Lebanese Government Reaction

Al-Arabiyya television has picked up on Interior Minister Sulayman Franjieh's statements yesterday regarding activities of the opposition to the government - and said that the Lebanese government is "indicating" that it will use military force to deal with the opposition (just heard this on television). Most likely this has to do with Franjieh's press conference statement yesterday in which he said that "the mourning period is over" and hinting that civil unrest (which as we all know can be loosely interpreted) will not be tolerated.

A reader asked if Hizbullah (and likewise Iran) could still be considered a culprit under the current circumstances. While I had originally taken Hizbullah's ambiguity as indicative of possible involvement (as well as Israel's deliberate accusation), it appears that they are coming off the fence. As Tony at Across the Bay indicates, it appears that Hizbullah has been cornered under the circumstances and this may explain Hizbullah's ambiguous silence. If they were attempting to gauge the political climate before committing themselves to a position, this seems to have ended - as evidenced by Nasrallah visiting the Hariri family yesterday. One thing is certain, though - Hizbullah remains lodged firmly with the existing government, and they stand to lose a great deal under full implementation of either UNR 1559 or the Ta'if Agreement. Hence, they still have motive.

I'll be away from the internet for a couple days - taking a short break in the mountains to get some fresh(er) air and a break from the city, and I'll be back in a couple days max.