Hizbullah to Iran/Syria: What Is Thy Bidding, My Master?

Seems as though the New York Times would like to think that the US government is changing its view of Hizbullah according to an article that appeared in the paper earlier this week. In the article, it claims that the US is ready to see a role for Hizbullah in Lebanon. It ascribed the change to certain unnamed officials.

Well, to set things straight, Sec. State Rice said that the US still considers Hizbullah a terrorist organization and a pawn of the Iranians and Syrians.

Hizbullah is a proxy army for Iran and Syria against Israel, the US, and used to subjugate the Lebanese and maintain power through subversive means. Hizbullah has taken the lives of hundreds of Americans over the years, including 240 in the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks suicide bombing, which occurred nearly simulataneously with bombings of other peacekeeping forces.

1. NO ONE at SENIOR levels ascribes to such nonsense.

2. Hizbollah is not an independent actor. It does Iran's and Syria's bidding. Neither wants Syria out of Lebanon, which is PRECISELY what President Bush constantly demands: the full withdrawal of Syrian troops and military intelligence from Lebanon and FULL implementation of UN Resolution 1559 which calls for the dismantling of all militias. I guess Weisman's sources think Presidential speeches are advisory in nature.

3. Hizbollah's support in Lebanon is from (about) 30 to 40 percent of the Shiite community. That 30 to 40 percent supports Hizbollah because they depend on Hizbollah for basic services. If this were to change (i.e., we, France, EU, et.al, set the conditions for the Lebanese government to provide those services), there is little doubt these Shiites would act more independently.

4. Unlike the spontaneous pro-Lebanon demonstrations last week, this Hizbollah demonstration was organized well-in-advance BY THE SYRIANS. There are eyewitness accounts of hundreds of Syrian commercial busses crossing into Lebanon full of demonstrators. Also, there are accounts of large numbers of Palestinians being rousted from their refugee camps, put in dozens of commercial busses to Beirut to take part in the demonstration. Finally, many "demonstrators" spoke with Syrian accents. Syrians in Lebanon are despised by most Lebanese.

5. Finally, isn't it just a bit odd that, here, we have thousands of people seemingly demonstrating in FAVOR of occupation?

Hizbullah claims that it was demonstrating against US involvment in Lebanon, while it was in effect promoting the Syrian and Lebanese interests in lording over Lebanon as a proxy state. Curious indeed.

Then there's the fact that the Hizbullah demonstrations were staged affairs, with tens of thousands of Syrians bused in for the occasion, to go along with Palestinians who are pissed at Israel and anything that could possibly change their status.

But the Times wouldn't like you to know those facts.