Syria Planet [Beta]

The Hariri militia has surrendered in the last area under its control - Tareek al-Jadeedi. It's a Hariri stronghold.

It means the Opposition now controls the whole area of Beirut which has seen feirce fighting in the past three days.

It's a major blow to Hariri's Future Movement. Earlier this morning, his TV station was forced off air.

Hariri gunmen are in talks to surrender to the Opposition.

The Opposition now controls all of West Beirut - except for Tarek al-Jadeedi. where Hariri fighters are trying to negotiate their escape, according to the Army.

Earlier this morning, Hariri TV station, Future TV was forced off air.

It is leading to hopes the violence - which has been described as war - will soon be over.

Many of the roads and airport are still closed.

ناهيكم عن التجييش الطائفي الذي تقوم به قناة العربية أثناء تغطيها للاشتباكات التي تجري في بيروت من خلال الحديث عن مسلحين شيعيين وعن فتنة شيعية-سنية بالإضافة إلى استلاع الآراء (في الشارع المسيحي) على حد تعبيرها، بل وتقوم أيضاً بمحاولة لتصعيد الأزمة بين المعارضة والمولاة من خلال الكذب الواضح وتزييف خطاب السيد حسن نصر الله الذي [...]

i have just laughed. there are heavy gun-shots going on near us, and my roommate made me laugh amongst the shootings:these are crazy mother-fuckers, i am happy to be as normal in comparison.

-عندما تستغل السّاسة الجوع لقضاء وطر قحبنتها . عندما ترسل وراء شباب جائع ، تحرك جيبوبهم ليملؤا بطونهم وبطون عائلاتهم من ورائهم . ترسلهم في الشوارع ليوقفوا من هم منهم... و يقفون من وراء زجاج النوافذ يتفرجون .

-عندما يطالع شعب شعب أخر لا يفصله عنه سوا بضعة حدود ، تصدأ القلوب في انتظار نجاح من قرر أن يقوم ، من قرر أن يقاوم ، من قرر أن لا حياة بدون رغيف الخبز المسلوب ... و من ثم ينزف الصدأ هذا اللون نفسه الذي نفر من أعين كل من انتظر هذا اليوم . انتظره ولم ينتظر الصمت الذي سيخلفه.

I don't want to look at the bigger picture anymore, it matters very little when the smaller one is this dark.

All I can see right now is, Lebanese people shooting at other Lebanese people. All I can see is, people eager to start shooting, put up barricades, and split Beirut into "Manate2" [zones].

At this moment, I care very little whether this was orchestrated by the US, or Syria. Iran, or Israel. If I look carefully, all I can see is, Lebanese people shooting at Lebanese people.

From Dr. Rami Zuraiq:My children and their cousin hiding after coming under fire in our house this morning.

i realize that i might have a different selfish outlook to all this since I am from syria, i dont have children to worry about, i dont have a family here, it is me, my laptop and my believes. i thought it is only fair to link to Lebanese outlook as well:from KerbBlog [...]

8 أيار 2008كنت أمشي في شارع الحمرا اليوم والبارحة وحاولت التقاط الصور لمنطقة مار الياس، لكن استوقفتني ميليشيات تيار المستقبل وصادروا الفيلم وخوفوني.ثم ذهبت أنا وشريكاتي في السكن لشراء بعض الخبز والطعام للأيام القادمة وكان هناك العديد من الناس يشترون الكثير من الطعام، كان المشهد غريباً بالنسبة لي لأني لم أشهد مثل هذه الأمور من [...]

كثرت محاولات فريق 14 آذار خلال الأعوام الثلاثة الماضية تدويل الأزمة السياسية في لبنان (أنا أسميها أمركة الأزمة أو وضعها في عهدة الولايات المتحدة)، ونجحوا إلى الآن بتسييس التحقيق الدولي في جريمة اغتيال الحريري ونجحوا أيضاً في تسييس المحكمة (ذات الطابع الدولي) الخاصة بنفس الجريمة، بالإضافة إلى أنهم نجحوا في تدويل مسألة سلاح حزب الله [...]

Thanks to http://mideastwire.com we have this translation:On May 8, the leader of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah spoke at a press conference and said, in part: "…Certainly, the topic of this news conference, the first since the end of July war, is the important and serious developments which have taken place on the Lebanese arena in [...]

The Lebanese government wants to remove surveillance cameras at Beirut airport, and has suspended the official in charge of airport security because of his links with Hizbullah. Hassan Nasrallah has responded by warning that the government plans to turn the airport into a base for the CIA and Mossad. For the last two days Hizbullah and Amal supporters have closed roads leading to the airport.

The government aims to dismantle Hizbullah’s communications system, which one minister referred to as “Iran telecom.” Nasrallah describes this move as “a declaration of war,” and he may not be exaggerating. Israeli inability to destroy Hizbullah communications in 2006 meant that Israel was unable to achieve any of its war aims. The destruction of the system now would leave Hizbullah vulnerable to assassinations and full scale military attack from Israel.

Yesterday Hizbullah and the much less disciplined Amal supporters on one side and Sunni pro-government people ...

This is the day I had feared for a long time but hoped would never materialize. The images of masked young men all hyped up by the deranged and false ideologies of their leaders, all too eager to sow death and destruction, is like a recurring nightmare from years gone by. Only now, the black and white images have given way to moving images, broadcast in real time and in living color and assault your senses from every TV and computer monitor. The images are depressing, nauseating and fill me with shame and hopelessness.

The images also make me angry. I blame every last Lebanese politician who has willingly played the role of puppet, pimp and whore to one or more foreign master; every last one of them, from Berri to Jumblatt, to Gaegea, to Hariri Jr to Nasrallah, to Aoun. Their primary goal has always been self preservation and the preservation of their power and that of their narrow constituencies. None of them, despite their lofty public pronouncements, ever worked for the ...

Al Jazeera says that 8 are killed and 15 are wounded in Beirut.

قال محمد الماغوط رحمه الله  , في مجموعته الشعرية (( شرق عدن .. غرب الله .. ))لن أضع رأسي..حيث يضعه الآخرون..مثل الشهيد عدنان المالكي..في أرقى شوارع دمشق..بقبعة وسيف …بيدي…و نياشين على صدري..حتى أعرف من صرعه.؟؟في ريعان شبابه..و قلب المنطقة عاليها سافلها..و جعلها تتدحرج بكل طاقاتها..و مواردها…و أحزابها ومثقفيها ومطربيها..صعودا وهبوطا..يمينا ويسارا..من جبل إلى هضبة..إلى سفح [...]

NTV: Ras el Nabe’ is completely under the Lebanese army’s control.

It was confirmed, Lung Cancer Stage IV, somehow I knew it, but I guess we all try to dismiss and ignore those thoughts.
He knew it too, he had those same feelings I had, but reading the medical report had a different impact, a different effect. It was offical, no more speculations, just the plain truth.
A friend went through this with his father recently, I tried to empathize and understand, but it is different when it happens to your own parent, you become silent as the disease itself.
I guess we will be fighting our own battels just like the world is fighting its own.http://brutalyhonest.blogspot.com/atom.xml?alt=rss

My heart is aching from seeing what is happening in Lebanon…very disgusting…every summer something happens and it is very saddening.Why are we still stuck in the 70s and 80s violent days??? it really says a lot that Lebanon the country with the best potential to be so advanced and civilized…with its brightest people everywhere are ruled [...]

i always wake up at 6 :30 and sleep at 10, this is the first time in four weeks that i am up till 12:44 and i am not even sleepy.

it is not like every now and then i hear explosions and shootings, it is like every now and then i hear nothing- there are always shootings and explosions. me and my roommates are on the floor each with our laptops, with the light turned off. we are all in the corridor away from the windows.i live [...]