Lebanese News and Updates – Telegram
Lebanese News and Updates
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Covering Lebanon and occasionally MENA's conflicts. And currently, the war in Palestine.
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-- Protestors in Tripoli burnt a Lebanese army transport vehicle.

An act that can be labeled under domestic terrorism.
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-- The moment the group of protesters/terrorists attacked the army with rocks and then molotovs.
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-- Protesters are now going to protest under the house of ex Prime minister and billionaire Najib Mikati.

Najib took millions in zero interest loans and bankrupted the only way that assists the youth to get loans to buy a house. He took loans in his name and every single member of his family.
-- Statement by the Lebanese Army: the protests in Tripoli have been infiltrated by agitators, army vehicles have been set ablaze with Molotov cocktails and an army patrol unit has been targeted with a hand grenade.

Two Lebanese army soldiers were injuried. We ask the people to leave the streets now.
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-- The injured protester didn't die, and he's in the hospital now.
-- Lebanon: About 20 injuries including 4 soldiers in the northern city of Tripoli tonight during protests, according to local health authorities.

No deaths, contrary to some reports. The injuries are NOT from bullets.
🇮🇱-- IDF jets are reported over Sidon city.
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-- Relative calmness is restored in Al Nour square in Tripoli.
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-- Protesters in Mazraat Yachoua in Al Matn area blocked the main road.
-- All rumors about military clashes between Hezbullah and Amal are fake. All rumors about Hezbullah on alert are fake.
-- All MTC users are reporting a halt in 4G services and other services.

According to some it's just a software update.

Note: MTC is the mobile telecommunication carrier's name.
-- Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces to protesters: “Be as you were when you began, watched and admired by different peoples [around the world].”

They are talking about the shift to violence being unacceptable.
-- From yesterday's clashes with the army.

We should remind the people on the streets now to avoid the nonsense of attacking the army or calling it names. The army has a duty to stop the vandalism of public property let alone people throwing molotovs.

When the army was under the command of bad leaders pre 2000 it killed several protesters who were protesting against Israel in Dahyeh and no one was allowed to fire back or call them names. Beware disorder.
🇫🇷-- French FM called Lebanese PM Hassan Diab, expressed France’s support for Lebanese gov’t reform program, Paris’ readiness to help Lebanon w/IMF.

French FM also told Lebanese PM Diab that France intends to convene meeting of International Support Group for Lebanon as soon as Coronavirus lockdown procedures are lifted.
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-- Internal Security forces distributed masks to protesters.

All these protests are against the MOH regulations that are aimed to counter COVID-19. However as Lebanon came close to ending COVID-19, restrictions were eased.
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-- A Lebanese Army Commandos group is heading towards Tripoli.
🇺🇸 U.S. Embassy:

The frustration of the Lebanese people over the economic crisis is understandable, and the demands of protesters are justified. But incidents of violence, threats, and destruction of property are deeply concerning, and must stop.

We encourage peaceful conduct and restraint by all, as well as continued vigilance in social distancing in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. Ambassador Dorothy C. Shea
#InThisTogether
-- Cabinet has assigned to the Finance Ministry the task to request the Central Bank to prepare regulations for financial transfers abroad.
-- Between yesterday and today 54 Lebanese army soldiers were injuried and 13 rioters were arrested.
🛑🛑 I'm going to make a small summary to help all non Lebanese and some Lebanese here have a better understanding of the situation in Lebanon from 1990 to 2020 and the role of Hezbullah, Israel, the Gulf, and the west (might not). Some Lebanese here might disagree with some points and some from the west could view things slightly differently but here I am going to give my understanding of the situation after having thoroughly for years reading and analyzing the situation and as someone who lived through 2/3 of it.

Regardless who fought who in the Lebanese civil war and regardless who got aided by what nation or country, the war ended in early 1990 with the war lords, who are at the same time religious sect leaders, announcing a cease fire and giving up their weapons to the government that was united with the exodus of the self proclaimed president Michel Aoun who was then the head of the army and the prisonment of the leader of the Lebanese forces Samir Gaegae.

Before explaining now what happened after 1990-1992 i should like any movie introduce you to our characters. Michel Aoun was the head of the Lebanese army, or at least one of the 3 Lebanese armies that split due to sectarian reasons. Michel Aoun fought Syria and the Lebanese forces.

Samir Gaegae was the leader of the Lebanese Forces (Christian), an Israeli backed and trained militia, formed as the military branch of the Kataeb party that was founded in the late 1930's. Both are phalangist parties that aimed to create a Christian Lebanon. Lebanese forces fought with Israel and others against other Christians Muslims and Palestinians. They have a long history of massacres.

Nabih berri is shia lawyer and then politicians who took control of the Amal movement militia that was created to fight Israel in 1975 by the disappeared Sayyed Moussa Al Sadr in Libya. Nabih berri then led the Amal movement into the civil war against Kataeb and against Palestinians themselves. He was backed by Syria and answered for Syria for a long period.

Walid Joumblat a Druze militia leader who led the Druze during the civil war against Maronites and others. He had very extreme anti Christian stand and allied with Israel when he was not fighting them. He changed sides more than anyone in the whole war. He was backed by Syria then became anti Syria.

Rafic Al Hariri is a Sunni Lebanese Saudi French politician that did not participate in the civil war but was backed by the KSA (Saudi Arabia) to buy his way into politics. He by the end of the war bankrolled a large number of the sides including the president himself (Elias Al Lihrawi).

So going to 1992 its time to rebuild Lebanon, or at least the part that is not occupied by Israel because who cares about that right? South Lebanon has always been considered a 3rd tier area in this third world country. However to rebuild you need cash and international support and the only one who has that now is Rafic Al Hariri. To do so something called Solidere was created. It basically meant forcing Lebanese to sell their properties cheap to the government and the government will rebuilt above them new Beirut that is now called downtown Beirut. Yeah it was rebuilt beautifully but it’s a ghost town now with only a hotel still standing from pre 1992 who refused to sell. Not only did the property of people get stolen but rather the government itself got sold to rich war lords. The Shia got a part of the pie in the name of Nabih Berri the parliament speaker, the Sunnis got part of the pie in the name of Rafic Al Hariri the prime minister, and Walid Joumblat the head of the Druze got a big part of the pie. The Christian part of the pie was not as big due to the civil war. The telecommunication sector? was sold or operated by rich politicians like ex prime minister Miqati. The seaside? was sold as private property. The government lands? sold. Even all government employees were chosen according to political affiliation.
What happened simply is that the war lords gave up arms and ended the war by taking a piece of the government. Samir Gaegae was in Prison serving for his massacres and for killing the Prime minister and the family of another Christian politician Frangieh. Michel Aoun was expelled to France. In summary they considered the government as a bounty and all of this happened through laws they themselves placed. Hariri controlled the economy and created the economical model we know today. This is why it is called the Haririte policies.
So for those asking where is Hezbullah? Hezbullah since the 1981 was busy fighting Israel in south Lebanon that first invaded in 1978 and then in 1982. They did not participate in the civil war and the only internal battle they fought was against Amal. It was a battle between Syria and Iran. Syria wanted to control all of the resistance groups in Lebanon and even by force once killing 19 Hezbullah in an infamous massacre called Fathallah Barracks massacre. The relationship between Syria and Hezbullah changed in 1996 when Hafez Al Assad understood Hezbullah and their real potential and believes. Hezbullah then stayed outside of politics till 1996 when it entered the parliament. It never entered into any government cabinet until 2005. Hezbullah was never part of the new post civil war Lebanon and was busy with liberating South Lebanon. He stayed alone doing so while all others were taking part of the cake.

So here comes 2005 and Rafic Al Hariri gets killed by a car bomb. At first Syria was blamed and this led to the green revolution that ousted Syria outside Lebanon. Hariri’s party that was pro Syria became anti Syria. Joumblat’s party who was pro Syria became anti Syria and so on. Lebanon entered into a new phase and started to shift into a new era. After Syria was ousted an international court came to investigate. The first alleged results led to the imprisonment of the heads of the intelligence branches in Lebanon based on evidence that was later proved to be fake. They were imprisoned for four years and then set free. Then after Syria was out and they were cleared the court blamed Hezbullah. Hezbullah did not comment on the subject and said we don’t even considered the court trustable anymore. This led to huge tension and almost led to a sectarian problem in Lebanon. Hezbullah was isolated and the new war on terror by the USA was ongoing. Later in 2010 Hezbullah showed the public drone footage it hacked from Israel showing Israel spying on Rafic Al Hariri. Back in 2004-2005 hariri started to get close to Hezbullah.
Hezbullah was just out of the 2000 liberation and moved from defense to rebuilding the south and preparing for a new war with Israel. With this new complication and internal isolation Hezbullah was sit put with occasional Israeli assassination of its leaders like the 2004 assassination. With Syria going outside Lebanon and the Anti Syria camp controlling the government with no balance it was tough years. Then 2006 war came and the IDF along with the USA have set the plans to end Hezbullah. The American president said it, the foreign secretary said it, “A new world order, the New Middle East”. After Iraq and Afghanistan and Lebanon, Syria and Iran were next. During this war the Lebanese politicians supported the new age and wiki leaks leaked all their words to the Americans where they were supporting the war and the will to end Hezbullah. It was a scandal. But the war ended, Hezbullah won, and he did not ask to punish any and just said I gift this victory to all.
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