A paralyzed protest in Lebanon

January 23, 2007

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah and pro-syrian protesters paralyzed Lebanon on this Tuesday. Burning tires, burning cars, throwing rocks, and blocking roads.Is thistheir idea of a peaceful protest? They are trying to get their message across in a very uncivilized and undemocratic way.

Three people were killed and dozens were injured.Police say that 43 people sustained gunshot wounds as well.I have the notion that more than three people were killed and alot more than 43 wounded.

What had been planned to be a protest turned out to be an outburst of violence and chaos.There were clashes all through out towns in central and northern lebanon.Commuters were stranded and business were closed.

Hezbollah chief Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and other opposition leaders called the strike, which was backed by labor unions. The Hezbollah-led opposition is demanding a new coalition government giving them more power, which Saniora has rejected.

This so called strike is actually an aggressive military action of force.

Saniora called for a special session of parliament to defuse the crisis, and gave every indication that he intended to stay in office.

"We will stand together against intimidation and confront sedition for the sake of Lebanon," he said. He added he remained ready for talks with the opposition.

The opposition has been camped out since Dec. 1 in front of the prime minister's office in downtown Beirut and has staged several protests to press its demands but Tuesday's strike escalated the nearly two-month demonstration. Troops have been deployed in central Beirut for weeks to keep order.

What is the opposition trying to do?All this destruction of Lebanon just to have a little more power in the government.The economy in lebanon is practically down the drain and people are jobless.Bussinesses are closing down and there are riots left and right.

The conflict has strained the already fragile sectarian lines in a country that fought a 1975-1990 civil war between Muslims and Christians. In the current power struggle, Lebanon's Sunni Muslims largely support Saniora, while the Shiites back Hezbollah and the opposition. Many Christians back Saniora.

Meanwhile, black clouds billowed over parts of Beirut as opposition supporters set up burning roadblocks on main routes and at entrances to the capital, as well as in other major cities to enforce the strike. Opposition supporters clustered in small groups to man blazing roadblocks.

The unrest comes two days before a crucial conference of donor nations in Paris aimed at gathering some $5 billion in aid and loans for Lebanon to rebuild after the devastating summer war between Israel and Hezbollah. The money would be a boost for the embattled Saniora - but the political chaos raises questions of whether his government can distribute funds and lead reconstruction without a deal with Hezbollah.