contact
Main
Contact Me

about
About RightWing NutHouse

Site Stats

blog radio



Amazon Honor System Click Here to Pay Learn More

testimonials

"Brilliant"
(Romeo St. Martin of Politics Watch-Canada)

"The epitome of a blogging orgasm"
(Cao of Cao's Blog)

"Rick Moran is one of the finest essayists in the blogosphere. ‘Nuff said. "
(Dave Schuler of The Glittering Eye)

archives
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004

search



blogroll

A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT
ABBAGAV
ACE OF SPADES
ALPHA PATRIOT
AM I A PUNDIT NOW
AMERICAN FUTURE
AMERICAN THINKER
ANCHORESS
AND RIGHTLY SO
ANDREW OLMSTED
ANKLEBITING PUNDITS
AREOPAGITICA
ATLAS SHRUGS
BACKCOUNTRY CONSERVATIVE
BASIL’S BLOG
BEAUTIFUL ATROCITIES
BELGRAVIA DISPATCH
BELMONT CLUB
BETSY’S PAGE
Blacksmiths of Lebanon
Blogs of War
BLUEY BLOG
BRAINSTERS BLOG
BUZZ MACHINE
CANINE PUNDIT
CAO’S BLOG
CAPTAINS QUARTERS
CATHOUSE CHAT
CHRENKOFF
CINDY SHEEHAN WATCH
Classical Values
Cold Fury
COMPOSITE DRAWLINGS
CONSERVATHINK
CONSERVATIVE THINK
CONTENTIONS
DAVE’S NOT HERE
DEANS WORLD
DICK McMICHAEL
Diggers Realm
DR. SANITY
E-CLAIRE
EJECT! EJECT! EJECT!
ELECTRIC VENOM
ERIC’S GRUMBLES BEFORE THE GRAVE
ESOTERICALLY.NET
FAUSTA’S BLOG
FLIGHT PUNDIT
FOURTH RAIL
FRED FRY INTERNATIONAL
GALLEY SLAVES
GATES OF VIENNA
HEALING IRAQ
http://blogcritics.org/
HUGH HEWITT
IMAO
INDEPUNDIT
INSTAPUNDIT
IOWAHAWK
IRAQ THE MODEL
JACKSON’S JUNCTION
JO’S CAFE
JOUST THE FACTS
KING OF FOOLS
LASHAWN BARBER’S CORNER
LASSOO OF TRUTH
LIBERTARIAN LEANINGS
LITTLE GREEN FOOTBALLS
LITTLE MISS ATTILA
LIVE BREATHE AND DIE
LUCIANNE.COM
MAGGIE’S FARM
MEMENTO MORON
MESOPOTAMIAN
MICHELLE MALKIN
MIDWEST PROGNOSTICATOR
MODERATELY THINKING
MOTOWN BLOG
MY VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY
mypetjawa
NaderNow
Neocon News
NEW SISYPHUS
NEW WORLD MAN
Northerncrown
OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY
PATRIOTIC MOM
PATTERICO’S PONTIFICATIONS
POLIPUNDIT
POLITICAL MUSINGS
POLITICAL TEEN
POWERLINE
PRO CYNIC
PUBLIUS FORUM
QUESTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS
RACE42008
RADICAL CENTRIST
Ravenwood’s Universe
RELEASE THE HOUNDS
RIGHT FROM LEFT
RIGHT VOICES
RIGHT WING NEWS
RIGHTFAITH
RIGHTWINGSPARKLE
ROGER L. SIMON
SHRINKRAPPED
Six Meat Buffet
Slowplay.com
SOCAL PUNDIT
SOCRATIC RYTHM METHOD
STOUT REPUBLICAN
TERRORISM UNVEILED
TFS MAGNUM
THE ART OF THE BLOG
THE BELMONT CLUB
The Conservative Cat
THE DONEGAL EXPRESS
THE LIBERAL WRONG-WING
THE LLAMA BUTCHERS
THE MAD PIGEON
THE MODERATE VOICE
THE PATRIETTE
THE POLITBURO DIKTAT
THE PRYHILLS
THE RED AMERICA
THE RESPLENDENT MANGO
THE RICK MORAN SHOW
THE SMARTER COP
THE SOAPBOX
THE STRATA-SPHERE
THE STRONG CONSERVATIVE
THE SUNNYE SIDE
THE VIVID AIR
THOUGHTS ONLINE
TIM BLAIR
TRANSATLANTIC INTELLIGENCER
TRANSTERRESTRIAL MUSINGS
TYGRRRR EXPRESS
VARIFRANK
VIKING PUNDIT
VINCE AUT MORIRE
VODKAPUNDIT
WALLO WORLD
WIDE AWAKES
WIZBANG
WUZZADEM
ZERO POINT BLOG


recentposts


CONSERVATIVES BEWITCHED, BOTHERED, AND BEWILDERED

WHY I NO LONGER ALLOW COMMENTS

IS JOE THE PLUMBER FAIR GAME?

TIME TO FORGET MCCAIN AND FIGHT FOR THE FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE

A SHORT, BUT PIQUANT NOTE, ON KNUCKLEDRAGGERS

THE RICK MORAN SHOW: STATE OF THE RACE

BLACK NIGHT RIDERS TERRORIZING OUR POLITICS

HOW TO STEAL OHIO

IF ELECTED, OBAMA WILL BE MY PRESIDENT

MORE ON THOSE “ANGRY, RACIST GOP MOBS”

REZKO SINGING: OBAMA SWEATING?

ARE CONSERVATIVES ANGRIER THAN LIBERALS?

OBAMA IS NOT A SOCIALIST

THE NINE PERCENTERS

THE RICK MORAN SHOW: MCCAIN’S GETTYSBURG

AYERS-OBAMA: THE VOTERS DON’T CARE

THAT SINKING FEELING

A DEATH IN THE FAMILY

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY INSANE: THE MOTHER OF ALL BIDEN GAFFES

PALIN PROVED SHE BELONGS

A FRIEND IN NEED

THE RICK MORAN SHOW: VP DEBATE PREVIEW

FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

‘Unleash’ Palin? Get Real

‘OUTRAGE FATIGUE’ SETTING IN


categories

"24" (96)
ABLE DANGER (10)
Bird Flu (5)
Blogging (200)
Books (10)
CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (68)
Caucasus (1)
CHICAGO BEARS (32)
CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (28)
Cindy Sheehan (13)
Decision '08 (290)
Election '06 (7)
Ethics (173)
Financial Crisis (8)
FRED! (28)
General (378)
GOP Reform (23)
Government (123)
History (166)
Homeland Security (8)
IMMIGRATION REFORM (21)
IMPEACHMENT (1)
Iran (81)
IRAQI RECONCILIATION (13)
KATRINA (27)
Katrina Timeline (4)
Lebanon (8)
Marvin Moonbat (14)
Media (184)
Middle East (134)
Moonbats (80)
NET NEUTRALITY (2)
Obama-Rezko (14)
OBAMANIA! (73)
Olympics (5)
Open House (1)
Palin (6)
PJ Media (37)
Politics (651)
Presidential Debates (7)
RNC (1)
S-CHIP (1)
Sarah Palin (1)
Science (45)
Space (21)
Sports (2)
SUPER BOWL (7)
Supreme Court (24)
Technology (1)
The Caucasus (1)
The Law (14)
The Long War (7)
The Rick Moran Show (127)
UNITED NATIONS (15)
War on Terror (330)
WATCHER'S COUNCIL (117)
WHITE SOX (4)
Who is Mr. Hsu? (7)
Wide Awakes Radio (8)
WORLD CUP (9)
WORLD POLITICS (74)
WORLD SERIES (16)


meta

Admin Login
Register
Valid XHTML
XFN







credits


Design by:


Hosted by:


Powered by:
11/21/2006
ASSASSIN STRIKES AT SINIORA GOVERNMENT (UPDATED)
CATEGORY: Middle East

The Associated Press is reporting (and the Daily Star confirms) that Lebanon’s Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was killed by gunmen near Beirut on Tuesday. Gemayel was the son of former President Amin Gemayel, a respected politician and participant in the National Dialogue which until recently, sought to avert a crisis by negotiations with Hizbullah over a new “unity” government.

The choice of the younger Gemayel as a target was no accident. It sends an absolutely clear signal to the rest of Prime Minister Siniora’s cabinet, written in blood, that no one – not even the Prime Minister himself – is safe:

His fatal shooting will certainly heighten the political tension in Lebanon, where the leading Muslim Shiite party Hezbollah has threatened to topple the government if he does not get a bigger say in Cabinet decision making.

Gemayel was rushed to a nearby hospital seriously wounded, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. and Voice of Lebanon, the Phalange Party mouthpiece reported.

The party later announced that he was dead.

Crude, but effective. I doubt whether Nasrallah himself knew in advance. He doesn’t want civil strife. He’s willing to threaten it but when it comes right down to it, he would prefer to swallow Lebanon whole rather than pick up the pieces after a ruinous civil war.

That doesn’t mean that Nasrallah won’t use his militia to foment a crisis in the streets. But he is hoping that the pressure he can put on the March 14th Forces coupled with international pressure on Siniora to give in to his demands will give him what he wants without a messy sectarian conflict.

No. This attack has Syria’s stink all over it. It’s exactly the kind of crude message that Syria sent by assassinating Rafiq Hariri; oppose Syria and you die. I’m not sure what this will mean politically. Too many boxes within boxes to sort out. Nasrallah will deny involvement to the heavens and perhaps even accuse the government of carrying out the assassination in order to undercut his position with the people. The March 14th Forces must tread carefully lest they be seen as taking political advantage of the death of a member of a much beloved family in Lebanon. And the Christian Phalange party may seek retribution against the Shias – a disastrous turn of events if that occurs.

Nothing will happen until the funeral. We should get a better idea of how things are shaking out then.

In the meantime, the International Tribunal should expand its mandate to include an investigating into this murder as well. Until Syria is brought to account for the murder of Hariri and other anti-Syrian journalists and politicians, the Lebanese people will never really be free. They will always be looking over their shoulder, waiting to see what Syria might do to rob them of their nationhood.

UPDATE: METHINKS THEY DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH

Both Syria and Hizbullah have condemned the killing:

Syria on Tuesday condemned the assassination of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, calling the shooting of the anti-Syrian Christian politician in Beirut a “despicable crime.”

The official news agency Sana said in a statement, “This is a crime aimed at destabilizing Lebanon… Syria is careful about preserving Lebanon’s security, unity and civil peace.”

SANA also quoted an anonymous official as saying, “This despicable crime aims to destroy stability and peace in Lebanon.”

The pro-Syrian Hezbollah party in Lebanon also came out against the murder. Hezbollah member Ahmed Melli told Al-Jazeera television, “We strongly condemn and denounce this killing. It was carried out by those forces who want to harm the future of Lebanon.”

Please note that the Syrian statement about preserving Lebanon’s “security, unity and civil peace” does not include the term “independence.”

This makes 5 prominent anti-Syrian Lebanese murdered over the last 2 years:

Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed in a massive car bombing in February 2005. The journalist and activist Samir Kassir and former Communist Party leader George Hawi were killed in separate car bombings in June last year in addition to lawmaker and newspaper manager Gibran Tueni was killed in a car bombing in December.

Tueni was publisher of the largest Arab daily newspaper in Lebanon, An Nahar and was a much beloved figure. And that list doesn’t include 3 or 4 others who have been wounded in assassination attempts including a very popular female TV reporter.

UPDATE II

Via Malkin, a great article by Daily Star Opinion Editor Michael Young in the Wall Street Journal today that calls for Syria to be punished for the Hariri asssassination:

The Iraq Study Group’s report, expected in the coming weeks, will possibly include such an invitation. Syria’s Lebanese foes fear they will pay if the U.S. and Damascus cut a deal.
If so, it wouldn’t be the first time for Mr. Baker. In 1990, he was a leading light in President George H.W. Bush’s administration, which ceded Lebanon to Syria in exchange for President Hafez Assad’s agreement to be part of the international coalition against Iraq. An inveterate “realist,” Mr. Baker is not likely to balk at negotiating with Mr. Assad if it means the U.S. can buy some peace of mind as it transforms its presence in Iraq. His proposal is unpopular at the White House, and last week Mr. Bush made that known to Mr. Baker and his colleagues. However, because of his electoral defeat, the president, pressed by a Congress avidly searching for new ideas, might find less latitude to ignore Syria down the road.

Unless, of course, the U.N. incriminates Syrian officials in the Hariri murder. That Mr. Assad realizes the fatal implications of this connection was evident when British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently sent a senior adviser, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, to Damascus for a chat. The visit, reportedly approved by Washington, aimed to see if Syria could be enticed away from Iran. If The Economist is correct, and the magazine spoke to Mr. Sheinwald upon his return, the Syrian president has four conditions: an end to the Hariri investigation, a guarantee that the U.S. would not undermine his regime, a return of Syrian influence in Lebanon, and the handing back of the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel in 1967. No doubt Mr. Assad would demand much the same from the U.S. if it ran to Damascus to “engage” him on Iraq, assuming the Syrian leader would consider conceding to Washington in a moment of strength what he refused when he was weak.

The key is the Tribunal. All else becomes impossible for Assad if the Syrian government is implicated in the Hariri killing. Syria would become an international pariah and Assad himself might find himself on the outs.

I have a feeling that things are going to go south very soon in Lebanon.

By: Rick Moran at 9:58 am
10 Responses to “ASSASSIN STRIKES AT SINIORA GOVERNMENT (UPDATED)”
  1. 1
    “7.62mm Justice” » Lebanese Christian Leader Killed Pinged With:
    10:42 am 

    [...] Right Wing Nuthouse [...]

  2. 2
    Michelle Malkin Trackbacked With:
    11:58 am 

    Not again: Lebanese Christian official assassinated

    ***scroll for updates…US denounces assassination….Saad Hariri, Rafik’s son and leader of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority: “”We believe the hand of Syria is all over the place”...*** This is the big news of the day. Or rather, in a non-O….

  3. 3
    Blogs of War Trackbacked With:
    12:33 pm 

    Anti-Syrian Lebanese Minister Pierre Gemayel Assassinated

    [Developing]
    It’s getting very tense in Lebanon:
    Industry Minister and Christian leader Pierre Gemayel was gunned down as his convoy drove through the Christian Sin el-Fil neighbourhood.
    The shooting comes at a time when Lebanese political and se…

  4. 4
    T. Anonymous Said:
    1:28 pm 

    1.Pierre Gmayil got assassinated today 11/21/2006. What intrigued me and almost came as a SHOCK to me was the method he was killed and the preparation that happened to it.
    He was killed using guns with silencers, what’s shocking is Nasrallah claimed almost a month ago that they intercepted information about silencers are being shipped to the American embassy in Lebanon! They have been planning this method of assassinations quite a while ago, and Hizbullah has been aware of this method.
    They are going to use that in the next week as evidence that the kill was made by US in Lebanon to destabilize and gain emotional reaction from the Christians. The pro-syrian forced president Emile Lahoud said in his response to the assassination that it is another ring in the murderers that have started with Rafik Hariri.
    This is going to be a big dish delivered to us soon to deal with. I hope the American administration is already aware of this attempt and use the right methods to counter-act it.

  5. 5
    Right Voices » Blog Archive » Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Hezbollah..Oh My! Pinged With:
    8:59 pm 

    [...] Rick Moran: “I have a feeling that things are going to go south very soon in Lebanon.” [...]

  6. 6
    Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » The Syria Assassination Pinged With:
    9:03 pm 

    [...] Rightwing Nuthouse [...]

  7. 7
    The Regulator Said:
    10:55 pm 

    Condemnations abound, you don’t really believe Syria & Hizbullah’s “condemnations” ? When will the West stop falling for Islamic double speak. Arafat used “condemn” terrorist activity all the time, all the while perpetrating it in the background. No the West will keep lapping it up even so far as to sit down with Syria and Iran for help in Iraq. I guess we have forgotten we’ve been in a state of war with Iran since back in the 70”s..they said but I guess the wizards of the West don’t believe them.

    http://highmindedlunacy.townhall.com

  8. 8
    Joust The Facts Trackbacked With:
    11:21 pm 

    Furtive Glances – “Thaw The Bird” Edition

    Okay, I’m back from my football weekend, and just beginning to recover from TMF (too much fun). After a busy workday today, I began to peruse the stories out there, and here are some links and some thoughts. Six Muslim

  9. 9
    Jim Jarman Said:
    11:00 am 

    Does anyone actually believe the U.N. will do anything about the assassination of Lebanese Pres.? Probably their usual harsh letter and the same thing from Condi. So what? If the US doesn’t do anything about the Iranian or N. Korean nukes why would they act against Syria?

  10. 10
    Michelle Malkin » Not again: Lebanese Christian official assassinated Pinged With:
    11:39 am 

    [...] Rick Moran: “I have a feeling that things are going to go south very soon in Lebanon.” [...]

RSS feed for comments on this post.

The URI to Trackback this entry:
http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/11/21/assassin-strikes-at-siniora-government/trackback/

Leave a comment