Israel Matzav

2-6 Hezbullah members to be indicted for Hariri murder

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that between two and six members of Hezbullah will be indicted before year's end for the murder of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri (the father of current Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri). Additionally, liquidated terrorist Imad Mughniyah is said to be involved.

Before I get to the article, I'd like to show you a video I don't recall seeing before. My Arabic is almost non-existent. The only words I understand in this video are around the 4:08 mark where the marchers are shouting, "with blood and fire, we will redeem you al-Hariri." You can guess why I understand those words....

Let's go to the videotape.



It looks like a war zone with the craters and destroyed buildings, doesn't it?

The U.S. has scrambled to bolster support for the tribunal and the pro-Western government of Lebanon in the face of threats of violence from Hezbollah if the indictments are handed down.

Among those being looked at in the U.N. probe, according to the people briefed on it, is Mustafa Badreddine, a senior Hezbollah military commander and brother-in-law of Imad Mugniyah, who was among the Federal Bureau of Investigation's most-wanted men before his death nearly three years ago.

Mr. Mugniyah is alleged by U.S. officials to have overseen a string of terrorist attacks against American interests in the 1980s, including the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut that killed 241 servicemen. Mr. Mugniyah, who was killed in a 2008 car bombing in Damascus, Syria, is also believed by U.N. investigators to have played a role, along with his brother-in-law, in the car bombing in downtown Beirut that killed Mr. Hariri and 22 others, according to the people briefed on the probe.

If the US didn't have a pacifist sitting in the White House, Hezbullah wouldn't be part of the Lebanese government and wouldn't be in a position to wreak havoc with the entire country in the event of indictments. Given the current state of affairs, Hezbullah is likely to use the indictments as an excuse for carrying out a coup. The only way to stop it - and this won't happen - would be if Obama would send in the Marines to police Lebanon (and Beirut in particular) until things calm down.

This could be the beginning of the end of one of the Middle East's two multi-ethnic countries. Will anyone raise a hand to save the other one?

Read the whole thing.

Labels: Hezbullah, Imad Mughniyah, Rafik al-Hariri, Special Tribunal for Lebanon

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:00 PM