The Kremlin Backs New Opposition Party

Three Russian political parties announced that they formed a coalition with each other in order to fight Vladmir Putin's governing party. The Party of Life, the Pensioner's Party and the Rodina (Motherland) Party joined hands in opposition to the governing United Russia Party. The Party of Life's leader, Sergei Mironov, a known Putin ally, spoke saying that this "political union will change fundamentally the political map of Russia." The Pensioner's Party and Rodina Party are also known to have links to Vladmir Putin's Kremlin.
Vladislav Surkov, the Kremlin deputy chief of staff, floated the idea of the coalition in March. The idea of this coalition is to become United Russia's opposition from the Left.

Hezbollah, Lebanese Reconstruction, and how the US should React

In Hassan Nasarallah's "victory" speech on Monday, he stated that to complete the victory post-war reconstruction under their leadership will be done. Hezbollah told Nehme T. Tohme, a member of parliament and the country’s minister for the displaced, that Iran would provide then with an unlimited budget for reconstruction. Hezbollah is already out in the streets in towns destroyed by the war assisting the people. This article courtesy of the New York Times New York Times outlines Hezbollah's strategy and its reach.

It is not fully known what the US strategy is regarding post-war Lebanon. It is known that the US must strengthen the Lebanese government at the expense of Hezbollah. In order to prevent Hezbollah from gaining more power, the United States needs to supply Beirut with almost an unlimited amount of funds to counter Hezbollah's reconstruction efforts. Hezbollah thrives in the areas were the central government is weak. The central government needs to be able to have the funding to step into Shiite and other devastated areas and take care of its people. The US has provided 30 million dollars in humanitarian assistance during this conflict but gave it through American organizations or NGOs like the Catholic Relief Services, although helpful, it is not strengthening the Lebanese government.

The United States, if necessary should be willing to spend billions of dollars in helping civil society in Lebanon. Success on the war on terrorism depends on it. As long as the government fails to provide all of its services, Hezbollah will become more and more powerful. At a certain point if they feel strong enough they might take an opportunity to overthrow the government and complete its goal to create an Islamic republic. To weaken and eventually be able to disarm Hezbollah, the government needs to have reasons why the Lebanese people should rely on the government instead of Hezbollah. A strong government with the proper funds and support can do just that. It is pertinent to American interests to embolden the pro-Western majority in the current government in order to stop the hegemonic advance of Syria and Iran in the Middle East.

US Sailor Accused of Spying for Israel


Ariel J. Weinmann, a US navy sailor, has been held in a military prison for the last few months. The US has accused him of desertion, but according to the Saudi daily Al Watan he has also been accused of espionage. The Defense Department has remained silent on the case and has not verified whether or not he has been charged or accused of spying for Israel.Jerusalem Post

Preventing another Munich: Why the US Should not Talk to Syria, Iran

Whatever happens, Hizbullah will emerge victorious. To whom will Hizbullah dedicate this victory? Will it dedicate the victory to the Lebanese state, to the honoring of international resolutions, to the Taif Agreement? Or will it dedicate it to the Syrian regime, the Syrian-Iranian axis, in which case we will become scorched earth, annexed to Syria and Iran? Each of these countries wants, with this abduction, to negotiate with America over the remains of the Lebanese homeland.MEMRI

Lebanese Druze MP, Walid Jumblatt


The Bush administration has been attacked a lot recently over the fact that the US is not talking to Syria over the Israel-Hezbollah Conflict. Holding dialogue is very important in international diplomacy and is very useful thing to do with your enemies. In the context of this war, the Bush administration is doing the right thing. There are two main reasons. Firstly the United States does not negotiate with terrorists and secondly, we do ot want to undermine the anti-Syrian Lebanese government. The US policy in Lebanon is to support the anti-Syrian government.

If the US negotiates with state sponsors of terrorism like Syria and Iran, it would cause obstacles on the war on terror. Negotiating with Syria will give the impression that state sponsored terrorism is a useful diplomatic tool. By going to Damascus, US will give the Syrians the illusion that they are winning the conflict and that they can extract concessions. They will conclude that capturing Israelis is an effective way to obtain some of their demands and will provoke similar crises in the future.

Secondly, by speaking with Hezbollah’s sponsors, the West will undermine the already weak anti-Syrian government in Beirut. An agreement between the US and the Assad regime could resemble the Munich Agreement of 1938, the Lebanese government would most likely not be on the negotiating table when the US acquiesces to Syria’s designs on Lebanese sovereignty, restoring Syrian rule to Lebanon. The US has sold out Lebanon once before back in 1990, when the US wanted Syrian support against Iraq in the first Gulf War. Lebanese nationalists probably have not forgotten
.

Spain Ready to sell out Lebanon in order for Syria to Broker Peace

According to Expatica, Spanish foreign minister,Miguel Angel Moratinos met with Syrian President Bashar Assad asking him to broker a peace agreement. He wants Syria to use its influence over Hezbollah. During the press conference afterwards Moratinos said that Syrian leaders were

going to exercise all their influence on Hizbullah, but the circumstances and the political and military context in the Lebanon has to change.

If the West were to agree with Assad on this then it will fulfill a major objective of the Syrian government and that objective it is to retake control of Lebanon. Syria wants to reverse its losses that occurred last year when the Lebanese masses demanded Syria to withdrawal its troops from Lebanon. After the withdrawal, the Lebanese government held parliamentary elections in which the anti-Syrian alliance won the majority of seats and took the prime ministership. In a posting below, there is a quote from Lebanese MP Walid Jumblatt. In the quote he predicts that the West is going to sell out Lebanon, for the sake of Hezbollah restraint, to Syria and Iran.

Hezbollah started the war with Israel because of Lebanon not Israel. The pro-Syrians in the government wanted to destablize the anti-Syrian government. More and more people were clamoring for Hezbollah to disarm, so Hezbollah did the only thing that they could to provoke to a crisis.

Iran Frees Bin Laden Son

Saad Bin Laden is believed to be freed from house arrest in Iran last week. The German Magazine Die Welt reorted that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards released him last week. The released him with the aim of sending him to the Syria-Lebanon border. They have hope that he will create new Islamist cell that would fight side by side with Hezbollah (Reuters)

China has developed 2nd Strike Capability against the US

The US intelligence community believes that the Chinese have deployed missiles that would give it second strike nuclear capability, in a conflict over the United States. They have developed and deployed submarines that can launch missiles with ranges from 8,000- 13,000 kilometers. Several types of their submaries have the potential to carry multiple warheads By 2007 it is predicted that they will have a submarines that can overwhelm existing US defenses and hit the continental US. (Insight Magazine)

Quotes from Lebanese Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt Regarding Hezbollah, Syria

"Whatever happens, Hizbullah will emerge victorious. To whom will Hizbullah dedicate this victory? Will it dedicate the victory to the Lebanese state, to the honoring of international resolutions, to the Taif Agreement? Or will it dedicate it to the Syrian regime, the Syrian-Iranian axis, in which case we will become scorched earth, annexed to Syria and Iran? Each of these countries wants, with this abduction, to negotiate with America over the remains of the Lebanese homeland."MEMRI

Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia does not Support Hezbollah

According to an online Jihadi publication, Al Qaeda officials in Saudi Arabia refuse to tag along with Ayman Al-Zawahiri's call for Sunni's to fight along with their Shiite brethren against the Israelis.

"If the Shiite ardour in the fight against the Jews were to increase to the point where they are able to defeat them, then the supporters of Hezbollah will increase and perhaps many will join them (Hezbollah) and this should never happen,AKI"

The news article mentions how Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is following the fatwa issued by a Saudi cleric last week which forbids Muslims from supporting Hezbollah. Many elements in Al Qaeda hate Shia Muslims, Abu Musab Al Zarqawi was one of the few people in Al Qaeda that called for their killings in Iraq. This shows that there is a major rift between the two major fundamentalist Islamic ideologies. Both Iran and Al Qaeda are competing for influence over the Islamic masses. Iran, which is a Shiite and Persian (non-Arab),is showing its clout by hitting Israel through Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in Gaza. While the Sunni Arab states sit idly back. These actions should only increase Iran's popularity in the Arab World as the defenders of the Muslim Ummah; it could possibly weaken the Sunni governments themselves.