U.S. Called Ready to See Hezbollah in Lebanon Role

[sr_pacifica]

STEVEN R. WEISMAN

Published: March 10, 2005


WASHINGTON, March 9 - After years of campaigning against Hezbollah, the radical Shiite Muslim party in Lebanon, as a terrorist pariah, the Bush administration is grudgingly going along with efforts by France and the United Nations to steer the party into the Lebanese political mainstream, administration officials say.

The administration's shift was described by American, European and United Nations officials as a reluctant recognition that Hezbollah, besides having a militia and sponsoring attacks on Israelis, is an enormous political force in Lebanon that could block Western efforts to get Syria to withdraw its troops.

<snip>

Many European officials and Arab diplomats say there has been a backlash in the region against the recent American attacks on Syria and demands for a Syrian troop withdrawal, particularly the administration's claim that anti-Syrian protests in Lebanon vindicate Mr. Bush's call for democracy in the Middle East.

"Why don't they realize that once America makes a case for something, the Middle East will go in the opposite direction?" said an Arab diplomat, asking not to be identified as criticizing the administration. "Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, but now its hand is strengthened because of American opposition."

More at: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/10/politics/10diplo.html

[bemildred]

1. This is new.

Did they realize they shot themselves in the foot, and decide
to put a nice face on it?

[blogbear]

2. This Won't End Up Being

A walk in the park.

[umtalal]

3. They US could not "manufacture consent" in the Arab world. Not bloody likely

[Up2Late]

4. O.K. Isn't a bit early for an April Fool's Day joke?

I can just hear Scotty tomorrow at the WH briefing.

WOOPS!?!

[Melynn]

8. Scotty is going to miss Jeff Gannon

and Jeff's softball questions.

[rodeodance]

5. U.S. Called Ready to See Hezbollah in Lebanon Role

I do not think the WH counted on the Hezbollah making a scene as they did-but looks like we are going to play ball with this group.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/10/politics/10diplo.html?th

March 10, 2005
U.S. Called Ready to See Hezbollah in Lebanon Role
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN

WASHINGTON, March 9 - After years of campaigning against Hezbollah, the radical Shiite Muslim party in Lebanon, as a terrorist pariah, the Bush administration is grudgingly going along with efforts by France and the United Nations to steer the party into the Lebanese political mainstream, administration officials say.

The administration's shift was described by American, European and United Nations officials as a reluctant recognition that Hezbollah, besides having a militia and sponsoring attacks on Israelis, is an enormous political force in Lebanon that could block Western efforts to get Syria to withdraw its troops.

On Tuesday, Hezbollah showed its clout by sponsoring one of the biggest demonstrations of recent Lebanese history, bringing hundreds of thousands of largely Shiite supporters into central Beirut to support the party's alliance with Syria and, by extension, the presence in Lebanon of 14,000 Syrian troops.

Lebanon's political crisis deepened Wednesday when Parliament renominated the pro-Syrian prime minister nine days after he resigned under pressure from street demonstrations. If opposition leaders refuse to join his transitional government, tension over the rules for elections in May and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from the country will be high. ......

[LynnTheDem]

6. Fastest bush Flip-Flop Ever.

:D

[malaise]

7. Would someone, anyone

tell me how political decision-making in any state outside of the US is the business of the American government. Who decided that the US is the only sovereign state on this planet and when. I really need to know.

[Wright Patman]

11. Every president does this

He gets tired of messing with Congress, which usually passes all of any president's agenda it ever will in the first few years of his first term.

So all that's left to do is jack with the rest of the world. Of course, Chimpy is a little different in that he LIHOP/MIHOP'ed a way to jack with the world after only nine months in office.

At least Clinton didn't start a useless war until his next-to-last year in office and you could tell he wasn't really enthusiastic about it was. It was Mad Maddy Albright who wanted to kill all the Serbs. She made a neocon-style statement to Colin Powell once along the lines of "what's the use of having this marvelous military if we can never use it?"

I predict within a few years after the economy REALLY collapses and is not just in a slow-motion swirl waiting to go down the toilet, the rest of the world will be able to rest easier. However, there is always the chance that, seeing no way out of the economic morass, Cheney just decided to launch all the nukes, come out of his bunker in a few months and get to work with Halliburton on the rebuilding contracts.

[LynnTheDem]

12. Who decided? America.

How is it US's biz what natives in Fiji use for birth control?

That's because, as our infrastructure and our infant mortality and our literacy rates are at 3rd world levels and we have more citizens in jail per capita than any other nation on the planet and no longer lead in medical research & technology and are the only 'modern' nation who still executes people and as we lose our edge on military defense technology and our standard of living declines while our debt grows and our poverty class increases and our middle class disappears and our hospitals pull the plug if you can't pay and the State joins the Police and as world dislike of us grows while our safety shrinks and our economy tanks...none of that matters because

WE'RE THE BEST WE'RE THE GREATEST WE'RE THE FREE-EST RAHRAHRAH!

WE'RE THE BEST WE'RE THE GREATEST WE'RE THE FREE-EST RAHRAHRAH!

WE'RE THE BEST WE'RE THE GREATEST WE'RE THE FREE-EST RAHRAHRAH!

WE'RE THE BEST WE'RE THE GREATEST WE'RE THE FREE-EST RAHRAHRAH!

WE'RE THE BEST WE'RE THE GREATEST WE'RE THE FREE-EST RAHRAHRAH!

[Warren Stupidity]

9. 500,000 to 70,000

Somebody had a koolaid hangover. It turns out that Lebanon is not a simple situation at all, way over bush and the neoclown's big hammer approach to foreign policy.

I know, how about the lebanese use their democratic institutions to decide if the Syrian peacekeeping force ought to stay or ought to go?

[Vladimir]

10. The incompetence is sensational

this ain't Georgia baby...

[Up2Late]

13. (Reuters)Update:U.S. Ready to Accept Hizbollah, New York Times Says

Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:46 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a major foreign policy shift, the Bush administration is ready to accept long-time pariah and militant group Hizbollah as a player in mainstream politics in Lebanon, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

:hi:The story was swiftly disputed by the Bush administration, which said its policy was unchanged. :hi:

Seen for decades by the United States as a terrorist group, Hizbollah this week sponsored one of the biggest pro-Syrian demonstrations ever seen in Lebanon.

U.S., European and United Nations officials told The New York Times the United States reluctantly recognized that besides having a militia and sponsoring attacks on Israelis, Hizbollah was a huge political force in Lebanon that could block Western efforts to get Syria to withdraw its troops.

[NNN0LHI]

14. U.S. Would Accept Hizbollah Role if It Disarms

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7869278

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration would accept a political role for the Lebanese group Hizbollah if it disarmed, U.S. officials said on Thursday, a stance they said was not new but reflected recognition of the political clout of the militant Shi'ite Muslim organization.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice carefully avoided the stock U.S. phrase that Hizbollah is a terrorist organization in remarks to reporters, two days after Hizbollah showed its political power by drawing hundreds of thousands of people to central Beirut for a pro-Syria rally.

But she insisted that "the American view of Hizbollah has not changed" and other U.S. officials were quick to call the group a terrorist organization.

Rice said U.S. policy was focused on getting Syria to pull its 14,000 troops and its intelligence personnel from Lebanon so the country can have parliamentary elections in May without outside interference.

more

[Avalux]

15. This is insane

who died and made the US in charge of the world? I guess the Lebanese

have no say in the matters of their own country. I just want to scream

every time I hear "elections without outside interference".

[shraby]

17. Demanding that they have "elections

without outside interference" BE outside interference by the U.S.?

[bemildred]

20. Well, it's certainly stupid.

Hezbollah ain't going to disarm.

[Up2Late]

21. Jon Stewart said on "The Daily Show" last night...

..."I'm really think their foreign policy goal, is to spread 'Irony' through out the world..."

Go to this link, then click on the clip called "YaHoo Syria" if you want to see it, or they will be replaying last nights show tonight
at 11:30pm EST, after tonights show at 11:00pm EST.

<http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/thedailyshowwithjonstewart/>

[Avalux]

22. thanks!

:hi:

[Tempest]

16. Bush is negotiating with terrorists

I wonder what the freepers think about that.

[UTUSN]

18. Why, Isn't National Self-defense Cited as the Reason for Our 2nd Amendment

[ConcernedCanuk]

19. * * * * Canada would accept US role if it disarms * * * *

.
.
.

now THERE's an idea!!!

:bounce: