A Hezbollah “senior political source” supposedly told al-Sharq al-Awsat that the Party of God will act “moderately” until the United Nations Special Tribunal for Lebanon formally announces its indictments in March for the assassination of Rafik Hariri in 2005.
I have no idea if the quote is real or fake, a threat or a bluff, but I have my doubts that Lebanon can hold it together. The country might muddle through without exploding for a while, but it’s not looking good.
UPDATE: From NOW Lebanon:
MTV on Tuesday quoted an unnamed Hezbollah source as saying that his party is moving toward endorsing escalatory steps.
The Tuesday gatherings serve as a warning that these steps have already begun, he added.
The source warned that the UN ESCWA headquarters in Downtown Beirut might be Hezbollah’s target in the party’s next move.
“[Tuesday’s] gatherings are a message to the [Lebanese people] and foreign [parties] that Lebanon has entered the stage following the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) issuance of an indictment.”
“[This is the stage] Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah spoke about when he said [things] will be different.”
I hope the UN has drawn up an evacuation plan for its employees. Things can get very ugly very quickly in Lebanon.
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