'Hamastan' Being Formed in Gaza

The militant Islamic group Hamas has taken control of 80% of the Gaza Strip this week. Hamas whose political wing won the Palestinian elections last year by defeating the secular, but corrupt, Fatah Movement, which previously had a monopoly over the government. Most of the world boycotted the Hamas led regime because it refused to abide by the Oslo accords and recognize Israel. Since the elections the US and allies have tried hard to curtail its power up to a point to encourage civil war between Fatah and Hamas. In fact both US and Israel were giving weapons to Fatah in order to weaken Hamas. In Gaza for the past several months there had been low instensity war going between them. This week Hamas is appearing victorious by seizing control most of the Strip. -Debka

US and Israeli policy in the Palestinian Territories have been a complete disaster. Firstly the US encouraged Palestinian democracy as the way to deter terrorism but failed to recognize that Fatah has been marred by corruption and ineptitude for over a decade. Hamas deserved a chance to be forced to moderate by the electorate if it wanted to win the next elections. The US and Israel did not give it a chance and increased its radicalization and is now radicalizing the previously pro-Fatah groups who are joining Hamas. By encouraging Fatah and this war it is not only destroying democracy, but facilitating the creation of an Iranian backed "Hamastan".

Finally, the US has top be careful, who it supports. Last year the US supported corrupt gangster warlords in Somalia and saw them fall to the Islamic Courts. Muslims in war torn countries want peace and security and an end to corruption. The Taliban rose to power b/c it provided all of that. The same with the Islamic Courts in Somalia. Gaza which has become a hellhole of the previous few years want the same thing. They elected Hamas to end the corruption of Fatah by holding them accountable during the election. At this point the people will want Hamas to also provide peace and security as well. Fatah will just become history in the sad story of Gaza.

Another Lebanese MP Assassinated

Walid Eido, a parliamentarian from the anti-Syrian Future Movement, whose coalition has a majority in the Parliament, was assassinated in a major car bombing in beirut. He is the second anti-Syrian politician killed since the assassination of MP and Industry Minister, Pierre Gemayel in November. This bombing occurred after Fatah al Islam's leader threatened to kill Lebanese politicians. The politicians that were threatened were all of the anti-Syrian variety. The bombing killed Eido's sons bodyguards and a few pedestrians. - Al Jazeera

The Lebanese Parliament now has 126 members of parliament out of 128 seats. President Emile Lahoud refused to sign any bills with the current government whom he accuses of being illegitimate, and has prevented the appointment of Gemayel's successor. It would be fair to say that Lahoud would do it again. The day that Gemayel was assassinated, the office of Michel Pharaon, the Minister for Parliamentary affairs, had his office riddled by bullets. If he was assassinated, it would bring down the pro-Western government. The ruling coalition, when it was elected back in 2005 had 72 seats in the 128 seat parliament. Since then they have lost four members, two from assassinations, one from natural causes, and one Alawite MP(Lebanese government is a confessional based), who left the coalition last week. In a few months the Parliament gets to pick a new president, but if the anti-Syrian coalition loses four more seats then they would lose the majority and will be unable to pick a successor to the pro-Syrian Lahoud. The blog Across the Bay explains it very well.

The situation in Lebanon has gotten more and more tense since the passing of the Hariri Tribunal at the UN Security Council. Syria has warned the Security Council that the Tribunal would destablize Lebanon. The recent Syria inspired violence, along with Iran's hostile actions in Iraq and Afghanistan against American interests has put the US in a precarious position. Iran and Syria have declared open war against the US all over the Middle East. The US must figure out away to put a halt to this. Syria's support for terrorism has only increased since 9/11. Personally, I think diplomatic relations should be broken in protests of Assad's blatant tyranny and the regime should be strangled with a whole range of sanctions.

The Destablization of Lebanon has begun

The outbreak of Islamist violence in the Palestinian refugee camp in Nahr al-Bared in Northern Lebanon and now in Ain al-Hilweh in the South has been created to break the fledgling Lebanese Army. The violence started at the Nahr al Bared camp in Tripoli happened almost concurrently with the UN Security Council's passage of the creation of the Rafik Hariri tribunal to try the killers of the former Prime Minister of Lebanon. Syria warned the Security Council that Lebanon would be destablized if the resolution passed. Syria has been accused of being behind the assassination.

The Islamic militants of Fatah al Islam that are based in Nahr al Bared are an offshoot of Fatah al Intifadah a pro-Syrian Palestinian group. Its leader Sheik Abbsi spent three years in a Syrian jail until he was mysteriously released and moved to Tripoli. Syria usually keeps Islamic fundamentalists in jail for much longer terms. In regards to its coziness with Syria, Fatah al Islam military leader, Abu Hurieira, mentioned in an interview that they are friendly with the pro-Syrian Shiite group Hezbollah despite it being Shiite. He even mentioned that they will not be attacked unlike the Christians and other sects-MEMRI There have been opinion pieces in the counterterrorism blog and other websites that predicted Ain al Hilweh refugee camp was going to be the next hotspot. Ain al Hilweh is a Palestinian camp that is a hornets nest for Islamic extremists and other militias that are loyal to Syria. The flare up in the South is to make the army stretched thin renderring them incapable of responding to other potential crises. Many people who support the Pro-Western government of Foaud Saniora fear that if the army can't solve these problems, Syria will use its well armed allies in the Lebanese opposition, to restore its hegemony of the country.

There is a possibility that violence may spread to other Palestinian refugee camps. Terrorism has increased in Beirut and other areas. Expect some more tragic events in the coming days...stay tuned