I am so sad over the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri of Lebanon Monday night. I am just wanting some place to post my opinion and sadness.
Being a wife of a Lebanese, and having lived there for a yr. I feel that since we have family and friends there, this attack affects me. so that is why I posted to get your prays and really wish that these things would stop happening to a country that just wants peace.

Lebanon's people only wish Syria and Isreal would go back to their own country, and stop using their country as a place to do their terrorist acts.
I Wish there could be measures that can be taken to punish those responsible for this terrorist attack, to end the use of violence and intimidation against the Lebanese people and to restore Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and democracy by freeing it from foreign occupation!!! We are worried about the economy now since this happened.

Thanks letting me vent.
I hope this bombing is not the begining to more trouble ahead for Lebanon. Just when the country was trying to get back to being the Paris of the Middle East. Very beautiful country.

Interesting that you mention 'foreign occupation' - the White House Press spokesman said that three times in his speech about the assassination yesterday... With Iraq in mind, they might have wanted to rephrase that.

Yes,
Syria has troops there, which makes it foreign occupied. Whenever we wanted to drive anywhere, there still is checkpoiints that do not have Lebanese stationed at the check points, but SYRIANS! They don't even wear uniforms, how weird is that?
The thing that really bugs me is the President of Lebanon is Pro Syria. Syria put him there. I wish Lebanon could have elections like in USA. So the people could get who they wanted by votes, not by money.
Guess all I can do is pray there will be finally good changes for the people of Lebanon. Hopefully nothing happened at today's funeral of Rafik Hariri .

Mary

One of my best friends is Lebanese. On the day of his assasination she called me and was sobbing.
It took all I had to pull myself, and then herself together.

He really was a great man. He stopped the occupation of the Israeli's in Lebanon and made peace with them.
It makes you think.. Why, I mean WHY would anyone want to kill him? What has he done?!

btw, don't you notice a pattern here?
The last three Lebanese ex-presidents were all assissinated.

What's up o.0 with that

I do see the pattern. I feel its because whenever someone is trying to do good and change the government to be really run the way it should without SYRIAN influence, they get killed.
Makes you wonder!!!! Why people are like that. I feel bad for all the good people in Lebanon. They do not need this, they need the #$#%$#$# Lebanese president out, and a real one in that is all for lebanon. But money talks!!! 40% of the customs, airport etc money goes to pay the Syrians. I just wish something good could happen and stay that way.

Thanks for your message.
Thank you for being there for your lebanese friend.

Well, I guess that's life for you. Nothing can remain good... ;) we gotta deal with it.
His funeral was so depressing. It reminded me of when our leader died - may God have mercy on him.

Makes you wonder though.. Who could it have been? The Syrian's? er, i don't think so!
Israeli's..? hmmmmm
Any other country? I don't think he was hostile with any.

Thank YOU for ur thread :) and hey, what are friends for?

The Syrians seem to be the biggest suspects. It would have been very difficult to set up such an elaborate attack without at least them being informed of it ; and Hariri was on on the verge of taking position against Syrian occupation.
It seems most Lebanese people are so fed up with syrian occupation that they are really determined to end with it. With an international pressure growing higher from the USA and Europe that may work this time - i hope it will be without further blood.

Here's an interesting tidbit of information that I'm sure you'll all be interested in knowing...

My teacher (Lebanese) was watching LBC (Lebanese Broadcasting Channel) and it suddenly went off. This was at around 3:00 or something. She then switched to Future TV (a Lebanese channel) and there was nothing there either.
So she called home trying to contact her family, and the line was cut off. She kept trying for a full hour till she finally got hold of her father, and LBC was back again reporting something about a bomb. When she asked him, he said he didn't know the reason for the cut off of all phones in Lebanon and all electrical devices.
Then suddenly, LBC was reporting Harriri's death...

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Makes you think, eh? An hour prior to Harriri's death all electricity is suddenly cut off, why?
Welllllllllll...
His guards won't be able to transmit emergency calls to each other in the case of an emergency, would they? MANY things can't happen if the electricity is cut off. + they found a number of bodies burnt with him.
That means that not one person has did this, but a group of terrorists. Someone must've been there to disable the electricity, others to aid in the entrance to the building. Someone to distract the guards, others to plant the bomb...etc...
Whoever did this is so smart that he's blindingly stupid to kill someone that doesn't even make a threat to his country (Syria).

Anyway, I just thought that you might've been interested in knowing that...

Oh my!!! That does seem rather strange doesn't it? My husband did try to contact his family in lebanon also, but just thought it was bad connection!!! I guess I should tell him what you posted to see what he thinks.
I know the Lebanese people are very fed up with Syria, so I really hope Astrapol2 that you are right about it happening without more blood shed, but highly unlikely. The Syrians, need the money they are getting from being in Lebanon to take back to Syria with them, so they want to stay in Lebanon. As of now, they get 40% profit from all the money from customs, and airports etc to have their army in Lebanon.
One can only hope that 2005 and beyond will finally be a turning point for Lebanon to be able to have their own Independent Country and be left alone from Isreal and Syria their bordering countries.
It really is a beautiful country, its to bad not many people can see that is trying to be again,and was the Paris of the Middle East, because of all the terrorists things happening, no one wants to travel there, so that makes the economy bad, being that is the only real way to have an economy from tourists.

Do you believe the american and french pressure on Syria could be effective in making them live Lebanon ?

^ Lebanon's wealth does not center around the Tourism industry, for it is very rich in Natural Resources.
One problem though, someone is destroying and poisoning these rich resources...
:rolleyes:

astrapol2, if ur question was targeted at me..

I believe that American pressure could be effective on any country to do anything..

So why arnt they ruling the world?

:rolleyes: sarcasim isn't very becoming

^ To answer ur Q..
They kind of are, in an indirect way..

Innocent Sweety,
What? rich in Natural Resources!!! name 1.
Have you ever lived in Lebanon? My husband is lebanese, and lived there all his life up intil he came here 5 years ago for a better life. I lived there for 9 mos, and return every 2 yrs and it just gets worse.
He says, all Lebanon has is historical sites, and the night life, centered around resturants, everywhere you go there is a resturant. The med. sea in the summer is a nice way to spend your time.
But, the economy is so bad even the locals can not afford to eat out. The government added a 10% tax to the merchants which they in turn charge customers for.
That is why Rafik Hariri, was trying to change that, and take Syria out. Lebanon deserately needs to a independent country to let the locals live their daily lives.
I will hope for change, as it is important for my husband's family and friends, not to mention our 2 children for their heritage.
Have a good day.

I can't say I've ever been to Lebanon..
Excuse me for anything I say that may sound judgemental, I try very hard to stay away from judging..

Living in an Arabic country, students must study about fellow Arabic countries's geography.
I never said that Lebanon's economy wasn't based on tourism and entertainment at the moment, I was just saying that it was extremely rich in natural resources.

Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land, agriculture

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills

All ^ that resulted after the Israeli occupation of Palestine when it polluted the neighbouring countries' agriculture and such.

---

I remember once reading about the new Israeli Merkav that was planned to be situated on a strategic location so as to view all Shami Countries (Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria). It does so by polluting the Lebanese agriculture.
If you're interested I'll look for the article for you..

Hi Innocent Sweety;
Don't worry about sounding pre-judgemental, i did not take it that way. I just state that:
Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land, agriculture
No longer exist due to the wars, those studies you read about Lebanon really needs updated from someone that is a resident of Lebanon in current times.

For example: the land has very few trees now. Even the cedar trees are in a protected area. the land in the cities is all occupied by old and new concrete buildings for residents or businesses. I was dismayed at the fact there was no place to really go for a nice walk or a place to be outdoors and enjoy a grassy area for the kids to play at. My husband states there use to be.


during the last war, Syria has taken even the railroads apart and shipped them to Syria. Everytime Lebanon wants to do more than reply on tourism, Syria interferes, it is like they want Lebanon to be poor. Go figure.
I hope getting Syria out will bring Lebanon back to what it was pre-war times. The Paris of the Middle East.

Hi again :)

The case isn't about not being updated, or else I wouldn't have used the past tense was here:

Originally posted by Innocent Sweety
I was just saying that it was extremely rich in natural resources.

The war has destroyed most of these things, and they're working on destroying even more (the Merkav I mentioned).

About Syria, it's a poor country. They're taking advantage of Lebanon's vulnerable state (pro-war) and taking their riches to enhance their own countries.
Really, what a swell bunch of neighbours...

abosolutely, That is Syria's way. How would you feel if someone was in your backyard doing this? You would want them out also.
All we can do is hope for change.

Of course I want them out! I always have...
True, we can't do much but hope.