Lebanon Update

Over at Michael Totten's site, this piece by Abu Kais on the events in Lebanon and what they mean. That old Lebanese warrior Nabih Berri is in a tight spot:

Nabih Berri is in a pickle. He was forced to declare the cabinet session that approved the tribunal unconstitutional after telling journalists days before, that it wasn’t. On Wednesday, when it appeared that there was a dim hope of reaching a settlement, the speaker of parliament received a death threat from Maher Assad, Bashar’s brother. According to al-Seyassah, Assad threatened to kill Berri if he calls parliament into session to approve the plan (Again, al-Seyassah is to be read with a grain of salt, although they've gotten it right in the past with regards to Lebanon. In any case, this isn't the first time we've heard this.)

I don't even pretend to be a Lebanon expert in the slightest, but recommend you take some time to read up on events there. Events there will have and impact on Israel, Syria, Iraq, Iran and the direction of Hezbollah.

Lahoud rejected an international tribunal to investigate the political murder of Rafik Hariri.
Lahoud is in Assad's pocket and the Syrians were complicit in the assasination:

President Emile Lahoud said Saturday the cabinet of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and his anti-Syria allies had lost its constitutional legitimacy.

The president's action was certain to intensify political and sectarian tensions that have worsened since mass protests over the 2005 slaying of the former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, forced Syria to end a nearly three-decade military occupation of Lebanon.

And so it goes. Civil war is returning to Lebanon as is Syria.

One last thing. This LA Times piece makes the Iranian-backed Hezbollah seem like a simple political maovement and not the terrorist group they most certainly are. Those that are protesting have been raised in accordnace with Hezbollahs teachings of hatred and violence.