That’s right, folks. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) has dispatched a team of 3D filmmakers to Lebanon to shoot a sequel to Avatar set in downtown Beirut. Or something like that.
There have been several notable items in the press over the past week about Hezbollah. Rather than spending an hour trying to figure out how to coax them all into a single exquisite narrative, I’m going to just dump them in your lap.
Investigators from the STL are in town, questioning various people about the Hariri case. Some of these people include members of Hezbollah, and the party has reportedly welcomed the investigators with open arms, endless cups of tea, and an assortment of Hezbollah-themed memorabilia (pens, hats, notepads, etc.)
You will recall the article in Der Spiegel last year arguing that the Hariri assassination was carried out by Hezbollah. Today, Wi’am Wahhab suggests that the STL is getting ready to accuse slain Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyyeh. Wahhab is not a very credible source, and it may just be that he’s not prepared to give up the limelight (after calling on President Suleiman to resign last week, which put him on the front page of every newspaper in Lebanon).
Finally, Nicholas Noe and Azmi Bishara each published an interesting opinion piece about Hezbollah last week. I highly recommend you read both of them as the differences in their analyses are symptomatic of how divided the commentariat is on the issue of the balance of power between Hezbollah and Israel. To be fair, Nick’s analysis is really focused on Hezbollah’s own assessment of this balance of power while Bishara tries to adopt a macro picture, but the articles are worth being read together.
Qifa Nabki 
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&AE30B0D645DA9DFFC22576F10037B62B
Why are the Syrians trying to do now? Any ideas?
Posted by AIG | March 25, 2010, 4:57 pmPetraeus on Israel endangering US troops:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3868344,00.html
Posted by AIG | March 25, 2010, 5:07 pmAIG
What is the title of that Naharnet story? The link is not working.
Posted by Qifa Nabki | March 25, 2010, 5:29 pmQN,
Here is the story (by the way, the link works for me, I use Chrome)
Wahab: Leaked Tribunal Info Says Mughniyeh Involved in Hariri Murder
Tawheed movement leader Wiam Wahab said Thursday that according to leaked information, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is accusing slain Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh of involvement in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination.
In remarks to al-Jadeed TV station, Wahab said he wasn’t the Syrian ambassador’s “worker.”
Wahab also commented to LBC about his recent call for President Michel Suleiman to resign, saying his stance was a “political viewpoint” that did not deserve “the intellectual terror” practiced against him.
He reminded the Lebanese that late President Fouad Shehab resigned after his political team didn’t cooperate with him.
Wahab denied that he would visit Suleiman in Baabda on Friday. However, he expressed readiness to meet with the president anytime.
Posted by AIG | March 25, 2010, 5:45 pmOh. I linked to that one in the post already.
I’m not so sure Syria is speaking here. Wahhab called on the president to resign last week and Syria came out today supporting Suleiman. So Wahhab may just be trying to stay in the spotlight.
Posted by Qifa Nabki | March 25, 2010, 5:48 pmSorry, I missed it.
Posted by AIG | March 25, 2010, 6:24 pmQN
I don’t exactly think very highly of Mr. Wahab but why shouldn’t he have the right to call on the President to resign.
President Suleiman might be a competent person, very effective and extreemly honest but the fact of the matter is that his election to the office is unconstitutional and that will always weaken his call to respect the constitution which he gladly violated for personal gain.
This president is illegitimate and he must resign.
Posted by ghassan karam | March 25, 2010, 10:09 pmLove the lebanese flag on Neytiri’s arm. The choice of the Avatar movie illustration makes for a great anology of the ME conflict.
Posted by Ras Beirut | March 25, 2010, 10:58 pmDid any readers actually see the investigators filming on site? any interesting info to share, like how many, what they seemed to be doing, were they completely cordoned off by ISF and soldiers from the public?
Posted by Blackstar | March 26, 2010, 4:50 am