...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...in the wake of the Cedar Revolution, political parties and groups, who took part in it, no longer agree on anything but its slogans.
The revolution has turned into a popular uprising against all political authorities, including the so-called March 14 forces, especially with the deterioration of the social and economic situation.
In remarks to Asharq al-Awsat, Antoine Haddad, academic and former vice president of the Democratic Renewal Movement, said: "The moment of March 14th is historic and unique, unprecedented in the history of Lebanon. It is only comparable to the October 2019 uprising, in terms of size, diversity, and popular support."
But he noted that the "sectarian parties", which participated 16 years ago in the Cedar revolution, have committed the mistake of neglecting vital issues.
While the March 14 Forces have neglected the people’s demands for reform and fighting corruption, the forces active in the October 17 uprising are today ignoring the "issue of illusory sovereignty", which is mainly represented by the weapons of Hezbollah and the Iranian hegemony over the state, Haddad underlined.
For his part, the head of the Future Movement, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri
...Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too....
, described the March 14 as a "homeland project", saying that Lebanon should not return to sectarian mobilization.
"The martyrdom of [former prime minister] Rafik Hariri and his
While the head of the Lebanese Forces
A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb...
Party, Samir Geagea
...Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005...
, affirmed that the March 14 "continues... until the goal is achieved," the president of the Kataeb Party, resigned MP Sami Gemayel talked about "that essential day in our struggle for illusory sovereignty."
"After 16 years, independence was achieved while accountability was absent and reforms were postponed..." Gemayel stated, adding: "We will not abandon our call for illusory sovereignty and accountability. There is no value for the first without the second, and vice versa."