Roads to Iraq

-Apologies for the server crash yesterday-

This line on al-Akhbar summarizes the new U.S. strategy in the region, used in Iraq a month ago and now in Lebanon, using Fatah - Hamas scenario as a model, notice C. rice statement “Hezbollah killing innocent civilians in Lebanon“, few weeks ago she said the same thing on Mahdi Army :

أبلغت الولايات المتحدة الأميركية الحلفاء في لبنان أن عليهم المبادرة وعدم الاكتفاء بالمطالبة والمناشدة فقط، وأن أقل الإيمان أن يبادروا الى خطوات شبيهة بتلك التي أقدم عليها رئيس السلطة الفلسطينية محمود عباس تجاه حركة حماس قبل أن يستنجد بالعالم لدعمه

The U.S. asked its allies in Lebanon to take the initiative and not issue statements and appeals only or at least to take Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas steps against Hamas before he appealed to the world to support him.

Today, Al-Akhbar tells more about why the government “suddenly” decided to escalate the problem:

In an agreement with Berri, Hariri promised to not to mention the subject of the airport and the communication network, after Arab contacts with the government during the night-long meeting, particularly from officials in Saudi Arabia.

The Americans bargained that if the Lebanese army will take side then for sure it will be of the government, but the army stayed neutral and that explains the U.S. disappointment with Michel Suleiman as reported on al-Jarida [I never saw this on western media, anybody a link?, or is it the Saudi wish?]:

Washington believed that the army commander General Michel Suleiman failed in the last two days test by “cooperating” with Hezbollah and that the army is no longer an option guarantee Lebanon’s stability and neutrality.

House speaker Nabih Berri reacted on the U.S. support to Saniora:

Is this support or accusation? One of them has already bargained on the Americans, and the result is that he spent ten years in prison [Geagea].

Western corporate media [and Saudi paid media] playing their role by trying to create a delusion that current confrontation is Hizballah vs the State, and you can read on many of the so called “Arabists” - western blogs people clueless asking: Against whom exactly Hizballah is fighting?

Must of the al-Mustaqbal recruits mention the name of a Security Company called “Security Plus” who brought them to Beirut from the north of Lebanon [Aqar], Here is al-Akhbar interview with al-Mustaqbal militia men:

We applied for a job in a security company, they asked us to take weapon a go to Beirut, it seems they want us to fight and get killed.

More details here:

The military wing of al-Mustaqbal surprised that they got 7 buses [filled with militia members] for support from the north [Sunni areas], while they expected 70 vans.

Surprisingly, Le Figaro reporter in Beirut tells a very different story than other media saying:

The main militia who fought last days was Amal militia [Nabih Berri, parliament spokesman], and Hizballah for support and backup only.

It is not only Hizballah’s response surprised everyone but the collapse of the military structure of March 14 team in Beirut and its surroundings, not only because of the weak presentation of al-Mustaqbal militia who have been trained and regrouped in an unprecedented chaos, but also the process which was based on emotional impact of killing former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri also failed.

Anybody noticed the frustration on Saudi media today?, al-Sharq al-Awsat [owned by the widow of the former Saudi king Fahad] dedicated the whole newspaper today to criticize Hizballah and the opposition.