Hezbollah says Lebanese government has declared war

Hezbollah says Lebanese government has declared war

ap.google.com

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Hezbollah's leader says a Lebanese government decision to declare the Shiite militant group's telecommunications network illegal amounts to a declaration of war.

The U.S.-backed government on Tuesday declared the military telecommunications network illegal and said it was a threat to state security. The government also said it would dismiss the security chief of the country's only international airport because he was suspected of ties to Hezbollah.

Those Cabinet decisions sparked two days of sectarian clashes between Hezbollah and government supporters.

"The decision is tantamount to a declaration of war ... on the resistance and its weapons in the interest of America and Israel," Hassan Nasrallah said in a news conference aired live on television Thursday.

(visit the link for the full news article)

OH DEAR!!! Lebanon has suffered enough.... Now it looks like Hezbollah is going to start another civil war in the nation and mark my word Israel will get involved....

round and round it goes and where it stops.... nobody knows.

ap.google.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Frankly its a bit presumptuous of Hezbollah to say Lebanon is declaring a war, as they aren't a country. But then this is the Middle East, and prone to such madness since before we all were born.

But that said the destruction of Lebanon is tragic; it was the financial center of the region and today a husk of its former status. Dubai has reaped the rewards.

Yep... I spotted this heating up when I was posting to my Mid-East Mess thread last night...

Spectre of war returns to haunt Lebanon

Gunbattles erupt in Beirut as strike turns into violent confrontation between Government and opposition led by Hezbollah

The rattle of automatic weapons and the crump of exploding rocket-propelled grenades echoed around the streets of the Lebanese capital as thick plumes of smoke rose from barricades of burning tyres.

The strike was called by the leading Lebanese trade union in protest at rising prices and over a demand for an increase in the minimum wage.

“This is a turning point. There can be no more cohabitation between the Government and the opposition. All trust is gone,” said Amal Saad Ghorayeb, a Lebanese political analyst and expert on Hezbollah.

... also accused Hezbollah of setting up its own private telecommunications network to eavesdrop on calls made in Lebanon.

Hezbollah said that its internal telephone system was an integral component of its military wing, and that anyone attempting to shut it down would be treated as an Israeli spy.

Hopes that the violence would ebb by the evening faded as Hezbollah gave warning that it would increase the street action in 48 hours unless the Government withdrew its investigation into the party's telephone network and reinstated General Shuqeir.

Hezbollah supporters blocked the road leading to Beirut airport

Here is more from CNN. It sounds like it is a battle between Shiite and Sunnis, and the government forces are not involved...yet.

"Just in the past few minutes ... things have gotten a lot worse," CNN's Cal Perry reported from downtown Beirut. The sound of gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades could be heard throughout his live reports.

Perry, who took cover with the Lebanese army, said government forces have not reacted yet to the violence.

The gun battles were taking place between Shiite and Sunni neighborhoods in the capital, near CNN's Beirut Bureau.

Hezbollah chief says 'War has started'

Let's hope this doesn't turn into another civil war.

edit: here is the video from Beirut.

Gunfire rages in Beirut 5:06

[edit on 5/8/2008 by Hal9000]