جوني عبدو : لبنان في خطر والسلطة حالياً هي بيد حزب الله

أبو الغيط: ندعم الدولة اللبنانية والوضع الأمني في لبنان مقلق 

AFP: Hezbollah chief threatens to destroy Israel 

Olmert: ”if Lebanon turns into a Hezbollah state. [Then] we shall have no restrictions in this context.”

HERE WE GO AGAIN !!

After countless Israeli wars with armed groups in Lebanon, it appears that a new conflict is imminent and is coming very soon.  Hezbollah is just waiting for that perfect timing that they always surprise us with, and Israel is already preparing and deploying troops and setting battle plans. 

Which leads me to a question that asks itself (sou2al byotra7 nafso ): Will we ever have peace with Israel?

All the other ‘Arab’ countries are starting economic partnerships with Israel, trading with the Hebrews, Opening embassies…Heck! even Syria is negotiating with them. 

But Lebanon is still “the first country to resist and the last to sign a peace treaty!”.  Well good for us!  We’re still attached to the ‘Arab Cause’ and we’re going to throw those evil Jews in the sea, and free Palestine, and return Jerusalem to the Arabs!

We went from being the pioneers of the Middle East in everything from economics to entertainment…to a backwards society living in a devastated war-zone that is proud to destroy itself and do things that are not in its interest just to help another people who was the main contributor in the destruction of Lebanon and just to stick to the issue of ‘Arabism’ that never existed in the first place and that even the actual Arabs have abandonned.

Our disputes with Israel can no longer be solved with ‘resistance’.  An agreement can be reached between the two parties without a single shot being fired.  And seeing that the Bush Administration is seeking to leave office on any good note, I think that they would be glad to help us reach a deal.

It will be something similar to Egypt’s agreement with Israel:

• They return the Sheb’a Farms directly to Lebanon.
• They turn over the maps of the mines that they planted in the South.
• The U.S. can send Significant military aid to the LAF, just like it sends $2 Billion in aid every year to Egypt. ( That way Hezbollah can no longer claim that the army isn’t capable of defending Lebanon)

And in return, Israel will of course get the disarmament of Hezbollah and the recognition by Lebanon of the State of Israel.

We have nothing to lose and everything to gain by signing a peace treaty.  It’s about time we make peace.  Mch daroure kll snten nekoul atle and have to start all over.

“Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?”
Abraham Lincoln

A very strong message to all those so-called resistants who collaborate with enemies to fight others.
( Picture taken from Sassine three days ago).

نقلت وكالة رويترز أمس الاثنين الخبر الآتي: “تجمع مئات اللبنانيين في ساحة ببلدة روم في جنوب البلاد يوم الاحد (24 اغسطس) للاستمتاع بمشاهدة تصفيات سباق سنوي للحمير يعقد كل صيف في البلدة.

ويقيم سكان البلدة الجنوبية هذا السباق منذ 45 عاما وهو يجتذب دوما جمهور كبيرا يصطف على جوانب الشوارع يهتف ويشجع الحمير التي يراهن على فوزها بالسباق.

وقال غسان حداد رئيس لجنة مهرجان روم السنوي التي تنظم سباق الحمير “هيدي (هذا) نحن معودين (معتادين) عليها من سنة 1963. اول ما بلشنا (بدأنا) بالمهرجان قلنا بدنا نعمل شيء جديد. عملنا سباق الحمير التقليدي وبعدنا ماشين عليه (ثم واصلناه) من 45 سنة لهلق (حتى الان) واكثر شيء بيجيب (يجتذب) جمهور بالمهرجان.”

ويشارك في السباق بعض الحمير من قرى مجاورة لبلدة روم. وكان الحمار الفائز هذا العام من قرية ريحان. وذكر مالكه الذي يدعى محمد أن حماره أحد أفضل الحمير في المنطقة حيث سبق له أن فاز بسباقات اخرى.

وقال محمد “والله الحقيقة النتيجة طبعا هيدا الاكمل هو عن الحمير الاوادم (الجيدة) ويللي بيفهموا. يعني امبارح (امس) عمل انتصار بالريحان (قرية الريحان) طلع الاول وهون اليوم بجزين (منطقة) بروم كمان ورغم انه مش على ارضه وربح.”

ويتضمن مهرجان روم السنوي ايضا معرضا لمحاصيل العنب والتين في القرية.

If you guys are intrested in the scores, Aoun came in second followed closely by wi2am wahab

Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008
Time: 12:00am - 8:00pm
Location: Azarieh Church
Street: Sessine Square
City/Town: Achrafieh, Lebanon

شهداء ١٤ أيلول ١٩٨٢

الرئيس بشير الجميل

جان ابي نادر
هيام شكري الحايك
فؤاد ابي نجم
فريال صلوكجي
ساسين كرم
منى اندراوس سالم
جان أسمر
رندى مشنتف
بيار فاضل
أنطوان يوسف أيوب
ملحم ابراهيم نمر
جانت نوار
أديب ريشا اندراوس
ماري لحود
مرسال اندراوس
روجر شمالي
هيام نجار
فوزة قدادو
جورج إلياس أبو خليل
جورج أسعد كرم
ميشال حداد
ميشال روبير شاهين
ميشال تلج
أدل شاهين

First off I would like to thank N for giving me this opportunity.  Hopefully I won’t dissapoint.

In my first post, I want to tackle the Bipolar disease that the Aounis are suffering from.  For those of you who don’t know, bipolar is a phsycological issue in which a person has two different personalities. And that’s exactly what the Aounis are suffering from.

Not more than three years ago, the Aounis and us had pretty much everything in common.  We used to spend all our time laughing at Syrians, Hezbollah, the SSNP, etc..  Aoun or Geagea rarely came to mind.  We were fighting together for the same cause.

Then, something went terribly wrong.  I don’t know what hit you across the head.  Everything you stood for was reversed.  All your beliefs simply flipped.

You ask for Lebanon not to be tied up with all the Mideast issues.  And then you say Hezbollah’s weapons should stay until the Palestinian issue is resolved!

You fought the LF under the title of fighting militias.  And now you support Hezbollah’s weapons.

You got beaten up and humiliated by the ‘Joint Security Forces’.  And now you ask for the release of the four generals who ordered that attack.

You fight for a free and independent Lebanon.  Yet you’re allied to the SSNP who believes that Lebanon should be part of Syria!

The list goes on and on and on.  So could someone tell me what happened?  Why are all the things that you stood against suddenly good now?  If you are with Aoun because you don’t like Hakim–and I know a lot of you who are like that– then just make your own political party.  You don’t have to be with Hakim, just don’t be with Aoun.  Follow your beliefs not a person. 

I was just posting how the cedars have decided to pack up & leave and not just the Lebanese, and here i find this on the BBC site.

The cedars of Lebanon could be under threat from climate change. The trees are part of Lebanon’s cultural heritage. Bethany Bell reports.

To watch the report follow this LINK.

I remember during the Syrian rule, many would leave Lebanon for a better future but then eventually to come back in few years time. Very few people would just leave for the sake of leaving.

After the July war, hundreds of thousands of young Lebanese left because they didnt want to stay here not one more second, regardless of whether they found a good job or not ..

This desperation to leave Lebanon is increasing by the day, and honestly i can no longer find any arguments to convince people from leaving this country since i myself am convinced i do not belong here anymore, not cause of any events, cause of facts that speak louder than words.

Eventually, even the cedars are packing and leaving

In 2006, we avoided a disaster by having the Americans & Europeans on our side. However 2 years later, we managed to put ourselves in the same shitty situation that was back at Hariri ( Rafic) times.

Whenever Israel struck us, the government would stand with Hezbollah and defend it since it had no other way and it legalized it. The new bayen wizare is practically the same as this one and expect Lebanon to be brought down on its knees the next time Hezbollah tries to act funny.

Israel Threatens to Hit All of Lebanon if Hizbullah Takes Over

Another point for Aoun .. Most of the South villages are with the LF or Kataeb .. Sami paid them a visit, Hakim not once, and Amine not once …

I am not sure if its for security reasons, but lets put this aside, no help was provided to those forgotten people out there, and no one is even listening to their demands ..

If their votes barely count, we forget them ?

الحدث سيكون في الجنوب يوم الأحد المقبل، حيث علمت «الأخبار» أن العماد ميشال عون سيقوم بجولة واسعة، يتفقد خلالها كل المناطق التي جرت فيها المواجهات بين قوات الاحتلال والمقاومين، وستقام له استقبالات شعبية في غالبية القرى الممتدة من الناقورة حتى مرجعيون وجزين، وسيكون أضخمها احتفال في مدينة بنت جبيل حيث سيكون له خطاب في المناسبة. ويرافقه في الجولة عدد من النواب والشخصيات الجنوبية، وستكون له محطات في معظم القرى المسيحية في الشريط الحدودي السابق.

I am guessing 2ata3o bil dodgers akalto chi sandwich chawarma djej 3and 2em Ali wou kammalo 3al matar kazdoura wou rej3o ..

علمت “الحياة” ان قوى الأمن الداخلي نفذت امس يوماً أمنياً طويلاً في ضاحية بيروت الجنوبية بحثاً عن مطلوبين للعدالة ومعالجة مخالفات جنائية، في خطوة هي الأولى من نوعها على طريق قيام المؤسسات الأمنية اللبنانية بدورها في مناطق وجود “حزب الله” وبالتعاون معه وهو ما نص عليه اتفاق الدوحة

PS: I will do my best to take pics of Police offices in Lebanon and show you the chicken places next to them ! its hilarious

As i promised, i will be tackling issues from a different perspective, a more constructive and less harsh one. The Lebanese prisoners in Syrian jails is a very sad story, and so far promises to end in a very dramatic and tragic way.

“It’s impossible to know how many people are there”

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands .. God knows how many did the Syrians take during the past 30 years. We are talking about political prisoners or course, people who were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, many are innocent and their only fault is to be related to a very influential militiaman or Anti-Syria politician back then.

From Militiamen, to soldiers, to relatives of soldiers, musicians ( in the army), even priests .. the list is long and the affected families never lost hope until today, thanks to great efforts by Ghazi Aad and other personalities. Listening to those families talk about their sons & brothers & husbands is so damn painful that i wouldnt envy anyone to be in their position, i have already posted a video which truly portrays their suffering.

After that small intro, let us tackle the main issue here, the Lebanese Forces and its responsability towards those prisoners and the current actions ( if any) being undertaken. Note that all Christian parties & more generally all Lebanese parties should be working on getting our prisoners back but i will talk about the LF since it is the only party i do care about know is (was??) capable of achieving any progress.

(more…)

First of all, I would like to thak N10452 for giving me and others the chance to post here, and I hope we will not disappoint him or any of the Guys and Ladies posting and commenting on this Blog.

I also thank you everyone for accepting me and trading the best ideas and comments, hoping you will like the issues I will talk about.

For my first post, I’ve chosen to write briefly about a topic that i’m sure many of you will agree with me.

It’s about “Agreement”, which is known in Lebanese terms as “La ghaleb wa la maghloub”, and in my opinion it’s more a compromise than an agreement.

Frankly I think the worst thing our politicians in Lebanon can do is to follow this concept or principle, because it will lead only to freezing everything in this country, from the timy detail to the most important isues, why? because everybody will still be waiting for an “agreement” based on that concept.

In our recent history, we saw that this concept has done nothing but problems and disasters for the future.

We waited 6 months to elect a President by “agreement”

we also waited about 2 months to form the Government, and one additional month to agree on its statement (bayen wizari)

and now, the appointments in some security posts are still waiting for an “agreement”, which could not come in the near future, while Lebanon needs security stability at the moment more than ever.

So in conclusion, I can say i’m totally against this concept, I rather support more firmness in the Government and Presidency decisions, and that’s why I prefer to have a Governement including one side only, a Government of majority, whatever this majority is, which will allow its members to take firm decisions without any delay.

Don’t tell me this is Lebanon, it wasn’t like that from 1990 till 2005, under the Syrian influence, where Governments used to take decisions without any “agreement”, and although I’m against most of those decisions, but i’m talking here about a process. Let the majority rule, while the minority should wait for their chance,

This is Democracy. I don’t want any more “la ghaleb wa la maghloub” thing, it only contibutes in deteriorating the situation and making Lebanon worse.

BEIRUT: Hizbullah’s signature of a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday with Salafist groups raised questions about the origin, the doctrine and the spread of the Sunni ideological movement, whose influence is more and more tangible on the Lebanese political scene.

Salafism, which follows a radical school of Sunni Islamic thought, was established in Lebanon in the 1960s by Sheikh Salem al-Shahhal. It came into being at Egypt’s prominent Islamic school Al-Azhar University in the 19th century, where it was initially propagated as an intellectual movement by Jamal al-Deen al-Afghani, Muhammad Abduh and Rashid Rida. Today, the Salafist movement in Lebanon enjoys strongest support in the North, particularly in Tripoli’s Abu Samra area.

[Read More]

Lately, and amidst all the current happenings in the country, many subjects that were put to sleep before have been awoken, called for and discussed. Of these topics, one may consider the retrieval of the Lebanese detainees in Syrian jails, marking the borders with Syria (all of it, rather than part of it :)), and many many more.

I was just reading through some news when I stumbled upon Walid Joumblat’s latest statement, in which he called for the formation of a Lebanese-Syrian committee which follows up on this issue, and has jurisdiction, or call it permission if you want, to visit both Lebanese and Syrian jails.

This caught me and made me think: will the Lebanese side of the committee have the right to demand the retrieval of those who committed barbaric atrocities in Lebanon? And at the head of these names, Habib Chartouni? Will that animal be brought to justice, or are the others going to call for his glorious return to Lebanon, just like they did with Samir Kuntar?

To those of you who have not had the utmost disgust of knowing who Chartouni is, click here

After succesfully dividing the Christians into two large groups and integrating most of their regions, Hezbollah is after the Sunnites now and the first step was the invasion of Beirut where they made sure to treat the people nicely and forbid any misbehaviors ..

Today at 10 am, another MOU was signed between Hezbollah and some minor Salafist group ( the person signing was named Chahhal) in an attempt to fool the people watching and make them think it is the head of the Salafists who is also named Chahhal, who by the way rejected the MOU and called it a joke.

Now they will portray to the public that the Sunnites and more specifically the Salafists are divided and are not all with Hezbollah. Added to that, there is a third party inciting those Salafists to demonstrate now and ask for freeing their brothers in jail ( Islamists).

This move is purely a political one and its aim is to force Hariri to free some of those prisoners before the Elections.

This is how Hezbollah is gradually killing Lebanon, by dividing all its communities and keeping it in a constant chaotic situation, a situation that fits them perfectly.

Lets see how the emerging Salafists will respond to that.

Here is a reply to Sheikh Jabri who disrespected the Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir in a statement earlier last week.

This Sheikh is a member of “Tajjamo3 3oulama2 el Sunna” and is known to be close to Hezbollah.
عميد كلية الدعوة وعضو “تجمع علماء السنة” الشيخ عبد الناصر الجبري المعروف بمواقفه المؤيدة لـ”حزب الله”

No one should be allowed to come close of the Patriarch and i was hoping Christian parties (LF- Kataeb) respond to this Sheikh and blast him. I dont expect anything from Aoun since he gladly opened the way for his allies to mock the Patriarch (Frangieh, HA etc ..) by disrespecting him continuously.

here is what he wrote earlier :

العدد:الجمعة24/07/2008

الشيخ جبري: أين صفير من تعاليم السيد المسيح؟
(more…)

The head of the Support of Lebanese in Detention and Exile Organization in Lebanon (SOLIDE) Ghazi Aad called for the formation of a new committee to follow up the detainees’ issue inline with international standards.
“Since 2005, the (current) Lebanese-Syrian committee has failed to reach solutions,” Aad commented in a press conference held at Gebran Khalil Gebran Square, Downtown-Beirut

“Syria has badly dealt with Lebanese issues in general and with the detainees issue in particular. Its continuous denial resulted in catastrophic mistakes,” he added.

Aad expressed his “disappointment with Syria’s attempt to come out after 30 years as the victim, while it was the party which illegally arrested Lebanese citizens and hided their destinies and whereabouts.”

Responding to what Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem had declared, Aad commented, “We have never linked between missing persons and the detainees in Syria”.

If one looks at Lebanon from national perspective you will find that this country has historically produced two types of political citizens; Those who believe Lebanon can govern itself, and those who are certain that we must have Syria taking care of matters for us. Within those two groups you will find the majority of both who accept the status quo as long as they can get on with their lives.

The single party that has advocated self rule and democracy since the early seventies is clearly known to be the Lebanese Forces. The Lebanese Forces was a military representation of powerful christian current that wanted to keep Lebanon liberal, moderate and independent.

Today within the christians again you have two groups. There is the same old Lebanese Forces vying for the same principles it always had and you have an entire group that is fed up with the leadership of the Lebanese Forces and really has little political message at all. We all know this group to be the Aounies.

Michel Aoun began his political ascendancy as an alternative to the oppressive and low-class structure of the Lebanese Forces under Samir Geagea. He called for fighting Syria, removing militias, banishing the Palestinians, fighting corruption but more than anything he gave a hope that a real Government with a real army could finally rise in Lebanon. This is something all Lebanese, muslim, druze and christian wanted after 15 years of chaos and militia rule.

Aoun gained huge popularity for this stance yet it quickly became apparent that he had no political program for achieving any of these goals nor would he be willing to work with anyone as a true partner to achieve them.

Between the two wars that he single handedly instigated, Aoun showed himself to be less of a saviour and more of a machiavellan megalomaniac consumed with becoming President.

Many awoke by sheer force; noticing the destruction of their homes and the crazy political speeches and stances taken by this man. There was no rhyme or reason. The one thing that may have saved aoun’s political career from complete free fall was his exile to France. By being so far away from the scene and no longer able to ride his political gyroscope in the public eye, he became like a dead relative: you could no longer remember his sins but only his good deeds.

This whole new group of youth rising from the oppression of a Syrian regime under Hrawi and Lahhoud began to glorify the resistance movements of old. Some became Lebanese Forces because of the heroic stance of Samir Geagea underground in Yarze and the stories of Bachir, while others believed that Aoun was still the saviour and had no clue about his real ambition.

Samir Geagea was also forgiven many of his mistakes by being underground but this did not mean that he was going to emerge as a different person with respect to the people surrounding him. Thus the Lebanese youth was split among two undeserving Leaders who managed very quickly to return the entire chrirstian street to their previous divisions.

It has become so bad that both sides accuse the other of siding with an islamic extremist group which is something unheard of in the history of Lebanese moderate christians. The Lebanese Forces accuse Aoun of giving cover to Hizballah and the Aounies accuse the LF of giving cover to the Saudi wahhabists under Hariri.

It has become one of the mst misguided and pathetic self destructive rivalries in the history of a freethinking group of people.

The Christians have sunk so low that they are no longer able to elect their own officials. Neither the president who was already castrated politically by Taef, nor the minister of defense, nor the head of the army, nor any of the powerful posts appointed to them. No sir, the christians must only accept those whom are chosen for them lest we return to a nation of self determination.

I ask now ; Is Lebanon ready for a new Christian leader and a new Christian party?

The time has come to realize that we have reached the absolute bottom of the scale in political self determination. We have a president chosen by everyone except the christians. He was the head of the army who was appointed during a period of ultimate syrian hegemony. He recently traveled to Syria and made small talk with Bashar al Assad while hundreds if not thousands of Lebanese nationalists are buried and imprisoned in Syria.

What kind of pathetic status have we achieved for ourselves as Christians? It is deserving of the highest reward for the lowest behavior.

Today we need a new voice with a new reasoning. We need our people to understand that they are powerful and that we now live in an era where we can make our representatives work for us instead of the other way around.

We have the power to elect whomever we choose and not have a group chosen for us by Iran and Saudi Arabia.

We have the power to say ” Death to Syria” before we say ” Death to America” . We have the power to say ” Israel and Syria both OUT!!” .

We are not traitors and we are not collaborators for deciding our future and choosing to be closer to democracy than to dictatorships.

We must begin to find a new Christian leadership not tainted by war and warlords and personal ambition.

We must elect “PUBLIC SERVANTS” not ” PRIVATE PROJECTS” and we must demand “ACCOUNTABILITY” not ” PERSONAL ACCOUNTING”.

We the Christians of Lebanon must retake our destiny from the hands that we have mistakenly put it in and rise again to the forefront of this ancient nation; our treasure; LEBANON.

Lebanon is too valuable a nation to be left to these remnants of a war era. It is too diverse a nation to be crippled by extremists and religious fanaticism. It is too fragile a country to be left to other nations to decide our future.

Lebanon needs a new Christian voice, a united Christian voice, a Nationalist Christian voice.

Lebanon needs a new set of ideals.

Today more than ever

El shabeb mwas3een nachatatoun ..

They are demonstrating now to free terrorists like themselves and read well this dangerous and very “promising” statement :
“How are some people who follow a tribal & sectarian leader be allowed to have guns & missiles, and while others who wanna find for a just cause like the Iraqi cause cant have weapons ?? ”

نظم “حزب التحرير- ولاية لبنان” إعتصاما عقب صلاة الجمعة في باحة المسجد العمري، في وسط بيروت، إحتجاجا على إستمرار توقيف إسلاميين في السجون اللبنانية. شارك في الاعتصام ممثلون للحركات الإسلامية في لبنان وأقرباء المحتجزين، رفعوا خلاله الرايات الاسلامية وأطلقوا هتافات وتكبيرات تدعو الى “نصرة الإسلام والمعتقلين”. وألقى رئيس المكتب الإعلامي في الحزب احمد القصص كلمة تساءل فيها “كيف يسمح للبعض من الذين يتبعون زعيما قبليا وطائفيا بأن يقتنوا السلاح والصواريخ، وفي المقابل لا يسمح لآخرين إقتناء قطعة سلاح من أجل قضية عادلة هي قضية العراق؟”
ووصف مجزرة طرابلس بـ”الجريمة المفجعة”، منتقدا التصريحات التي ظهرت بعدها متهمة الإسلاميين بتنفيذها. وأشار الى “أن هذه القضية سخرت من اجل محاربة الإفراج عن المعتقلين الإسلاميين، وانها تقدم كعربون براءة وولاء للأميركي”، معتبرا “ان النظام اللبناني أهلك البلاد والعباد في المحاصصة الطائفية من أجل معارك سياسية، وان من هم مشاركون في ظلم المعتقلين الإسلاميين سيتباكون عليهم مع اقتراب الإنتخابات النيابية كسبا لأصواتهم وأصوات ذويهم”.
بدوره، شرح الشيخ عبدالقادر الزعبي معاناة المعتقلين، داعيا الجميع الى “نصرة المظلومين في السجن والوقوف في وجه الظالمين”، محذرا من “موت أحد منهم في السجن”. ووصف الحكام بأنهم “أعداء للأمة وأدوات تنفذ مخططات الأعداء”، معاهدا المعتقلين “عدم التخلي عنهم”.

Yesterday was St Mary’s day, which is celebrated in almost every Christian village in Lebanon.
Each village takes great pride in organizing festivities and a village dinner for the occasion.

The most visited spots for that occasion are Faqra & Faraya, The North ( Ehden, Bcharre etc ..) and Zahle, The South ( Saydit Maghdouche, Jezzine, Deir el Amar, Ain Ebel etc ..) and the Mountain villages. Of course Harissa gets crowded throughout the day and during the night mass and the morning mass.

I wish you all a blessed day.