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Hezbollah Moves Closer to Power In Lebanon

Druze leader throws crucial support behind group

By Park,  Newser User

Posted Jan 22, 2011 7:35 AM CST | Promoted on Newser Jan 22, 2011 9:49 AM CST

(User Submitted) – The militant Shia group Hezbollah has been given a boost in its efforts to form a coalition government in Lebanon, reports the BBC. Influential Druze leader Walid Jumblatt indicated he will support the group when parliamentary talks begin Monday to pick a new prime minister. Current PM Saad Hariri’s unity government recently collapsed when Hezbollah members resigned, and support from Jumblatt is acknowledged to be essential to any candidate trying to form a government.

Tension is high in Lebanon as the country awaits the results of a UN inquiry into the 2005 assassination of PM Rafik Hariri, Saad’s father. Members of Hezbollah are expected to be implicated, and the group has denounced the investigation as a US-Israeli plot. The impasse has raised fears of a return to sectarian violence.

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, left, meets with Druse leader Walid Jumblatt, in Beirut.
Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, left, meets with Druse leader Walid Jumblatt, in Beirut.   (AP)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 33 comments
galut1
Jan 27, 2011 7:50 PM CST
responce to park again ...just bscause a site is controversial does not make all of its information invalid . yes the information should be checked out and stand or fall on its own merits . I think many folks summarily reject it all if is associated with sources they don't trust.That may be easy but good and important information that could be gleaned from them will go unnoticed . information that is important to the whole picture. it would be nice to be able to run those videos thru a online audio translator , thus removing the bias. bombing used as intimidation ..., I agree to some extent Israel is trying to make the statement "stop firing Qassams and mortors at our communities" It does sound like Fatah is involved in helping co-ordinate some of those strikes/bombings according to recent news leaks. There appears to be no love lost between fatah and hamas. ======== Quote:"And I see in your comment below you evade the point yet again by just repeating the question which I have answered already. Let me see if I can make it clearer to you by an analogy. I am not a firefighter. So if I see a house with flames coming from it I may not know exactly what to do to extinguish the fire. But I do know several things I should NOT do. Like throwing gasoline on the flames, for example. In the same way, because I am not a military strategist, I do not have a specific strategy for dealing with rocket attacks by Hamas. But I do know what is obviously a very bad idea, which is drop bombs on innocent civilians and kill thousands of them." --- Like so many ,it is easy to justify not being involved in finding a solution . There are thousands out there that hold similiar positions and are saying the same thing, but it is easier to shout at Israel than get together and suggest differant approach. IF and Only IF the UN developes some enforcement teeth to make hezbulah tear down thier missle arsenal and cease bringing in missles from sryia and Iran Then Israel could relax thier military stance on The northern boarder. I cringe everytime there is civilian casualties on either side of this conflict . I would perfer all sides sue for real peace not just HUDNA . Hudna just becomes a pretext for future conflict
galut1
Jan 26, 2011 3:27 PM CST
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgpg3ZexGJo&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0wJXf2nt4Y
galut1
Jan 26, 2011 3:04 PM CST
responce to park - my computer having problems with newser Quote:"In fact it is YOU who shrug your shoulders at the far, far greater numbers of civilians killed by the Israelis and dismiss them with callous expressions like "War is hell" or "They have a right to self defence" ." - My preferance is that no one die , civilian or otherwise . --simple solution stop the terror activties Sue for real peace... Not HUDNA. ====== Quote ;"Again you lie. I have never said Israel has no right to self-defence. I am questioning both the wisdom and the morality of them slaughtering thousands of civilians. Once again I will make the point, which seems to evade you. Israel is making themselves less secure, not more secure by these attacks." which brings me back to one of my original questions . If folks do not want israel to respond to qassam attacks militarily because of possible civilian casualties ,what would be an appropiate responce?

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