Draft Resolution 1757 adopted

Security Council has adopted the draft resolution 1757 which declares the decision in forming an international tribunal under the 7th chapter to investigate in late prime minister Rafic Hariri's assassination, to bring justice to Lebanon and punishment to the criminals. 10 countries in the council voted for the resolution, none voted against and 5 abstentiated and none voted against. Among those who abstentiated were South Africa, Russia and Indonesia, who claimed that the council should try and fix the solution instead of imposing an international tribunal on a country that is divided in 2 sections, those who are for and those who are against. They said this could create more problems and that it is an internal affair, which Lebanon should deal with on its own.

A statement for Saad Hariri, a member of the parliament, and the son of Rafic Hariri, was immediately broadcasted after the adoption of the resolution, saying that this is not for revenge but only for accounting the responsibles and criminals, and to bring justice and peace to Lebanon.

Despite what everyone outside Lebanon might think, celebrations were not held when the Security Council adopted the draft resolution 1757, as the government had already set a curfew for small vehicles and motorcycles from 8pm to 5am of the next day, as well as forbidding people to set fireworks or gun-fires tonight, as they will be held accountable for breaking this rule. While I am sure that deep inside, many people are celebrating.

A new chapter is going to be written and its first words started tonight. Will more explosions, assassinations and perhaps a civil erupt in those up-coming weeks? Or will the Lebanese finally agree.

Lebanese are not asleep

Tonight, Wednesday 30 May 2007, the Lebanese people are waiting at their homes. With a curfew set by the government for motorcycles and small vehicles between 8 pm and 5 am, the roads are not only empty of the latter, but also from cars and people. The reason behind this semi-curfew is the International Tribunal investigating in Rafic Hariri’s Assassination. 800 days later, the truth behind who the criminals and executioners are, is going to appear.

During the last 10 days, several explosions occurred, as well as attacks and gun-fire between an Islamic militant group in North Lebanon hiding in a Palestinian refugee camp and the Lebanese army. These attacks resumed yesterday night and have been described as the strongest and most severe hour and a half of fights since a week. All this adds to tonight's tension.

On the social level, those last 10 days were not busy at night as it is usually. Malls, movie theaters and restaurants had no waiting lines, empty parkings and innocent traffic jams. Lebanese are not afraid as much as they are sick of the situation. Delivery and DVDs are the Lebanese’s best friend those last few days. There are always exceptions of those who go out and party whatever the situation is, but these people are rare.

In 2 to 3 hours, a decision by the International Tribunal will be announced. Lebanese are waiting and will not go to sleep before they know. Over many decades, dozens of assassinations happened, and in the past 2 years and since Hariri’s assassination there has been 5 others that have targeted politicians as well as journalists and media persons. In Lebanon, people have become accustomed to not knowing who did what. Is tonight the turning point in Lebanese History?

Lebanon vs Fatah Al Islam

Is it frustration? Is it oppression? Is it simply giving up that made all those Lebanese people stop moping around and start making jokes about the situation? This behavior is no stranger among the people in Lebanon, making fun of the situation is a must, tragic may be or fun.

During the civil war back in the eighties, thousands of sectarian jokes erupted about Tony and Mohammed, about checkpoints, soldiers and passers by, even for the most recent war that was between Hezbollah and Israel during last summer, many jokes resulted about Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Israelis, the large number of fleeing Shiite from the South and much more. Since last war resulted in so much destruction, one joke said that Lebanese mature female generation were so happy from Nasrallah's deed, because he made them feel 20 years younger (due to so much destruction in July 2006's war, it made Lebanon look the same as when it was during the civil war 1975 - 1990).

The Lebanese cope with the situation with mockery. By trying to make it look ridiculous, the next Lebanese average person who faces daily fear of a new war, of horrible economy, of daily threat of death by a bomb, of the possibility of a job loss, of frustration to get a work visa for abroad, this person survives the day.

Most recently, and due to the fact that Fatah Al Islam who went into clashes with the Lebanese troop on Sunday 20 of May at 2 am in the morning, which lasted for 3 days, and according to the local media has returned to shootigns tonight , this "terrorist" group has threatened over and over again that they will expand their terrorism to outside Tripoli's Nahr Al Bared camp and reach Beirut. Rumors erupted that bombs were planted everywhere waiting to explode.

A group on facebook started a long line of Fatah Al Islam jokes which are based on the fact that Fatah Al Islam keeps declaring statements, threats and responsibilities. Here are a few selection of these jokes:

"Statement from Fatah Al Islam: A tank with a license plate #32453 is blocking a Honda Civic in the parking, if the owner can please come and remove it. Thank you"

"Fatah Al Islam takes responsibility of stealing Jhonnie Walker from the Whiskey Bottle"

"Fatah Al Islam declared alliance and support to the Lebanese Army in their war on terror against Fatah Al Islam"

"Statement from Fatah Al Islam: We were only joking, gosh the Lebanese Army can't take a joke"

"The terrorist group Fatah Al Islam will be featured in the next Southpark episode titled: OH MY GOD! THEY KILLED SHAKER"

To understand the jokes well, the reader needs to be following up closely with this situation.

Breaking news: Explosion in Alay

9:14 - Explosion in a commercial Area in Alay - Mount Lebanon. (Source: LBCI)
9:56 - Update, 5 wounded so far. No information on the bomb's size, however they said it was planted beneath a building's stairs.

Alay's explosion came after 3 days of the first explosion this week in Ashrafieh (Beirut), on Sunday night, and 2 days after the second explosion in Verdun also in Beirut on Monday night. Alay is situated in Mount Lebanon, and the majority of its habitants are druze, most of them supporters of Walid Jumblat. Alay in summer gets very busy where it receives a lot of Arab tourists.

Explosions in Ashrafieh and Verdun also happened near commercial areas that attract a lot of Lebanese people and tourists.

Stay tuned.

Breaking news: Explosion in Verdun

While the minister Ghazi Al Aridi was stating the decisions of the exceptional session of the government that took place tonight, an explosion happened in Verdun (Beirut), a commercial and inhabited location. Material losses so far.

Update: 7 wounded, 2 of them are kids. The explosion, said to possibly weight more than 15kg, was planted below a black car, which still remains until now unidentifiable.

Note that this explosion came after yesterday's (Sunday 20 May 2007) explosion in Ashrafieh (Beirut), behind ABC mall, in a parking that killed a 65 year old woman.

Update on North: Clashes and fires are still on going in North Lebanon, in Nahr Al Bared camp, between members of FatH Al Islam and the Lebanese Army, with many palestinian civilians stuck in the middle. It's been almost 2 days. No progress. A cease-fire was decided from 4 pm to 6 pm today (Monday 21st of May) in order for the red cross and palestinian red hilal to enter and bring the casualties and wounded, however members of the FatH al Islam, broke the cease-fire.

News: Clashes between Army and Fath Al-Islam in North

Source: Translated from Tayyar.org

Clashes between the Lebanese Army and members of Fath Al-Islam in north Lebanon, 7 casualties from the army and 4 from the opposition. The clashes started at 3am on Sunday May 20, and was still going till late in the morning. The Lebanese Army has surrounded the camp of Nahr Al Bared, and is shooting at certain points in the camp, after receiving re-inforcements.

Update on the two Israeli held soldiers

By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Sunday there has been progress in negotiations to free two Israeli soldiers whose abduction by the militant group sparked a 34-day war in Lebanon last summer.

[...]Last month, Nasrallah's deputy said there were "serious" U.N.-mediated negotiations to secure a prisoner swap involving the captive Israeli soldiers. But so far there have been no results.

"It is on the way to be solved," Nasrallah said in the interview. "It's just a matter of time."

Click here for full article.

Well well well, if it isn't the two Israel captive soldiers residing at the Hezbollah hotel... It's been 9 months, a child should be born by now! No information have been provided about those two soldiers, until now, and the information aren't still that clear. They have been even thought to be dead! A war has been started to retrieve those two soldiers back, so I am crossing my fingers for the prisoners swap to work out, because we'll at least have a slight reason to give some sort of an excuse for that bloody (to be remembered but no repeated) war that happened between Hezbollah and Israel during July 2006.

Lebanese Army walks

Keep walking! As Jhonnie Walker puts, our Lebanese Army are present. Yes they are, we see every day, in the morning, the afternoon and at night, a group of soldiers walking on both sides of the street with almost 10 meters of difference. Looking at it positively, this action is supposed to provide the citizens with safety and peace of mind, and apparently this is its effect.

Even though, problems are occuring here and there to create a turmoil and chaos among the people, in general and looking at things with not so much of a microscope, some gestures are being made, and perhaps a sign of hope, a warless summer and a hectic touristic season are in store for the Lebanese people.

Civil Marriage is a civil right

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