segments. The "civil war" between Jewish Palestinians and Arab Palestinians, the latter supported by volunteers from Arab countries, lasted from December 1947 to May 1948. The militias had initial successes in cutting roads to Jewish settlements and imposing a siege on Jerusalem, but when the Hagana went over to the offensive in April it was able to decisively crush them.

The major test came when 20,000 troops from the Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian and Iraqi armies crossed into Palestine following Israel's declaration of independence on May 14. (The Lebanese army did not cross the border but provided some artillery support. Israeli troops did later cross into Lebanon.) On paper, the Hagana outnumbered the invading Arab forces, but half the 30,000-person Jewish army, says Morris, was made up of rear-echelon troops, while the Arab contingents were all combat units. No less important, the Jews had no artillery when the war began and virtually no tanks, while the Arab forces had both.

"At this stage, when the Jews didn't have heavy equipment, motivation was a critical factor. They really did stop tanks with Molotov cocktails at Deganya and elsewhere, and at Kibbutz Nirim 60 members and a few Palmahnikim really did fight off 600 Egyptians."

Although the dispatch of the four armies to the Palestinian arena was seemingly a high point of Arab unity, that soon proved illusory. There was no effective joint command and each army had its own agenda. The clearest was that of Jordan's Arab Legion. King Abdullah intended initially to seize only territories assigned to the Arabs by the UN partition resolution. He changed his plan so as to include Jerusalem - designated by the UN as an international enclave - when the Jews began attacks on the Old City and he feared the loss of the Muslim holy places, says Morris. But he never attacked areas assigned by the partition plan to the Jews.

"The Jordanians came into the war to take the West Bank. The other armies were out to destroy Israel if they could but, if not, then to take as much land as they could and also to prevent the Jordanians from taking too much." The Egyptians, driving up the coast toward Tel Aviv, sent a column northeast through Hebron to Jerusalem not to support the Jordanians but, says Morris, in an effort to prevent the southern part of what became the West Bank from falling into Jordanian hands. Israeli attacks forced the Egyptians back.

The Jordanians blocked the road to Jerusalem at Latrun not with the intention of cutting off and capturing the Jewish half of Jerusalem as the Israelis believed, but to prevent the passage of Israeli reinforcements that might enable the Jews in Jerusalem to capture the Arab half of the city. Although Jordanian armored cars were stopped, with Molotov cocktails, when the Legion attempted to capture Notre Dame monastery on the seam between the two halves of the city, it had no intention of risking a plunge into the built-up Jewish neighborhoods. One of the first things the Jordanians did, says Morris, was to disarm the Palestinian militias and incorporate the West Bank into Jordan in defiance of the UN resolution and of the Palestinian elite who wanted a Palestinian state.

Who knows, maybe I should buy a copy, read it, and then, donate it to Palestine House – Toronto Victim Chapter.

Bombs trump Business

Must read column by Barry Rubin in the Jerusalem Post on the innate danger to the moderate Arab leadership under the guise of dialogue with the extremists:

Iran and Syria back their friends with weapons and help; the West responds with words backed by nothing. Who can blame Hizbullah and Damascus and Teheran for laughing in contempt? Why should the Lebanese Sunni, Druze, and Christian majority risk their lives when the West doesn't help them? Every Israeli speaking nonsense about Syria making peace, every American claiming Damascus might split from Teheran, and every European preaching appeasement is engaging in confidence-breaking measures.

At present, Hizbullah and its sponsors seek not the full conquest of Lebanon but to control the government by violence and intimidation. Unable to gain full victory themselves, they hope to win by the other side's surrender. They want veto power over the government to ensure it does nothing they dislike: no strong relations with the West, no ability to stop war against Israel, no disarming Hizbullah militias or challenging its control over much of the country, and certainly no investigation of Syrian involvement in internal terrorism there.

NOW THEY have a new, albeit unwitting, ally: Senator Barack Obama, who does not understand the damage he does. His May 10 statement on Lebanon tried to sound tough, talking of "Hizbullah's power grab in Beirut... This effort to undermine Lebanon's elected government needs to stop, and all those who have influence with Hizbullah must press them to stand down immediately." Obama said he supports the Lebanese government, wants to "strengthen the Lebanese army," and "insist[s] on disarming Hizbullah."

How? By "working with the international community and the private sector to rebuild Lebanon and get its economy back on its feet." According to the Obama world view, it's a development problem. But he doesn't understand that bombs trump business. Prime Minister Rafik Hariri followed that economic strategy; the Syrians blew him up. The only way to gain social peace is to appease Hizbullah, Syria and Iran, whose disruption blocks prosperity.

The statement continues: "We must support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions that reinforce Lebanon's sovereignty, especially resolution 1701 banning the provision of arms to Hizbullah, which is violated by Iran and Syria."
Great. But 1701 has already failed. Will you fight on this issue? Mobilize the passive "international community" for action? Threaten Iran, Syria, and Hizbullah with credible, tough action? There's no hint of that. As for Lebanon's army, its commander is Syria's presidential candidate, its soldiers are mostly pro-Hizbullah, and its US-supplied equipment stood idle as Hizbullah seized more territory.

BUT HERE'S the worst part that few in America but all in Lebanon understand:

Obama writes: "It's time to engage in diplomatic efforts to help build a new Lebanese consensus that focuses on electoral reform, an end to the current corrupt patronage system, and the development of the economy that provides for a fair distribution of services, opportunities and employment."

This is Hizbullah program: a new Lebanese consensus based on 51% of power for itself and its pro-Syrian allies. What's needed isn't consensus (equivalent to getting Fatah-Hamas cooperation or an Iraq coordinated with Iran and Syria) but winning a conflict. Instead, Obama is - whether he knows it or not - backing a Syrian-Iranian- and Hizbullah-dominated Lebanon. Such talk makes moderate Arabs despair.

When Obama says he'll make Syria and Iran partners in setting Iraq's future, he is signaling every Persian Gulf regime to cut its own deal with Iran. His stances convince Hamas that he's the guy for them, with Iran and Syria concluding they merely need stand defiant and wait a few months until existing pressure vanishes. This is how the US position in the Middle East is being systematically destroyed.
This does not mean that Obama is the candidate favored by Arabs in general; he is favored only by the radicals. Egyptians, Jordanians, Gulf Arabs, and the majorities in Lebanon and Iraq are very worried. This is not just an Israel problem. It is one for all non-extremists in the region.

Indeed.

Who really rules in Lebanon

After heavy fighting in the Chouf mountain region and Tripoli, the Lebanonese Army has announced it will use force to enforce the peace. Lebanon Daily Star:

BEIRUT: Lebanon's army said on Monday it would use force if necessary to impose law and order in the country and prevent any armed presence of any of the warring factions.

"Army units will halt violations ... in accordance with the law, even if that leads to the use of force," a military statement said. It said the army would start implementing the order at 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

All of which begs the question – who rules in Lebanon? While some may answer who cares as it is a Lebanese internal question; the answer to this question has a far greater regional implications. The implications of which, was not lost on Israeli’s body politic. Ha’aretz:

Israel's vice premier Haim Ramon told cabinet members Sunday that Lebanon must be viewed as a "Hezbollah state," after the Shi'ite guerilla group seized control of the western part of the Lebanese capital over the weekend. "Lebanon has no government. It is a fiction, there is only Hezbollah," Ramon said during the weekly cabinet meeting.

And if Hezbollah is Lebanon what about UN Resolution 1701? Certainly in light of Hezbollah’s use of force against Lebanese civilians and the shelling of cities in the Chouf mountain region UNIFIL has demonstrably failed in the disarmament of Hezbollah. So what role has UNIFIL still to play in Lebanon when Hezbollah is Lebanon? How does one say “hostage” in Farsi???

Where even Angels fear to tread

When my son was approximately 14 months old he needed corrective surgery to repair a hernia. The morning of the surgery we were ushered into a special waiting room where parents waited with their children for one of the surgical staff to arrive with a special wagon to escort your child into the surgical area. It was all very cutesy and was most effective for calming the nerves of parents. We really were not aware of the other parents and children until our son left our side.

There were two other families with older children in the room with us. What the children had in common was the hairlessness and grayish pallor all children who have undergone chemotherapy for with cancer share. When the nurses came to get the first child, a little girl about 8 years old, she started to cry. She felled to her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around her mother’s legs and begged her mother to save her. I could say the sound of her pleading was pitiful but it was nothing to the cries she gave when the nurses pulled her off her mother. My husband couldn’t bear to watch the scene play out in front of us so he dug his face into my neck and grabbed hold of my arms so tightly that a week later I was still bruised with the visible outline of his handprints on my arms. As she was carried the hall, we could hear her still begging for her mother to make them stop. She didn’t want any more bone marrow treatments.

Ten minutes later the nurses arrived for the little boy who was about 6 years of age. As soon as he spied the nurse pulling the wagon the tears started to pour down his face. Montana’s father who had faced down a gunman and charged him in a crowded nightclub could not face another round of a child crying and fled before the nurse even put the boy in the cart.

That happened just less than 14 years ago but made such an indelible impression on my mind that I have never forgotten it. While I am thankful I have never had to make those kind of hard choices for my children it has also made me wishful that there were other less invasive and painful ways of treating cancer effectively in children. All of which brings me to this incredibly sad story in the Toronto Star.:

The family of an 11-year-old boy forced into chemotherapy after being removed by the Hamilton Children's Aid Society is back in court today in a bid to bring him home. "I think it might go pretty good," his father said yesterday. "We're pretty hopeful that he's probably going to come home and be home with us." The child was taken by the Children's Aid Society last week after he and his family rejected chemotherapy to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia. They cannot be identified because of their involvement with the society.

The boy was diagnosed with the leukemia at 7, had chemotherapy, went into remission for a year, then had more chemo earlier this year after the cancer returned. His stepmother recounted to Hamilton Spectator columnist Susan Clairmont how chemotherapy at age 7 opened sores in his mouth, forced him into diapers, made his hair fall out and his legs weak, and made him vomit. "He couldn't even get out of bed," she said. The cancer came back Feb. 8. He did one round of chemotherapy in February, then refused any more until chemo was forced on him this past week at McMaster's Children's Hospital.

The case has sparked wide debate over when, if ever, it's appropriate for authorities to supersede the wishes of parents and children and impose medical treatment. Cheryl Regehr, a social work professor at University of Toronto, said when a child's life is at risk, the first obligation is to protect that child. "Our first responsibility is to ensure ... medical care is provided and then think afterwards about what should be the long-term strategies."

Apparently in this boy’s case, the doctors have ranked his chance of survival at only 50% even with further treatment. I suspect the doctor’s assessment might even be an overtly optimistic considering this is the child’s second bout of leukemia in less than 5 years and would imagine a positive attitude towards treatment might very well make the difference between life and death.

There is just something so incredibly grotesque about the state waltzing in, seizing the child and literally using all its coercive powers to force the child to undergo more chemotherapy, and hence, more horrendous physically suffering surrounded by strangers. What of this child’s emotional health? I cannot begin to imagine how you could ever make this right to a child.

Europeans get drunk "to have sex"

Everyday I read something which reminds me why I am forever grateful that my family left old Europe. The BBC carries the following stunning revelations on why Europeans get drunk.

The UK has one of the worst reputations for binge drinking and underage sex but there are striking similarities between countries, a study found. A third of 16 to 35-year-old men and 23% of women questioned said they drank to increase their chance of sex. The study - of 1,341 young people in nine countries including the UK - is published in BMC Public Health. Young people were also more at risk of unsafe sex while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the study found.


The researchers said although it was well known that use of alcohol and drugs was linked to risky sexual behaviour, this study showed many young people were "strategically" binge drinking or abusing drugs to improve their sex lives.
They questioned young people in nine cities, one each in the UK, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Slovenia - who all routinely went to pubs, bars and nightclubs.

Early use of alcohol and other drugs was closely linked to having sex under the age of 16 years, in all countries, especially in girls. Almost half of participants in Vienna, Austria had drunk alcohol and had sex by the time they were 16 compared with 36% in Venice, Italy, 37% in Palma, Spain and 30% in Liverpool.

The same was true for those who took drugs under the age of 16 but there were variations in popularity of different drugs among different countries.
More than a quarter of youngsters taking cocaine said they used it to prolong sex and drug use in general was linked to having multiple partners.

Drunkenness and drug use were found to be strongly associated with an increase in risk taking behaviour and feeling regretful about having sex. Those who had been drunk in the past four weeks were more likely to have had five or more partners, sex without a condom and to have regretted sex after drink or drugs in the past 12 months. Cannabis, cocaine or ecstasy use was linked to similar consequences.

Study leader Professor Mark Bellis, director of the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moore's University said: "Millions of young Europeans now take drugs and drink in ways which alter their sexual decisions and increase their chances of unsafe sex or sex that is later regretted. "Yet despite the negative consequences, we found many are deliberately taking these substances to achieve quite specific sexual effects."

So young Euros get drunk and/or take drugs to get laid, then regret it, then take more drink and drugs to drown their regret in chemical cocktails only to repeat the original regrettable behaviour…some days I feel like the Euros are re-inventing the wheel anew every day.

Round 1 to Hezbollah

A great deal has been made over the alleged neutrality of the Lebanese Army in the last few days by sitting out the confrontation while an armed milita took over the streets of Beirut. But when a sitting and duly elected Prime Minister of Lebanon demands the army chief of staff send in the Lebanese Army to confront an armed milita taking over the streets of Beirut and refuses…well, that is called taking a side and its not the duly elected government’s.

The Lebanon Daily Star is reporting the Lebanese Army has now overturned one decision undertaken by the duly elected government of Lebanon and taken the other decision under advisement.

BEIRUT, May 10, 2008 (AFP) - The Lebanese army said on Saturday it had frozen measures taken by the government against the Shiite Hezbollah movement, and called for all armed militants to withdraw from the streets.

"The army command calls on all parties to (help restore calm) by ending armed protests and withdrawing gunmen from the streets and opening the roads," the military said in a statement. It said that the head of airport security, who had been reassigned from his job, would remain in his post pending an investigation and that the army would look into a communications network set up by the militant group.
"The head of airport security, Brigadier General Wafiq Shqeir, will remain in his post until appropriate procedural measures have been taken after a probe," the statement said.

"As for the telecommunications network, the army will look into the issue in a manner that is not harmful to the public interest or the security of the resistance" against Israel, it said.

The military said it had taken these decisions in the light of a government wish that it rule on these matters. The army statement came shortly after Prime Minister Fuad Siniora made a televised address to the nation.

Of course, it did not take long for the EU weanies to find a spin to blame the Israelis for Lebanon’s political instability. Ha’aretz

European diplomats familiar with the events in Lebanon claim that in the past year the United States has refused to provide the Lebanese army with advanced weapons that would have helped against Hezbollah and other militant groups. They said this was because of Israeli requests.

Since the 2006 Second Lebanon War and the deployment of the army in South Lebanon that followed, the international community has tried to rehabilitate the national armed forces. The European diplomats told Haaretz that although Lebanon asked the U.S. to provide heavy weapons such as antitank missiles and assault helicopters, the U.S. aid has concentrated on training Lebanese army units and supplying light arms and ammunition. They say the U.S. refused the requests because of Israel's fears that heavy arms could be used against it in the future or even fall into Hezbollah hands.

In light of current events, the decision not to equip the Lebanese army with advanced weaponry is rather prudent given the army’s alleged neutrality and indifference to an armed milita taking over the streets of Beirut.

Hezbollah gambled and won this current round of what passes for politics in Lebanon but at what price and for how long? Any gains made under the The Taef Agreement to shore up support for peaceful resolution between confessional divides has been lost. Only the naïve will think the various confessional divides will look to Hezbollah’s conduct and figure now is not the time to build up its forces.

Hezbollah has been at great pains to show it is a ‘national’ rather than secretarian movement and needed its arms to protect the nation from the “Zionist enemy”, and yet, the events of the last few days (beginning with the military takeover of West Beirut and resulting in the deaths of Lebanese citizens at their hands) has effectively put an end to that lie.

Even now Hezbollah’s spin masters are attempting to show it was necessary to take over West Beirut with a show of arms to end the political stalemate caused by the Lebanese government. Of course, Hezbollah conveniently ignores the role its own demands played in creating that political stalemate. Nonetheless, Hezbollah does not seek a ‘true’ takeover of Lebanese politics, and has no interest per say in the running of a large scale administration but it does seek to be a power over and above the state - an entity which has no responsibilities but the implementation of its own agenda.

If Hezbollah’s aim was the total control of the state it would not have been so careful to avoid attacking Christian neighborhoods and strongholds. Besides, the party of god needs someone else to blame for the price of bread or the cost of living.

Just talk nicely!!!

If ever there was a reason for not electing Obama president of the United States he provided it with this utterly clueless and asinine statement:

Hezbollah's power grab in Beirut has once more plunged that city into violence and chaos. This effort to undermine Lebanon's elected government needs to stop, and all those who have influence with Hezbollah must press them to stand down immediately. It's time to engage in diplomatic efforts to help build a new Lebanese consensus that focuses on electoral reform, an end to the current corrupt patronage system, and the development of the economy that provides for a fair distribution of services, opportunities and employment.

We must support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions that reinforce Lebanon's sovereignty, especially resolution 1701 banning the provision of arms to Hezbollah, which is violated by Iran and Syria. As we push for this national consensus, we should continue to support the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Siniora, strengthen the Lebanese army, and insist on the disarming of Hezbollah before it drags Lebanon into another unnecessary war. As we do this, it is vital that the United States continues to work with the international community and the private sector to rebuild Lebanon and get its economy back on its feet.

Do not get me wrong. No one will save the Lebanese but themselves. Nor am I arguing for an American invasion but when the duly elected government of Lebanon tried to do those very things diplomatically - Hezbollah sent armed men to take over the streets of West Beirut. But sure, go ahead, tell yourself it is because the Siniora government failed to talk nicely to Hezbollah.

Yalla Ya Nasrallah

And because I am definitely in anti-Hezbollah frame of mind I thought I would resurrect this video and share this Israeli song. It is in Hebrew but there are English sub-titles…besides it is so catchy you will be singing fluently in no time at all.

Hezbollahistan

Pro-government Christian Lebanese leader Samir Geagea called it rightly with this statement taken from Ynet News.

"The armed and bloody coup which is being implemented aims to return Syria to Lebanon and extend Iran's reach to the Mediterranean," it said in a statement read by Christian leader Samir Geagea.

Think Geagea has it wrong? Take a good look at this picture.

A Hezbollah gunman poses in front of a poster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad he put up after taking over an office of the Future group loyal to Saad al-Hariri Majority leader, in the Rass al-Naba'a area in Beirut May 9, 2008. Hezbollah gunmen took control of large areas of Beirut on Friday in a third day of fighting between the pro-Iranian group and fighters loyal to the U.S.- backed governing coalition.
REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON)

Now just for a minute imagine you are a Hezbollah miltia member. You have just fought a street battle and overtaken a Sunni Lebanese pro-government office. And lordy, you just happen to have a picture of your buddy Baby Assad of Syria in your back pocket to put up. I mean, really what Hezbollah miltia man worth his salt ever leaves home without a picture of Baby Assad of Syria? Not Nasrallah, your leader, but Baby Assad.

And let’s say you’re a purist and don’t want to believe Syria is backing and promoting Hezbollah’s adventures in Beirut there is always this interesting report in Ha’aretz:

Hezbollah took control of Muslim west Beirut on Friday, tightening its grip on the city in a major blow to the U.S.-backed government.
(…)

About 100 Hezbollah gunmen in identical camouflage uniforms wearing baseball caps and black flak jackets marched down the Muslim sector's main commercial Hamra Street and took up positions on corners and sidewalks. They stopped the few cars braving the empty streets and checked their trunks.

Dozens of fighters from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, a Hezbollah ally, also appeared in the streets off Hamra, some masked and carrying rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

So if Syria isn’t backing and bankrolling Hezbollah’s coup 2 points to ponder. Firstly, then why are Syria fighters from the SSNP doing actively fighting along side Hezbollah? Secondly, why is Hezbollah actively only taking on the Sunni, the smallest and weakest of the pro-Lebanese government movements while giving Druze and Christian neighborhoods a wide berth?

I’ll give you a hint. Syrian needed the Lebanese to float its own economy. The Syrian economy has tanked big time since Syria got the boot from Lebanon’s borders. If Hezbollah were to actively take on all opposition then civil war will descend on Lebanon in full force. A Lebanon confessionally divided and warring Lebanon is of no economic use to Syria who consider Lebanon as theirs to plunder.

Fatah wins make believe election, Wow.

If I was a different woman with a little less knowledge I might have some sense of sympathy for Fatah’s desperate plight to win the votes of Palestinians. Currently, Fatah has won an election via one measly vote in student elections held in Hebron and its being touted as a sign of progress. The Jerusalem Post:

Hebron University officials say Fatah has won student council elections in a former Hamas stronghold. Fatah activists loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas won 21 seats Wednesday, compared to 20 for Hamas. Fatah supporters honked car horns and fired guns in the air when the results were announced. Islamists controlled the university's student council since 1986. University elections are an important gauge of opinion. Since the violent Hamas takeover of Gaza last year, Fatah has been trying to prevent a repeat in the West Bank. Hebron is traditionally a Hamas stronghold.

Good fracking luck with that.

Gag order lifted

The gag order is lifted and what a gang of rogues – Ha’aretz reports:

Police are considering the possibility of granting attorney Uri Messer the status of state witness in a corruption investigation being carried out against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Messer, who is considered a close associate of Olmert, is suspected of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from American businessman Morris Talansky to pass on to Olmert and his former bureau chief Shula Zaken.

Police said that Messer has been cooperative in the investigation so far, and has apparently given incriminating evidence against the prime minister. Officials says Messer's role in the alleged affair was small in comparison to the suspicions against Olmert and Zaken.

Olmert admitted on Thursday that he accepted campaign donations from Talansky, but denied that they were bribes and said he would only resign if he were indicted. In a terse, late-night televised statement to journalists at his residence in Jerusalem, Olmert said that all funds received were transferred to Messer. "I never took bribes, I never took a penny for myself," Olmert said, adding that he had "full confidence that Messer handled the money professionally and according to the law."

Ha’aretz carries more here. Apparently, Olmert went on television last night and claimed he would not fight to stay in office if he is charged criminally – but he took pains to point out that Israeli law does not require him to resign his office while under charges. The real issue then becomes how one makes Olmert keep his word?

Beirut Burns

Hezbollah supporters burn tyres and barricades on the main road leading to Beirut's International airport in Beirut May 8, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Things are heating up in Lebanon with Hezbollah and Amal terrorists joining forces and fighting in the streets of Beirut reports Ynet News:

Hizbullah gunmen took control of large areas of Beirut on Friday in a third day of fighting between the pro-Iranian group and fighters loyal to the US-backed governing coalition.

During the fighting Gunmen loyal to Hizbullah forced the pro-government Future News television off the air, a senior official at the Beirut station told Reuters. Future News is owned by Saad al-Hariri, leader of Lebanon's US-backed governing coalition.
"An army officer accompanied by members of Hizbullah walked into the station and told us to switch off transmission. We are off the air," said the official. Security sources said Hizbullah and fighters from the allied Amal movement had overrun offices of Hariri's Future group across the predominantly Muslim western half of Beirut. Gunmen had also taken over the offices of Hariri's Al-Mustaqbal newspaper, witnesses said.
(…)
Friday marked the third day of fighting between the pro-Syrian organization and fighters loyal to the US-backed governing coalition, during which At least 10 people had been killed and 20 wounded, according to security sources.

The thud of exploding grenades and crackle of automatic gunfire echoed overnight in the worst internal strife since the 1975-90 civil war, as fighters from Hizbullah and Amal exchanged assault rifle fire and rocket-propelled grenades with pro-government gunmen, including fighters loyal to the Sunni Future movement, in several areas of the capital.

Both the Amal and Hezbollah are Shi’ite movements are a natural coalition fit but what should be disturbing is having a Lebanese Army officer openly do Hezbollah’s bidding with Hezbollah personnel by his side. This is an ill omen for all Lebanese.

Ha’aretz carries a much more in depth report here. Now that Hezbollah has torched Beirut it should be interesting watching how far and to what lengths General Michel Aoun will take to maintain his cover or beard for Hezbollah. The Beirut Daily Star carries some background.