by Ghassan Kadi for The Saker Blog
It was totally fortuitous that I dedicated a fair chunk of my previous article to the Lebanese journalist Sami Koleib https://10.16.86.131/hezbollah-and-the-basket-of-liberators/ . A cornerstone of the pro Axis of Resistance journalism and a pillar of Al-Mayadin media network is no longer; after he announced his sudden and somehow controversial resignation announcing that “in line with my thoughts, convictions and conscience, I have resigned today from Al-Mayadin network wishing for it continued growth and success” https://www.lebanondebate.com/m3/news/460381
What is of pertinent interest herein is the fact that this resignation came only a couple of days after publishing his article -and which was referred to at length in my previous article- http://180post.com/archives/tag/العقوبات-الأميركية in which he made comments that were seen to be critical of Hezbollah and its leader Chairman Nasrallah.
Some, on the Axis of Resistance side, are rushing to label Mr. Koleib as a traitor, a deserter, or less dramatically perhaps as someone who was easily manipulated, persuaded and swayed to jump ship. I beg to differ, because personally, I put his “critique” in the basket of constructive criticism, and it is in this same spirit that I have independently written a few articles referring to the same and using almost exactly the same argument.
Four lives have thus far been tragically lost in the uprising, but the tally of fallen heads must include that of Koleib, though I don’t believe that his career will end right here and now. He is still fairly young and has many years of good productivity left in him, but his fall from the higher echelons of Al-Mayadin is a direct outcome of his point of view that sees, just like I do, that Hezbollah needs to make some serious and immediate adjustments to its political decisions.
For years leading up to this, one of the biggest meddlers in Lebanese domestic politics was Jeffrey Feltman. Feltman was the American Ambassador in Lebanon from 2004 till 2008. He watched to his horror how Israel was humiliated at the hands of Hezbollah in July 2006, and was unable to do anything about it. His greater horror and dismay was seeing the extremely high popularity rate of Hezbollah amongst the Lebanese populace, how it commanded respect and to witness such a high level of awe and admiration the majority of Lebanese people had for Nasrallah personally. In a display of utter Schadenfreude, Feltman is now gloating over the “shrinking popular support of Hezbollah” within Lebanon as a whole and the Shiite community in specific. https://m.aawsat.com/home/article/2004376/فيلتمان-أكثرية-اللبنانيين-رفضت-الاستماع-لمطالب-نصرالله
What is disappointingly sad about this, is that for the first time ever perhaps, there is a ring of truth to some of the statements the rascal is propagating. It is outcomes like this one, dear readers, which prompted me to write in a manner that some people may not like any more than I do. Only a few weeks ago, I would never have imagined myself whispering in someone’s ear anything that can remotely be seen as a negative statement to do with any actions of Hezbollah let alone being publicly critical of its political stand. But constructive criticism is what friends do when it is necessary. In the past, Feltman was lying when he said that Hezbollah doesn’t represent the majority of Lebanese, but in saying the same now, his words are increasingly reflecting a horrifying trend. This troglodyte who has tried all that was in his power to bring down Hezbollah’s popularity has had this outcome offered to him on a silver platter.
And why did all of this happen, we ask again? It is because Hezbollah is involved in politics, has 11 out of 128 members of the Lebanese Parliaments plus significant number of ministers in all cabinets for the last 20 years or so. In the eyes of the Lebanese, it’s involvement makes it partly responsible for the many failures of the Lebanese administration; corruption included.
Almost concurrently with Feltman’s statement, Trump made an even more audacious statement. The POTUS announced that America will be ready to work with a new Lebanese government that meets the demands of the people. https://www.the961.com/news/trump-united-states-ready-to-work-with-new-lebanese-government-that-meets-the-demands-of-the-people Yes, Lebanon needs a new government and a new style of governance and an end to corruption, but not the American style, not according to what Trump and Feltman want.
Yes, there are serious attempts by the real enemies of Lebanon to infiltrate and hijack the street uprising which they have done already. But what are the genuine Lebanese and pro Axis of Resistance activists and writers supposed to do? Are they to stand against the uprising because it is getting hijacked or are they to remain quiet because criticizing Hezbollah is taboo, or are they to offer sincere advice?
Furthermore, the longer it takes for the uprising to yield results, the higher the chance of further infiltration. Everyone is bleeding. The country has come to a standstill. The nefarious groups are blocking roads making it impossible for business to run. The whole country is in shut-down mode. Banks are not writing letters of credit in US Dollar, which means that for a country that is import dependent, before too long there will be shortages of basic commodities including food supplies. The bigger danger however is in giving the infiltrators more time to plot and make their plots work.
Admittedly, Nasrallah wants a renormalization of civil life as soon as possible. There is no doubt in my mind that he is genuine in his desire, but the basics upon which return to normality have not been agreed upon. Nasrallah is quite aware that Hezbollah has nothing to gain, and possibly much to lose if the protests continue unabated and the longer the street movement lasts. But with or without any foreign backers and meddlers, the protestors will not pack up and go home before they make significant achievements. They have nothing to lose, and many of them have exposed their faces, thereby putting their own necks on the chopping board and risking persecution and acts of vendetta by their political leaders and henchmen if reform is not implemented.
As far as the timing of the protests is concerned, even some very savvy pundits are saying that they have been taken by surprise; a statement I find very surprising in itself. Those who are not familiar with the history of Lebanon do not know that even though Lebanon has been invaded many times throughout history, it was never easy to rule its people. Even during the height and might of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th Century, Lebanon had a strong army and autonomy. The might of Israel a few centuries later was humiliated and defeated. Even Alexander the Great, who conquered the whole ancient known world, within a few years was stopped at the walls of the kingdom city of Tyre for seven long months. And when President Suleiman Franjieh lost his popularity during the civil war, he was shelled out of the presidential palace. Subduing the Lebanese people was not historically therefore an easy walk in the park, and if anything, one should find it surprising that it took many decades of injustice for the Lebanese to rise against their government.
Others, who do not know much about Lebanon and are nonetheless prepared to write about it, argue that the protests are legitimate; with a proviso, a “but”, in desperate attempts to fit the uprising neatly into their familiar box of colour revolutions. There are no real “ifs” and “buts” when it comes to revolts against the magnitude of injustice that the Lebanese people have endured over the last few decades. It must be understood that the protestors felt that they have lost everything and with nothing more left to risk losing. In that frame of mind, nothing else matters and, unfortunately, the risk of infiltrators and deflections have no place in their mental framework.
This is very clear, because a good look at the protestors does not show they are all suffering from poverty. They do not necessarily look hungry. But those who did not lose their livelihood, have lost their dignity, and it is this sense of common grief that united them all in an unprecedented manner.
And speaking of the protests, the Lebanese are doing it in style. The Lebanese people are party animals with a great sense of humour. The protests turn into carnivals sometimes, venues for marriage proposals and even weddings. There are intermittent musical parties including belly dancing, smoking Shisha, and huge meals feasts. People and businesses are offering food, for free. Chanting and singing are filling the rings and town squares.
They see their protest as a huge cleansing party, and they are having fun, unarmed and fearless.
So back to Koleib. Why did he resign?
Was it because of the backlash that followed the interview he gave President Aoun a few days earlier? https://www.facebook.com/LBCILebanon/videos/421437568541547/. There is a rumour spreading in Lebanon that the interview was followed by an altercation between Koleib and Gibran Bassil, the President’s son-in-law and heir apparent. Purportedly, Bassil saw that the interview was a flunk and blamed Koleib and insulted him, and because Al-Mayadin was unable to canvass an apology from Bassil, Koleib resigned. This scenario looks unlikely because in this interview, it was President Aoun who put his own foot into his own mouth. Koleib was actually asking him the “right” questions and even gave him subtle hints as to how they should be answered properly, but it was the President who asked those Lebanese citizens who don’t like what is going on to leave the country!! Mr. Koleib can hardly be blamed for this goof. Moreover, that interview was more than a week prior to the resignation, and if it were the straw that broke Mr. Koleib’s back, its repercussions should have been evident a few days earlier.
Does this take us back to the afore-mentioned article in which Mr. Koleib was critical of Hezbollah?
But here’s the thing. Did he resign willingly or was he “politely” asked to resign? Was he coerced or even threatened? And by whom, and why exactly? Is the whole kerfuffle because Hezbollah is meant to be beyond reproach and unable, or rather unwilling, to listen to well-concerted advice from a lifelong friend and ally? Was the decision for him to go made in Beirut or outside it? Was it made outside Lebanon? Has the media control that is prevalent in the region been exported to Lebanon? We need to ask those questions as they are all very pertinent.
In my previous article I reiterated that in Lebanon there are more than a hundred reasons for a revolution. With the resignation of Mr. Koleib, we must add one more reason; and that is the emerging lack of free speech and freedom of self-expression. Does Mr. Koleib have to bunker with the opposite political dipole for him to be able to speak freely about this particular subject and in the manner that he did? Does he have to join the Hariri camp? The Christian Lebanese Forces militia or Jumblat? And if he does reposition himself with any of these, would he still be able to criticize them? I think not. Why is it that he is not allowed to continue to be the free thinker that he is?
Any which way we look at it, I smell a big rat, and it is clean up time, for better or for worse. Heads will roll, not literally I hope. With four civilians tragically killed thus far and Mr. Koleib “resigning”, we should only expect more heads to roll, and the protestors are adamant to remove all incumbent politicians and their ruling legacies from the political map under the slogan of “Killon Yaani Killon” (All of them means all of them). This is quickly becoming akin to either all of them or all of us.
Revolutions are invariably marred with chaos, and thus far, only the wrong heads have fallen in Lebanon. People are very hopeful that the uprising will lead at least to some partial gains, but for this to happen, the heads that ought to roll are the ones who were behind the rot and fanned its destructive flame; not the ones who are trying to bring reform and stifle the fire of corruption. The next heads to roll will tell us which way the revolution is heading. It is hoped that Hezbollah will be able to get out of its defensive corner and be actively involved in steering the uprising in the right direction.
It is certainly all extremely suspicious based on what I’ve read, and these are tactics used by the intelligence community whose modus operandi was the overthrow of Mosadegh in Iran in 1953, as most people probably know, pitting one faction against the other and sowing discord. With the accusation of Nesrahlah and others taking kick backs, it could be true that Mossad, CIA, MI6, or the Lebanese government is paying bribes, or it could be just a rumor. I don’t know which is the case. Nesrallah doesn’t appear to be listenning to supporters from what little I’ve read, but, I don’t know if the supporters that he is not listenning to are infiltrators or not.
If I knew of an easy solution for such things, I would have employed it in America, where I live. I’ve tried every non violent measure, because I oppose violence, and always will continue to oppose violence. Violence has destroyed many movements like the Occupy Wall Street movement, as well as protests at WTO summits, as well as others, and I believe that they are CIA agents posing as radicals inciting violence to shut the movements down. For that reason, I went from organising to boycotting society because every institution in America is thoroughly corrupt. We have a corrupt force occupying America, and it is the government. Many businesses are also corrupt, and the government just fines them which is just a form of bribery and black male and they stay open, getting fined frequently, not for infractions, but enormous crimes like Perdue Pharma, Monsanto, or Bank of America, or Facebook, take your pick! The list is endless! But what is the point of having a government that has decided to just take bribes while the corporations continue raping and pillaging, and murdering our citizens, and the citizens in other parts of the world?
The United States government collapsed American society on 9/11/01 in a conspiracy. You really don’t need any more proof that this country is finished. 18 years later, 4,000,000 Muslims dead, 8,000 service members dead, and eight countries destroyed, 400,000 opiod deaths in America, and 500,000 missing persons, and Jeffrey Epstein lolita express, Damned Russians!!!
What a dirty job to tamish Hassan Nasrallah ! I can’t read this
I can, because I am less emotionally involved than you are, Marie, no doubt!.
From my perspective I don’t see the “tarnishing” you see.
What I DO see:
1. This is a blog where Saker has ranked Nasrallah # 1 among leaders of movements in the world, ahead of even Vladimir Putin.
2. Ergo it is unlikely, is it not, that the guest article by Mr Kadi was given space here for the purpose of tarnishing Nasrallah?? Emotions are often infinitely more simple than are the solutions…..and I read this as constructive criticism in a dangerous situation in which such constructive advice may be of more use to Nasrallah than unquestioning adoration.
3. Finally, I see that the simple, unifying emotion and will that has supported Nasrallah…..the will of people in the region not to submit to the Rothschild Greater Israel Plan to control the world’s oil supplies…and grind up all the peoples of the region in the process……ironically ……at the point of probable definitive DEFEAT of that Zionist tool enemy….with the saving of the nation of Syria ………..which was so clear for so many…..now, so much closer to victory………..loses its simplicity ………..and the complexity of the situation becomes now much harder for the people of Lebanon…..to follow….or Nasrallah to lead.
4. Maybe I’m wrong. Despite having been born in the Middle East and having been to Lebanon in the 1950’s as a child of 6 or 7…Beirut,,,,,Sidon…..Tyre….Baalbek ………that was over 6 decades ago and I am trusting Saker, as a man of passion but ALSO intellect…..to let the ideas bubble up on this blog…that might actually help a most admired by him leader……Nasrallah…be a part of ….successfully navigating a more complex situation than the simpler, more unifying one.of recent years, including the first half of 2019….where his performance and will…… have reportedly (here by Saker and others) been exemplary.
Good evening Mr. Kadi,
Logicians have known and declared since time immemorial that one cannot build a logical argument upon a fallacious premise. Your whole discussion regarding Lebanon today is that there is a revolution underway!!! I assure you sir, there is NO revolution unfolding in Lebanon or any other Arab country. Sorry.
All you have are what you call in Arabic Thaura, which is derived from the Arabic word for bull- Thaur. Properly translated, the Arabic word Thaura only means uprising. Please go back to your text books. You will see that an uprising is not a revolution. Human history has experienced tens of thousands of uprisings, but no more than a handful of revolutions. There is much more I have to say regarding the distinction between uprisings and revolution, but I will rest my case here respectfully.
For your information Ali, the Arabic word Thaur (bull) is etymologically derived from the three letter base Th, w, r and which mean rage, not the other way around as you claimed. Check Lisan Al-Arab before giving advice on language
“And why did all of this happen, we ask again? It is because Hezbollah is involved in politics, has 11 out of 128 members of the Lebanese Parliaments plus significant number of ministers in all cabinets for the last 20 years or so. In the eyes of the Lebanese, it’s involvement makes it partly responsible for the many failures of the Lebanese administration; corruption included.”
With just 10% I hardly see that as being responsible for the internal woes of Lebanon. In these articles by the author critical of Hizbulla, I’ve seen a lot of general criticism, but not really anything constructively specific to actions by Hizbulla or what actions they could take with their limited legal influence within the Lebanese government.
‘In the eyes of the Lebanese…’ …compradores and paid thugs in the employ of the West, and the usual fools looking for excitement. If these vermin ever got there way and Hezbollah disappeared, the Zionazis would steal the country up to the Litani in weeks. These scum no doubt will then go to work for the Zionazis as some new type of SLA, and receive copious Medals of ‘Freedom’ from the US Congress and other reptiles.
America is trying to provoke Hizbollah by having its Lebanese security proxies allow the Sunni closure of the main roads that the Shiite community uses, and thus hoping to bait it into a clash with these Sunni groups:
“The closure of the main roads and the “deliberate” incompetence and inaction of the security forces – due to US requests to tolerate the closure of main axes linking Lebanon with the capital – is no longer a surprising behaviour.
The main roads now closed have been carefully selected: closed are the roads linking the south of Lebanon to Beirut and linking Baalbek and the road to Damascus with the capital Beirut. These areas are mainly inhabited and used by Shia. The roads are being blocked mainly in certain sectarian areas controlled by Sunni supporters of the caretaker Sunni Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his Druse ally Walid Joumblat. The closure of other roads in the Christian dominated Dbayeh by the pro-US Christian leader Samir Geagea, leader of the “Lebanese Forces”, and in Tripoli seem to be kind of diversions of attention from the main goal: challenging Hezbollah.
Sources in Beirut believe the objective is to exasperate the Shia who represent the society that protects Hezbollah. The goal is to force the organisation into the streets. Hezbollah is aware of this and is trying to avoid responding to provocations. The closure of these roads is an invitation to Hezbollah to take the situation in hand and direct its weapon against other Lebanese citizens, as indeed happened on the 5th of May 2008.”
The Explosion In Lebanon Has Been Delayed: Until When?
https://ejmagnier.com/2019/11/27/the-explosion-in-lebanon-has-been-delayed-until-when/
In general, the American Empire of Chaos specializes in Dividing-and-Conquering, sowing and fomenting ethnic, religious, or cultural divisions in a targeted region.
The zionazi-gays (israel and zio-colonials) would love to foment another Lebanese civil war. The “greater” israel strategic plan in fact requires it.
Ok so what is the constructive criticism of Hezbollah? Holding 10% of the legislature and they have been complicit in what?
Keeping the peace probably does require a certain acceptance of the status quo but what is really at stake in Lebanon? Does Hezbollah run banks?
I feel that your article lacks meat so to speak.
Its meaty alright-rotten, rancid and maggot-ridden meat.
For Hezbollah to have 10% of the legislature is a big percentage in the multi-party Lebanese system. Plus, the block has had the minimal one third membership of the Cabinet, and which determines the continuity. In essence therefore, the political prowess of Hezbollah is not to underestimated.
Could you please tell us for how long where there no government in Lebanon before this one that just resigned came to power in feb 2019?? As it is a retoric question, here is the answer; for 8 months!! For 8 months they, all the parties, where fighting for their interests and agendas.
So when you write, “the political prowess” of 10% votes for Hezbollah should not be underestimated, could you please tell us why they dident use their magic wand to simply form a government? And it was well known at that time that Saudi Arabia and western regimes where quite happy about the status with no government, while the resistance front where taking same form of damage as they are today, because they was no government??
And answer this question, are you implying that Hezbollah itself is corrupt? Is that your assumption? (I do know that is what you wrote, but would be nice if you came clean and made it clear for us…)
Im getting tired of this guy keep repeating the same bs all over. I mean, why dont you answer the legitimate questions people keep asking in the comment section?
Lets talk about the fact that you wanted Hezbolla to do what? You type they should have done “more”, okay.. what more? Should they have behaved like Daesh? Choped everyone that was corrupted in Lebanon??
What is it you wanted Hezbollah to do, that they dident do? Im at least glad that you had the integrity not to write that Hezbollah where corrupt, but let me ask you, dident hizbollah do everything in their power to make people vote for them?? Did you as a lebanese vote for them? And could you give me guess on how many of the people that are on the streets protesting, you belive even voted for hezbollah??
What should they have done to those Lebanese that voted for other parties like Mr. Harriries party?? Ohh let me guess you wanted Hezbollah to throw in the towel when they realized that they only got a fraction of all the votes… i see. They should maybe have just like any other CIA color revolution coup leader, went out and said, “we cant work under thees circumstances”, and like little child divas, crpssed their hands and sat down and let foreigners come in pass laws that would ban hizbollah all together?? Right?
It is clear as a day, that even if you dont see yourself as someone that has fallen for western/saudi/zionist propaganda, that you indeed are retyping their nonsense. Its not as simple as you want to make it. The corruption in Lebanon is not something anyone with a brain would ever point at Hizbollah. The corruption is there to weaken hizbollah, and what you should have realized ages ago, is that Hezbollah HAS and WILL keep fighting the corruption, they are part of the solution. The sad part is that they simply have not reached the place where they are strong enough to overrule western interference. And here you are typing bs. about the end of Hezbollahs reputation.
These guys have done everything in their power to keep Lebanon together. At times like these, im sure they will even eat all the bs you throw at their direction, and they will smile back at you, cause their values are to protect Lebanon.
It is always hard for a child to understand complex thoughts, as an Iranian, seeing my fellow countrymen with the SAME EXACT brainwashed thoughts as you write here, really sets me back. (Talk about coincidence right??! same bs was happening in Iran, Iraq, 3 countries with same protesters with same thoughts.. pfff) But i guess that is the point? Hit people at their moral. So let me type it clear and loud, as the Seyyid would have:
Hizbollah has never in its history been more powerful than today!! And by Gods grace they will be even more powerful tomorrow!
Having read Ghassan’s and Ramin Mazaheri’s excellent write-ups on Lebanon, I think both are friends of Lebanon and Hezbollah, and I will continue to welcome the writings of both on the subject.
Far from trying to disparage Hezbollah and Hassan Nasrallah, I think Ghassan is actually appealing to Hezbollah to act positively in order to stop the revolution or ‘uprising’ as one other commentator prefers to label the social upheaval that is taking place in Lebanon, from being hijacked by the enemies of Lebanon to suit their end. Which is, advantage Zionazis.
One of course appeals to an entity that one thinks is able to act on the appeal. So it is with Ghassan who has never blamed Hezbollah, as far as I can see, for the sad events currently unfolding in Lebanon. He has given a warts-and-all account of Hezbollah but has never taken cheap shots aimed at subverting Hezbollah or Nasrallah.
Hezbollah is, whether it likes it or not, implicated in the protest against the establishment simply because it is part of the prevailing political structure. At the minimum it is guilt by association. And when, if news reports are to be believed, protests occur in Hezbollah’s heartland, that is time for Hezbollah to reflect and act, not time for knee-jerk denial of mistakes or weakness.
Hezbollah is the target of this very typical Colour Revolution scam. The rest is camouflage.
Well actually Mulga that’s the way I see it too — that Hezbollah’s the target. All the more perplexing to see Hezbollah’s inaction in extricating itself from a tight and dangerous situation. But perhaps they know better.
I’ve no doubt that plans made long ago are being put into action in Lebanon, to exploit social dissatisfaction in a society riddled with so many schisms to bring Hezbollah and the country to heel. But I think in order to make the plan (perhaps Plan ‘Enduring Thanksgiving’ version E or F) needs a genuine public grievance to work.
Funny to compare this article with the realities of today. This article is less than a month old as i type this, but be sure about that the more time goes by, the more easier it will be to see the false narratives this article was trying to push out at the time. One has to doubt this “brotherly criticism” these people nowadays use as a shield for their naive and illogical thoughts, and im being nice here. For my core belief is that sedition and fitna was at play for these people that echoed propaganda at crucial moments.
At least I will not forget this!