Hizballah to Protest Tomorrow in Beirut
Charles Johnson
Mon Mar 7, 2005 at 3:04 pm PST • Views: 309
The Hizballah terror gang and their masters in Tehran are not pleased with events: Hezbollah To Protest U.S. Stance On Lebanon.
BEIRUT, March 6 — The leader of Hezbollah, the militant Shiite Muslim movement that for weeks has stood on the sidelines of Lebanon’s political upheaval, called Sunday for national demonstrations against what he characterized as foreign influences seeking to expel Syria, a key sponsor of the party, from the country.
Hassan Nasrallah, a Shiite cleric who serves as Hezbollah’s secretary general, was critical in particular of the United States and France. His announcement dashed the hopes of Lebanese opposition leaders that the large, disciplined movement would join their cause to drive Syrian troops and intelligence services from Lebanon.
The first demonstration is scheduled for Tuesday in Beirut, along an avenue near the central square where Lebanon’s anti-Syrian opposition movement has staged round-the-clock protests since the Feb. 14 assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri.
Nasrallah appeared after what he called an “emergency meeting” of more than 30 political parties aligned with the Syrian government, which is facing international pressure and a popular uprising here to end its 30-year presence in Lebanon. The meeting was convened hours after Syrian President Bashar Assad outlined a gradual shift of Syria’s 15,000 troops in Lebanon to the countries’ common border, a plan criticized by U.S. and French officials who have demanded an immediate withdrawal of Syrian forces.
Frank says: