After a few years of relative quiet, the political pot in troublesome   
   Lebanon is being stirred up once again. If you know anything about this   
   country, then you will realize that its recent history has been anything but   
   peaceful. It has been the site of fierce battles waged between the Israelis   
   and the Palestinians, between the Israelis and Hezbollah, and between the   
   Lebanese themselves during their fifteen-year-long civil war, which left   
   an estimated 130,000 to 250,000 people dead, displaced the Christian   
   Lebanese population, and resulted in Syrian forces entrenching themselves   
   even deeper in the country.   
      
   Much of Lebanon's post civil war recovery was due to the efforts of Lebanese   
   businessman and philanthropist Rafik Hariri, whose own fortunes grew rapidly   
   after endearing himself to the Saudi royal family through a major   
   construction venture. Upon his return to Lebanon, Hariri slowly became   
   involved in Lebanese politics, and finally became prime minister in 1992,   
   and then again in 2000. Hariri strongly supported both Hezbollah -- the   
   so-called "Party of God" -- as well as Syrian forces in Lebanon, because he   
   believed that they served as a strong deterrent against Israeli aggression.   
      
   Following Hariri's unresolved assassination in February of 2005 by radical   
   elements possibly aligned with the Syrian government and Hezbollah, the   
   premiership passed hands several times before being won by Hariri's second   
   son, Saad, in 2009. Saad Hariri's victory was won in large part because,   
   unlike his father, he believed in Lebanon's independence and sovereignty   
   over all of its territories, without Syrian interference. It was in fact   
   through the so-called Cedar Revolution, his leadership of the March 14   
   Alliance coalition which grew out of that uprising, and with support of the   
   Western powers, that the younger Hariri became the new prime minister.   
      
   As a result of the elder Hariri's death, the Cedar Revolution, and the rise   
   to power of Saad Hariri, Syrian forces were eventually pressured into   
   leaving Lebanon. However, in recent years, sources state that the Syrians   
   have found their way back into Lebanon once again.   
      
   From the time of his election until now, Saad Hariri has been involved in an   
   uneasy coalition with Hezbollah and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who have   
   formed a part of his national unity government. In fact, Hezbollah has   
   retained veto power. However, that coalition fell apart this past Wednesday   
   -- January 12th -- when Hezbollah and its allies withdrew from the Lebanese   
   cabinet. The reason? Sources state that the United Nations Tribunal for   
   Lebanon -- which has been investigating the assassination of Rafik Hariri at   
   the insistence of former French President Jacques Chirac, who was a close   
   friend of Rafik Hariri -- is about to disclose that both the Syrian   
   government, as well as Hezbollah, were involved in the death of the elder   
   Hariri.   
      
   For its part, Hezbollah denies the charges, and claims that the Israeli   
   Mossad -- motivated by its desire to see the Syrian army expelled from   
   Lebanon prior to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006 -- was behind   
   Hariri's assassination. Hezbollah has been vehemently opposed to the Special   
   Tribunal, and according to one source, in October of 2010, Hezbollah   
   conducted a drill in which it simulated a takeover of Lebanon. According to   
   the Wikipedia source, this major operation will be carried out in the event   
   that the UN Tribunal indicts Hezbollah in the assassination of Rafik Hariri.   
      
   Whether or not there is any truth to this claim, I honestly do not know.   
   However, while some writers have been quick to promote the sensationalistic   
   viewpoint that Hezbollah would rather tear apart Lebanon with another civil   
   war, rather than face the embarrassment of an expos‚ by the United Nations   
   Tribunal, personally, I am not so certain that this is what is going to   
   happen.   
      
   It is a well-recognized fact that Hezbollah is currently the real power in   
   Lebanon. They have the support of the Lebanonese people, and are respected,   
   due to the many contributions which they have made to Lebanonese society,   
   much like Hamas has done for the Palestinians. Fixing schools, repairing   
   roads, improving government services, opening health clinics, etc., does   
   more to win the hearts of the people, than all of the political rhetoric in   
   the world. Furthermore, the fact that both Hamas and Hezbollah have stood up   
   to the Israelis and the Western powers, is what has endeared them to the   
   people. That being the case, while I could be wrong, I am not so sure that   
   Hezbollah would be willing to throw away all of the progress they have made   
   so quickly. They may very well have some other tactic up their sleeve, in   
   their endeavors to neutralize the threat of the United Nations Special   
   Tribunal report, which may be published very soon. Whatever the UN Tribunal   
   report may reveal, we can be certain that it will be politically-motivated,   
   and will have been greatly influenced by the Western powers which want to   
   bring Hezbollah to its knees.   
      
      
      
   Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23   
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