Lebanon's moderate but weak government is in a constant struggle against Syrian dominance and Hizbullah takeover.
Today (Sunday) marks day three of Hizbullah protests in Beirut, with Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah and deputy leader Sheikh Naim Kassam vowing to continue protests towards achieving their goal: toppling the current administration headed by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
Hizbullah launched this stage of its campaign intended to bring the country to elections on Friday. Hizbullah leaders announced they want a coalition government, seeking to bring an end to the rule of Prime Minister Siniora and pushing to bring longtime Syrian influence into the highest levels of government.
Following the Feb. 2005 assassination of the former prime minister, Rafiq Hariri, and the recent murder of a government minister aligned with the anti-Syrian faction, the terror organization is openly increasing its efforts to spread its Syrian influence on the country.
Syria announced a while ago that it had withdrawn her forces from Lebanon, including intelligence officers based throughout the country. However, the White House and Israel continue to accuse Damascus of seeking to overshadow the government and dictate policy – seeking to advance the agenda of radical Islamic elements, backed heavily by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Ahmadinejad met in Qatar over the weekend with PA (Palestinian Authority) Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. The Iranian, working to increase his influence with the Hamas-led PA government, assured Haniyeh that Israel would soon be destroyed.
Despite a statement from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert following the Second Lebanon War that Hizbullah was set back considerably by Israel’s unexpected retaliation this past summer, intelligence community officials are signaling that with Iranian assistance, Syrian involvement and Russian technology, the terror organization continues to pose a threat to Israel and is capable of renewing strikes at any time.
Hizbullah’s new open campaign to overrun Lebanon is seen as a regional threat not only to Israel, but to more moderate Arab nations including Egypt and Jordan. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak issued a statement over the weekend expressing his concerns over the possible takeover. He said that regional instability could result from Hizbullah efforts, and warned that Lebanon may become a battleground.
Today (Sunday) marks day three of Hizbullah protests in Beirut, with Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah and deputy leader Sheikh Naim Kassam vowing to continue protests towards achieving their goal: toppling the current administration headed by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
Hizbullah launched this stage of its campaign intended to bring the country to elections on Friday. Hizbullah leaders announced they want a coalition government, seeking to bring an end to the rule of Prime Minister Siniora and pushing to bring longtime Syrian influence into the highest levels of government.
Following the Feb. 2005 assassination of the former prime minister, Rafiq Hariri, and the recent murder of a government minister aligned with the anti-Syrian faction, the terror organization is openly increasing its efforts to spread its Syrian influence on the country.
Syria announced a while ago that it had withdrawn her forces from Lebanon, including intelligence officers based throughout the country. However, the White House and Israel continue to accuse Damascus of seeking to overshadow the government and dictate policy – seeking to advance the agenda of radical Islamic elements, backed heavily by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Ahmadinejad met in Qatar over the weekend with PA (Palestinian Authority) Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. The Iranian, working to increase his influence with the Hamas-led PA government, assured Haniyeh that Israel would soon be destroyed.
Despite a statement from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert following the Second Lebanon War that Hizbullah was set back considerably by Israel’s unexpected retaliation this past summer, intelligence community officials are signaling that with Iranian assistance, Syrian involvement and Russian technology, the terror organization continues to pose a threat to Israel and is capable of renewing strikes at any time.
Hizbullah’s new open campaign to overrun Lebanon is seen as a regional threat not only to Israel, but to more moderate Arab nations including Egypt and Jordan. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak issued a statement over the weekend expressing his concerns over the possible takeover. He said that regional instability could result from Hizbullah efforts, and warned that Lebanon may become a battleground.