Hezbollah, FPM Three Years on...

[Venom]

Mohamad Shmaysani - Three years ago, a phenomenal event took place in a significant place one year after a catastrophic incident that put the country on the verge of war...civil war.

On the 6th of February 2006, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and the head of the Free Patriotic Movement General Michel Aoun signed a memorandum of understanding at the Saint Michael church, a symbol for the civil war era when the church and the adjacent “green line” used to separate between Muslim and Christian fighters in western and eastern Beirut. The event took place almost a year after former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated in Beirut; an incident that split the Lebanese and pushed the country to the verge of a new civil war.

THE RIOTS OF FEBRUARY 5

Lebanon was divided between the March 8 and the March 14 blocs.
The ambitions of the Christians had shattered after the so called “Cedars Revolution” monopolized power and turned against its allies.
The peak was on the eve of the 5th of February 2006, one day before the MOU was signed. Then Interior Minister Hasan Sabaa, had held a security meeting and announced afterwards that a demonstration will take place outside the Danish embassy in Ashrafiyyeh. He also said that the orders were not to confront the demonstrators. Sabaa also banned the use of live bullet rounds by police in the area.
The morning of February 5 saw the destruction of private and public properties including churches and the torching of the some building near the embassy. The head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea urged his supporters through media outlets not to face the demonstrators, given the fact they are allied from the Mustakbal (Future) movement of MP Saad Hariri.
The riot and the havoc continued for several hours. Geagea had to retreat his morning statement with another calling on Sabaa to resign.
The Future Movement was still silent.
The interior ministry announced later in the evening that police had arrested 160 rioters. Most of them were later released under a “special pardon” and pressure by the Future Movement.

MOU RESULTS IN NEW REALITY OF COEXISTENCE

The MOU however, resulted in a new reality of Lebanese coexistence. Christians in Ashrafiyyeh realized that it was the first time that the performance of allies (Future – Lebanese Forces) causes that much damage.
It was not before the historical event that most of the Lebanese really felt that civil war in Lebanon was over. The MOU introduced a patriotic model of a freewill agreement, between different political groups, on a project to build a society and a strong, capable and fair state for free compatriots.

THE UNDERSTANDING SURMOUNTS CHALLENGES

The first was the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006. After the resistance captured the two Israeli soldiers, Aoun said Hezbollah had engaged in a “pure military action,” not a terrorist attack, at a time so called moderates inside and outside Lebanon were slamming the resistance as a group of adventurers. Hezbollah took over defending Lebanon militarily while Aoun, a former army commander, backed the resistance politically and socially, when his supporters shared their houses, food and clothes with their displaced compatriots. Aoun’s MOU with Hezbollah has always been dangerous for Israel and the United States. The General himself, according to intelligence reports, was a main target for Israeli warplanes during the war.

Like Hezbollah, Aoun also earned the ire of Israel and Washington by publicly calling for the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon to their homeland Palestine in the framework of their right to return, something strongly resisted by Israel.
The second challenge emerged right after the 33-day war ended; this time with an illegitimate government. Hezbollah, the FPM and other opposition parties held a 537-day sit-in in downtown Beirut to demand the government step down and improve living conditions in Lebanon.

Then came the 7th of June 2008. On that day, zero hour was set to embark in an action aimed at distorting the image of the resistance. The understanding between Hezbollah and the FPM prevented the bid to take the country into the abyss. The anti-resistance attempt backlashed.
When feuding parties returned from Qatar after having agreed on a set of long waited measures, a government was formed and Aoun’s party was part of it.

The Hezbollah-FPM understanding is no longer an understanding between two wide popular movements, but is has become a social method to enhance confidence and hope and to build a prosperous, indivisible Lebanon immune from occupation or appropriation. It is an understanding that constitutes a much needed entrance to any broader national understanding.


tayyar.org

[SamerTayyar]

this proved to be one of the most solid alliances in Lebanon's modern history.

there was never such understanding and coherence between two parties with

huge bases. I could say that even if FPM and HA break the alliance(god forbid)

the alliance and coexistence between the bases will never break and I will

always respect what HA people stood for and their loyalty they have shown to

this alliance. God bless you SHN and GMA...

[Diabolo_7]

Syrio-Iranian axis, supporting terrorism, undermining democracy, al7akika, democratically elected Siniora govt, cedar revolution, 3an rou7 el shahid, cover for HA weapons, al7akika, international tribunal, presidency, living martyrs, state within a state, illegal communication network, al7akika, malyoun w noss ta7t l shete, we7de wataniyye, bringing syria back, Syrian puppet, al7akika, defense strategy, the lebanese people should apologize from Syria, fat7 l islem, jund el sett, al7akika, shaker el absi, abu hureira, fer3 l ma3loumet, HA arming FPM, Aoun losing his popularity, al7akika, zay ma hiyye, international tribunal, 3an rou7 el shahid, ketle wasatiyye, baddna l tar min lahoud w min bashar, elba7r amamouna, bay bayya la tari2 l matar, Aoun is blinded by the presidency, HA weapons, la ta7et zennaro la aoun, Security plus, Beirut majrou7a, al7akika...

shu sar 2ate3 3leyna eshya

http://forum.tayyar.org/blogs/diabol...s-already.html

[Abou Sandal]

This is the ultimate proof that whenever there is a will,there is a way.

And that deals are only good among honorable and honest people.

[taifoon]

A very special occasion indeed worth commemorating. Sadly however, the magic formula of MoUs seems to work only in a one to one relationship, and for optimal outcome, one at a time. Can you imagine a national MoU carnival, where everyone is MoU'ed to everyone? I guess not.

Anyways, Hizbollah and FPM are two serious dudes with sharaf, tad7iya and wafa2 thingees well rooted at their cores. Never mind they don't, and will never, meet on certain issues, but hey, that's the major idea of an Understanding..

So, nshallah l'Kheir ykoun deyim. Cross sectarian alliances in Lebanon are a bliss and a blessing, every time they occur and as long as they last.. God may preserve them ila abad al abedeen, or at least longer than the lifespan of their manufacturers.

[BEAST]

6th of Feb 2006 was a blessed and glorious day indeed, may this ALLIANCE (La Mou wala ballout :P) last for decades and even centuries to come

[Ashrafieh_LF]

A very sad occasion for the true FPM. Feb.6 is the shameful day when FPM turned from being a defender of a strong Lebansese state to a defender of a militia. On Feb 6 the first nail in FPM's coffin was hammered in...

[Diabolo_7]

Originally Posted by Ashrafieh_LF

A very sad occasion for the true FPM. Feb.6 is the shameful day when FPM turned from being a defender of a strong Lebansese state to a defender of a militia. On Feb 6 the first nail in FPM's coffin was hammered in...

how did i miss that in my post

[shadow1]

If the FPM-HA political alliance wins election and gets to form government we can judge the value of the MOU based on what gets achieved of its promises.
Until then it's no more than a nice mawdou3 insha for various parties to pick and choose which of its elemnts to support or oppose.

On the surface of it it seems to have somehow tamed the natural tendencies of some sections of Leb societies. How much of that is genuine and how much is contrived only time will tell.

[ecce homo]

Originally Posted by Ashrafieh_LF

A very sad occasion for the true FPM. Feb.6 is the shameful day when FPM turned from being a defender of a strong Lebansese state to a defender of a militia. On Feb 6 the first nail in FPM's coffin was hammered in...

It was the first nail in the coffin of feudalism and corruptionism.

FPM and HA although so much different, has a lot in common. Their supporters represent two of the biggest minorities in Lebanon who has been left out and marginalised by the state represented by Hariri politics and his allies the feudal war-lords.

The FPM and HA put on paper several important points to build on for this damned country, something that nobody has achieved before. What has the fab 14 cohorts achieved? Nothing! What is their policy? Hate of the FPM and HA. Why? Because they have disrupted their plan, running Lebanon like their privately owned farm.

The MOU showed the political maturity of GMA and the FPM. It showed the will of HA to “Lebanonise” their cause. It showed that the both, although their differences, could find a common way for this country out of its crisis. What has the fab 14 done for the country?