Word: hizballah
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...moment, however, this newfound recognition of reality seems to have only one result: strengthening Syrians' support for Hizballah, whatever the consequences for Lebanon. I see posters of Nasrallah plastered on private cars and police motorcycles, and the yellow of the Hizballah flag darts across my vision wherever I look. The support is genuine - the average Syrian is much more passionate about the Palestinian cause than the most ardent Lebanese - as is the anger at Israel, and at the United States. But it is a targeted anger...
...historian, I take the long view on most events. As a Midwesterner, I often have a Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm optimism. At the moment, neither is proving helpful in understanding why the "open confrontation," as al-Jazeera calls it, is continuing. Hizballah has no chance of winning Palestine back for the Palestinians, and Israel's attacks on Hizballah do nothing, long-term, to make its borders safer. But if this conflict continues much longer, Lebanon will have no chance of remaining the special place it is - and I will have to stay in Damascus, a city I do love...
...Hariri: Very sad and very angry. Lebanon shouldn't pay the price. Maybe the kidnapping [of the two Israeli soldiers by Hizballah] was wrong, but two wrongs don't make a right. Israel is crippling Lebanon, taking it back 10, 15 years. Israel has no right to do this. No right. You don't bomb a whole country, punish a whole population of 4 million people [for Hizballah's actions...
...TIME: Why didn't the government disarm Hizballah as mandated by U.N. Resolution...
...Hariri: We never expected that even Hizballah would do such an action. We opened a national dialogue [of all Lebanese factions] trying to discuss and find a way of resolving this issue. We wanted to convince Hizballah that the only way is to build a strong central government to defend Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hizballah decided to do this operation. I was completely shocked. Things were moving in the right direction. We were supposed to have another session [of the national dialogue] in two days. We all know, they know, the world knows, that the core problem of this issue...