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LEBANON ARCHIVE: Dec. 20, 2005 - Jan. 8, 2006

Reader Comments: Lebanon

For each location Kevin Sites covers, the Hot Zone team selects some of the more interesting, thoughtful or provocative reader comments to feature.

By Hot Zone Team, Thu Jan 5, 5:42 PM ET

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For each location Kevin Sites covers, the Hot Zone team selects some of the more interesting, thoughtful or provocative reader comments to feature.

THE GHOST OF VIOLENCE PAST

3
I have a dear friend there in Beirut who's husband survived an assassination attempt.I will be forwarding your excellent article to her as she mourns the death of the latest murder victim -- her nephew. Knowing her as I do, she will be very impressed by your story and your accounts. Keep reporting the truth about the situation over there; Ive been reading the Lebanese newspapers online to get the news. I will now check you first. Thank you for your honesty.
Posted by linpal102 on Wed, Dec 21, 2005 6:53 AM ET

30
Lebanon as a country and as a nation has not known a day without the forces of its neighbors and the Palestinean refugee issue, and its nice to see the Lebanese being addressed for once. However such a diverse, educated, and friendly people did not fall into chaos simply on their own accord; the pressure from the outside is enough to make even the most developed and stable country crumble.
Posted by ryabdou on Thu, Dec 22, 2005 7:58 PM ET

35
Thank you so much, Mr. Sites. I am Lebanese, and the "Cedar Revolution" touched off a lot of emotions for my family and I back in February. Thank you so much for covering the Lebanese situation. More poepl in this country need to know about what happened there for so long with the Syrian Oppression and the long, bloody, Civil War.
Posted by mansurbrandon on Sat, Dec 24, 2005 12:21 PM ET

56
In response to #16 .... "these animals have been killing each other for centuries" ... and the same doesnt occur on our very streets every day and every night? Our people kill each other for sneakers, jackets, drugs. The Middle East conflict is about freedom.Can you compare the two? I think not. Are you prepared to call US animals too? Because if you're not then you are just the voice of the ignorant.
Posted by linpal102 on Wed, Dec 28, 2005 6:41 AM ET

A FIRELIGHT CONVERSATION IN MARTYR'S SQUARE 

2
the war would have ended long time ago should have they never interfered. Lebanon’s curse is its neighbors, each managed to get a slice and to convince the Lebanese that we cannot survive without them, this is all just to justify their presence, besides our differences as Lebanese are only an indication of our cultural diversity, in other countries you’d have called it civilization or even democracy!!
Posted by mir_hachem on Wed, Dec 21, 2005 11:22 PM ET

20
As a Syrian, I have my reservations about all this propaganda about the unsubstantiated Syrian involvement in all the tragedies that have been taking place in Lebanon. On the other hand I can't blame the Lebanese for being so emotional over the demise of the late Prime Minister, Rafiq Hariri, yet I blame them for turning a blind eye on the politicized truth that America and

Israel could only be the real beneficiaries of.
Posted by mazharnatour on Sun, Dec 25, 2005 7:22 AM ET

25
It's very unnerving to still read comments that say that the "cedar revolution" was a set-up. I was there every day, and all I wanted was to know the truth about the assassination, and to rally for getting rid of the country that occupied us for 30 years. No one told me to participate, and I'm more than sure that most people who were there went on their own.
Posted by f_boukaram on Tue, Dec 27, 2005 7:10 PM ET

29
When I went to college in Beirut back in the mid 80's we had to drive through "snipers' zones" protected by highly erected containers. Zigzaging through deserted streets and praying for a miracle was not uncommon. The difference was that politically and on the ground we knew who the enemy was and what to expect. Today's alliances are mind boggling and I am not sure that Taef put an end to the war by satisfying all parties. There are a lot of unresolved issues that are meant to come back and haunt us.
Posted by dandouce1966 on Wed, Dec 28, 2005 9:44 AM ET

38
...they say that hariri built lebanon, he did build it up and thus putting us in more debt than any other middle eastern country and keeping his fortune to himself and his family. im not saying he was a bad man, but what all the people in martyrs square are saying he is and represents is wong by my standard.
Posted by mohamad_choucair on Tue, Jan 3, 2006 11:19 AM ET

NO MAN'S LAND

3
I'll be eagerly awaiting your next article on the Jews who were expelled from Arab countries in 1948, having their houses and belongings taken from them under threat of violence and/or death, with no compensation whatsoever from those countries. It's easy to forget that side of the story, isn't it ... maybe because those victims chose not to be victims anymore and made something of their lives instead of wallowing in their martyrdom like the people in your story?
Posted by sj_thornhill on Thu, Dec 29, 2005 12:40 AM ET

6
In 1948 Arabs were asked to remain in Israel by the Israeli government and those who remained are Israeli citizens. Those who chose to move to other countries were treated as refugees and still are treated as such. "Palestinians" were never "forced to leave their homes after the creation of Israel in 1948."
Posted by pagro1 on Thu, Dec 29, 2005 1:33 AM ET

18
As you stated,Israel was created inside palestine, so what self respecting nation would be expected not to fight back? Of course they did and still do. Furthermore, just because they lost militarily, it does not negate their legitimate rights to their homeland.
Posted by saba@sbcglobal.net on Thu, Dec 29, 2005 3:37 AM ET

25
I want to scream at most of these earlier posts. No one can deny that each person wants peace and security in their homeland. The Jews of Europe were systematically murdered by an evil ruler while many (not all) of their neighbors watched without outrage. Palestinians left Israel in 1948 because they thaught it would be temporary and some force would not allow a "Jewish" homeland. But that was over 50 years ago. Now it is time to have each Arab neighbor work to help provide an economy and a way of life that each citizen can respect and provide a future for their children.
Posted by kbmshop on Thu, Dec 29, 2005 7:46 AM ET

32
It is totaly incredible to me that people actually believe that Israel is solely to blame for the Palestinian condition. If Quebec declared independence and expeled all non-French speakers to the US, and the US allowed them to wallow in refugee camps for 50 YEARS, would the international community blame Quebec or the US? Three guesses, and the first two don't count...
Posted by jatmorri on Thu, Dec 29, 2005 8:47 AM ET

THE TWO FACES OF HEZBOLLAH

8
If Hezbollah's reason for existence was Isreals incursion into Lebonon, what is it now. Nobody can seriously believe that its Hezbollah thats keeping Isreal out of Lebonon. The Lebanese government should make them disarm and dispand, otherwise, they will cntinue to be a militant, destabilizing force in Lebonon.
Posted by bklynboy714 on Thu, Dec 29, 2005 9:26 PM ET

26
In the civilized world, no party, no matter how much good they do and how popular they are, will never get the international recognition they need. You simply cannot go around murdering and killing innocent people under the guise of occupation. For Hezbollah to think that they will be recognized legitmately is a joke. They are in dream land. First learn to be civilized. Then people will talk to you. Till then, keep shouting like they have done for 20 years and achieved nothing.
Posted by ceecilj on Thu, Dec 29, 2005 10:53 PM ET

35
It's time for America to wake up and start talking with Hizbollah. It's time to stop playing Israel's security psychosis game and get down to realities: Hizbollah is Lebanese and as such, needs to be engaged, not distanced, in any discussions about Lebanon.
Posted by kingbaby on Thu, Dec 29, 2005 11:07 PM ET

55
Hezbollah has always been a resistant movement agaist the continual agression of Israel and persistant US efforts and attempts to oblige the arabs to accept the occupation of Palestinian lands and expulsion of millions of palestinians as a de facto. Thank God, there are still people who fight for justice, for the return of lands and spoliated human beeings living in horrid conditions since 1948 in refugee camps.
Posted by fouad1r on Thu, Dec 29, 2005 11:50 PM ET

Next: Lebanon Video Report
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Comments

Join the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

1
please remove kevin sites' photos. it's unseemly that he's presented as some sort of indiana jones journalist on yahoo news. how about just letting his writing speak for itself?
Posted by ethanherschenfeld on Fri, Jan 6, 2006 6:15 AM ET
2
It's evident from the reader's comments that they have almost no idea about what's going on in Lebanon and the region. I'm not surprised, though. Most Lebanese don't either because each party or sect or group reads the literature of their leaders and listens to others' opinions with aversion and hatred. Face the facts: Hezbollah is not an Iranian or Syrian puppet, the leaders of the Independence 05 movement are using the public for their own personal reasons, Lebanese Christians think that Lebanese Muslims should shut up and let Christians lead the country as if Lebanon belongs to them, Lebanese Muslims believe the Christians are spoiled and celf-centered. You can't uncerstand Lebanon and the regional impacts on it by seriously considering one or two viewpoints. Its politicians are professional liars and forget their stands the next morning based on new situations. I believe that people are free to express themselves, but that freedom is burdened by the truths they do not and cannot know. I pity the families of the victims in last year's turmoil not for the loss of their loved ones alone, but also for the wicked way they're beening used. I pity Lebanon, the country of freedom imprisoning itself. Stop blaming Syria, Iran, France, the USA, and others. If there didn't exist Lebanese who listen to and obey foreigners, there wouldn't be this turmoil. All are to blame. Nonetheless, those that defended Lebanon and do to give freedom and security to ALL Lebanese love Lebanon more than those that read newspapers or comment on events.
Posted by mahaberjaoui on Fri, Jan 6, 2006 9:39 AM ET
3
The Palestinians are animals, I watched adult Palestinians teaching their children to celebrate the events of 9/11. If it were up to me I would wipe all the Palestinains AND Arabs AND Persians from the face of the earth. hudcapny
Posted by hudcapny on Fri, Jan 6, 2006 12:37 PM ET
4
There were not many real Palestinians born in Palestina when it was a country governed by the British. When after the 1917 Balfour declaration and long before worldwar 2, jews were allowed to settle (as many did expecting what Hitler could do when he was able to get the position he finally obtained, already during the time that he came from Austria to Germany and started to pronounce his political plans; many arabs from other sections came to work for and with the jews, at a time there were no big cities and no industry of any importance but mostly farmers settlements. When Israel was acknowledged as a free state in 1948 many arabs fled as the leaders in neighboring countries promised them that they were going to push the jews in the sea and after that they could come back and get all what the jews had owned, made and developed. Those who fled and could not return after the jews succeeded in the 1948 war when all the surrounding and some more arab countries tried to push the jews in the sea, where instead until this very day they were mostly kept in camps as for instance in Libanon - only Jordan accepted many as their own population. The (now) Israelis told the arabs that they could stay and keep their houses and jobs and most who did that became normal citizens with the same social and political rights and representation in the parlement and could (but were not obliged to) serve in the army, which after all quite a lot did voluntarily and many stayed with the army as professionals, some with very high ranks. However they who left were gradually trying to convince the world that it was and still is their land and want again the jews to disappear. I came as a Dutch visitor the first time in 1952 in Israel and in the kibbuzim in the north of Israel the jews told me that their relation with Libanon were that good, that when thieves from Libanon stole their cattle during the night and were arrested in Libanon, the police from Libanon came the next day to bring the cattle back. Since a long time now combinations of jews from the underworld with arabs from their territories steal ten thousands of Israeli cars annually, bringing them to the Palestine territories and many Palestine police officers are driving in stolen Israeli cars with (of course) changed license plates. Martinjules 6.01.06
Posted by registeraccountantnl on Fri, Jan 6, 2006 3:46 PM ET
5
dear kevin , my name is lisa, my step dad legaly kidnaped me and his children to bierut lebanon . i was there from 91 to 97 , so i apreciate what you wrote about lebanon, i remember rafic harriri , he was a nice man i liked him , what a shame .... however my half sister moved back there with her husband and child , so thanks for the update !!! god bless .
Posted by lisamarie2683 on Fri, Jan 6, 2006 4:53 PM ET
6
What an ignorant comment to make mr. mahaberjaoui. Lebanon's diversity is an asset, but our neighbors like to make it out to be a liability. Unlike in Syria, where people are forced and pressured to appear homogenous out of fear of their government, Lebanon freely expresses their difference, and it will be peaceful without the troubling support of international actors. It should not be discredited, and it's quite irresponsible of you to label Lebanon's communities with the stereotypes you have chosen. We have great leaders across the confessional spectrum, who ARE working for the ALL the Lebanese, and ONLY the Lebanese, however that is exactly what certain foreign "players" cannot afford to see realized. Thus we see the violence Lebanon is suffering from today. Such unity undermines their claim to the pearl which is Lebanon. Plus Lebanon has NEVER been closed to other viewpoints, thats one of our merits. We have free access to information, and the formal status quo only still exisits because it favored Syria's role in the country. Let Lebanon act on its own for once, then try to offer a critique on true Lebanese action. Right now, all that exists is Syrian policies that will be a laborious and difficult to shed.
Posted by rleb2005 on Fri, Jan 6, 2006 6:11 PM ET
7
I was 14 in 1948 & I remember how I felt about the Jewish people having a homeland. Wonderful! At last a place where they could be free of the threat of being killed just because they were Jews. After what happened to them during the 2nd WW, I just could not understand how anyone with any sense of justice could ever want them to be pushed into the sea. Lebanon was friendly & made no threats. The Syrians need to stay out of Lebanon forever. Just because they were once a world power means that they have to wake up to the fact that those days are long gone & go home & stay there. Lebanese are very bright people. They can run Lebanon without any outside help from anyone, including the US, unless they ask us & to my knowledge, they have not asked anyone for help. Let them sort out problems as they see fit.
Posted by litltre on Fri, Jan 6, 2006 9:30 PM ET
8
I read "hudcupny"'s the comments about the Palestinians and Persians and I wish that he can leave his personnal emotions expressed in a more civilized democratic way. How can a civilized person as yourself if you are one treat other nation's human beings as "animals", how can you generelize...Calling these demeaning adjectives to Palestinians or any other humans makes you an ignorant fool who expresses himself in a tyrannic way. I bet if you were in power you would be like Hitler killing all the Palestinians , and then you would be prosecuted in an international court for your acts.
Posted by nathalisse on Fri, Jan 6, 2006 11:29 PM ET
9
I am born and raised in Lebanon of an indo-european origin...I lived the war entirely and witnessed it's atrocities and I will stand here and say to you all without hesitation that all the Lebanese people knew during the war that internationnal interventions could have stopped all the killing of the innocent civilians including thousands of children in Beirut but all was a theatrical situation...You gotta know who was giving or selling the bombs/ guns in their highest new technologies to be tested on the population of Beirut? It is always a big nation that hides behind new technology bombs!!! So why blame only the Syrians and not also the nations who were selling those new high tech bombs that killed so many in Beirut?
Posted by nathalisse on Sat, Jan 7, 2006 12:09 AM ET
10
One of the most turbulent years in Lebanon's history? That's a joke, right? Or is the joke this entire propagandistic, infotainment that you guys are putting out. What about the Isreali occupation. And your lying about what drove out the Syrians. It wasn't a populist movement, it was the UN which past a US created resolution to end the occupation of Lebanon while the US occupies Iraq and uses WMD's such as white phosphorus against the civilian population. Kofi Annan passed this resolution to immediatly end this occupation at the same time as the American occupation of Iraq (which has cost over 100,000 civilian lives), because the US was going to fry him and his son for their involvement in funnelling money off the corrupt oil for food program (remember the wire taps the US had on the UN offices and remember the timeline of the charges, the resolution, and the dropping of charges). The real reason for the ending of Syrian troops in Lebanon was the drone flight over Isreal by Hyzbollah in Nov 2004 (they launched and retrieved a drone from southern Lebanon, breaking Isreali control of their airspace for the first time in remembered history). Your reporting is a joke at best, and more than likely, orchestrated propaganda.
Posted by mrpumo on Sat, Jan 7, 2006 4:04 PM ET

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  • BBC: Lebanon Country Profile - includes a map, a statistical overview, and timeline of key events.
  • Wikipedia: Lebanon - includes sections on the country's 15-year civil war, and the 'Cedar Revolution' of 2005.
  • Mehlis Report - implicates Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the February 2005 murder of former Lebanese PM Hariri. From the United Nations, December 2005.
  • Hezbollah's Dilemma - considers Hezbollah as a target in the U.S.-led anti-terror campaign. From Foreign Affairs, April 2005.
  • International Crisis Group: Lebanon - series of reports that examine Lebanon's transition from civil war to a civil peace.
» Web Search: Lebanon

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in memoriam

The Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone team dedicates this site to Marla Ruzicka, a fearless voice of compassion, who was killed in Iraq on April 16, 2005, while trying to lessen the suffering of others. For more information, see Civic Worldwide.