Traitors, Hypocrites and Thugs The New Lebanese Opposition??

Traitors, Hypocrites and Thugs The New Lebanese Opposition??
Amal Chaaban


January 29, 2007

The scenes from Lebanon that have greeted us on our televisions in the last few months have been profoundly disturbing for anyone who remembers Lebanon’s history. Scenes of destruction, refugees, guns, death, injuries, burning tires, confrontations with the army, men in black hoods; the list goes on and on. To look at it, one would think that the so-called opposition who are claiming they want government reform really want a whole new civil war. This so-called opposition doesn’t want reform, they want regression back to the old days when under Syria they were kings. Sources say that Michel Aoun may have made a conciliatory stop in Syria to mend fences before heading back to Beirut. They are not a real opposition party. Real opposition parties build shadow cabinets and platforms to show what they think should be done differently or better. Real opposition parties remain in government to safeguard the rights of their constituents. Real opposition parties offer real solutions to the problems plaguing our country not strikes that further polarise the country and raise the ugly loathsome head of sectarianism. In short, real opposition parties work with peaceful means to cause change. These traitors, hypocrites and thugs are using anything but peaceful means.
The week started off badly with the so-called opposition calling for a general strike on Tuesday in Lebanon. Their supporters of course decided to heed the call but those who either don’t support either side or support the democratically elected government didn’t heed the call thus causing chaos in the streets. Reports have emerged that checkpoints were set up and manned by those loyal to the so-called opposition. At those checkpoints, people were either threatened or coerced into going back home. Those who dared to resist were threatened with physical violence and weapons.
Then the tires started burning and the sandbags were lined up. The trash was burned and the opposing factions poured into the street. Here starts the explanation of the who’s who in the gang of traitors, hypocrites and thugs.
Traitors: If one really wanted to look at who was betraying their country, one could paint the whole so-called opposition as traitors. However, one faction stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to betraying their country. Hizbullah takes the prize in this category kids. No one group deserves the title of traitors more than they do. This is a group whose whole existence and reason for being is supposedly protecting Lebanon against those who would destroy it. Except that really, they are only protecting themselves and their own power. As soon as it looked as if their Syrian overlords were going to be ordered to court in conjunction with the Hariri murder, Hizbullah stepped up the rhetoric and the threats. As soon as Iran felt the pinch from the U.S. and wanted a distraction from their nuclear program, Hizbullah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers from their side of the border causing Israel to invade and a war to ensue. Nice work if you can get it. In return, Hizbullah pretends they are relevant and that people outside of their immediate support base like them. In fact, Hizbullah is losing points daily with the Lebanese populace. Outside the rarified bubble they live in in their core support areas of the southern suburbs of Beirut and south Lebanon, they really have no support. The alliances they have made are alliances of mutual convenience.
Hypocrites: That title goes of course to none other than Michel Aoun and his followers. Aoun sat in Paris for 15 years and whined about how Syria was keeping him out of Lebanon only to join the first pro-Syrian coalition who promised him his heart’s desire: to become the President of Lebanon. Just as Nero fiddled while Rome burned, Aoun would be President as Beirut burns. It is absolutely beyond the pale that this hypocrite thinks he is fit to rule the country. Someone should wake up Aoun and his followers and let them know that people see them for what they are. Hypocrites.
Thugs: Nabih Berri and his Amal Militia make up our thugs. These winners appeared at the protests predressed for mayhem in black shirts, black pants and brand new wooden bats as accessories. Not surprising that they are in the opposition, they have always played both sides of the line.
What boggles the mind is that all of these characters in the farce that is the opposition have followers who would gladly follow them into death. It is almost as though they do not realize that what they are doing will have far reaching and grave consequences for Lebanon.
The disasterous consequences of traitors, hypocrites and thugs seizing the government are unimaginable and it must be stopped.