Lebanon's Hariri Forms Unity Government with Hezbollah

Just last night we read about Iran and Turkey uniting, now this morning we see Lebanon forming a unity government with Hezbollah. Lets face it, this democracy with Muslims, is not working out as planned. It is time to change the plan and protect ourselves here at home. The first move is to demand an end to Muslim immigration.

Lebanon's Hariri forms unity government with Hezbollah


By Nadim Ladki
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri formed a new unity government on Monday that includes two ministers from Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

Lebanon has been without a functioning government since Hariri led his coalition, backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia, to victory in a June parliamentary election against Hezbollah and its allies.

A government acceptable to all main parties is seen as key to maintaining stability in a country facing sectarian and political tensions, as well as a huge debt burden.

"Finally, the government of national concord has been born," Hariri told reporters after agreeing the cabinet at a meeting with President Michel Suleiman at the presidential palace in Baabda on the outskirts of Beirut.

"We have turned a page that we don't want to go back to and opened a new page that we strive to make a page of concord and work," he said.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner welcomed the formation of the Lebanese government and pledged the former colonial power's support for Hariri.

"The formation of a new government was necessary to resolve the conflict that Lebanon was facing, to assure the security and stability of the country...," Kouchner said.

He urged the new government to push through economic reforms demanded by donors and implement U.N. Resolution 1701 that ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also welcomed the formation of a new government and called on it "to recommit to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701."

"The secretary-general hopes that Lebanese political leaders will continue to work together in a spirit of unity, dialogue and cooperation," his spokeswoman said.

Hariri spent more than four months brokering a deal with the opposition. A warming of ties between the two sides' main backers Syria and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks helped ease the rift in Beirut and led eventually to a power-sharing agreement.

The new 30-minister cabinet includes 15 ministers from Hariri's coalition, 10 from the opposition including two Hezbollah ministers, and five, including the key interior and defense portfolios, were nominated by President Suleiman.

The president's ministers in theory hold the balance of power in cabinet, with the Hariri coalition unable to gain a simple majority and the minority unable to block key decisions as they do not hold a third plus one votes in government.

Link to Article

Lebanon Election:Change Doesn't Come

While conservatives took charge in this past weekend's EU elections, thing pretty much stayed the same in the Lebanon's elections. After all of President Obama's talk of mutual respect between the Muslim and non-Muslim world, Hezbollah still maintained plenty of support as voter turnout exceeded 50%.

The Islamic terrorist group lost only one seat in the Parliament from last year, dropping from 58 to 57 seats. The pro-Western bloc actually lost two seats and is now at 68. The remaining three seats went to independents. Obama praised the election itself, but did not say a word about the actual election results.

I congratulate the people of Lebanon for holding a peaceful election yesterday. The high turnout and the candidates - too many of whom know personally the violence that has marred Lebanon - are the strongest indications yet of the Lebanese desire for security and prosperity. Once more, the people of Lebanon have demonstrated to the world their courage and the strength of their commitment to democracy.

The United States will continue to support a sovereign and independent Lebanon, committed to peace, including the full implementation of all United Nations Security Council Resolutions. It is our sincere hope that the next government will continue along the path towards building a sovereign, independent and stable Lebanon.

Government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party. Commitment to these principles of peace and moderation are the best means to secure a sovereign and prosperous Lebanon.

NATO member Turkey and Syria Hold First Joint Military Exercise

While we have President Obama gushing over the Islamist run Turkey and clueless Clinton telling Lebanon that will we not abandon them, both Islamic countries are abandoning us as NATO member, Turkey has formed a military alliance with Syria and Lebanon. I have been saying for years that we have no true Islamic "allies" and in the end they will band together against the free world. It is going to be us or them.

Hat tip to Eve.

NATO member Turkey and Syria hold first joint military exercise
DEBKAfile Special Report
April 26, 2009

Turkish tanks head for Syria
The joint Turkish-Syrian tank and armored infantry exercise backed by air power begins across the Turkish-Syrian border Monday, April 27, and lasts three days.
DEBKAfile's military sources stress that it is the first joint military maneuver any NATO member, including Turkey, has ever carried out with Syria. It appears to have received a nod from the Obama administration and another first: Never before has an important NATO power staged a joint exercise with any Arab army.

Ankara's decision to launch the drill on the day Israeli commemorates its war dead - in league with Iran's leading ally - is a measure of how far Turkey's longstanding strategic pact with the Jewish state has fallen by the wayside of recent changes.
Washington's approval underscores its new policy of boosting the strength of the Syrian army as partner in a strong a three-way military coalition with Turkey and Lebanon.

Ankara made its announcement while US secretary of state Hillary Clinton was on a short visit to Beirut.

It comes only four days after another first US step: Tuesday, April 22, DEBKAfile's exclusive sources reported that the Obama administration had just approved a large Turkish arms sale to the Lebanese army assigning Turkish military instructors to train Lebanese army units (half of whose personnel are Shiites sympathetic to Hizballah.)

Neither of the Obama administration's actions took into account Israel's vital security interests; nor was Jerusalem consulted about the strategic changes on its borders - or even informed.

DEBKAfile reports that both US drastic policy reverses are causing extreme consternation in Israel's top security echelons, which are criticizing the new Netanyahu government for taking too long to respond to the dire security setbacks piling up around its borders. The most troubling development confronting Israel in years is the grouping together of the Turkish, Syrian and Lebanese armies.

According to the statement from Ankara, the joint exercise "aims to boost friendship, cooperation and trust between Turkish and Syrian land forces and to increase the capability of border troops to train and work together."

In recent weeks, too many developments are closing in too fast and too dangerously for Binyamin Netanyahu to put the whole can of worms on hold until he has a chance to figure out his policies and talk to Barack Obama in the coming month. The dynamic on the ground will be in full flight by then. Too late, the Israeli prime minister will find the security situation running out of his control. Turning back the clock will be hopeless and he will find himself fed some unpalatable accomplished facts.

Link to Article