Black smoke covers Beirut

The whole time I was in Beirut, Hezbollah was threatening to do something like this. Now, they've done it, they've abandoned the illusion that they have patience and a respect for democracy. It's now full-fledged extortion. Nice country you've got, wouldn't want anything to happen to it...

Walking to the airport

Charles of the Lebanese Political Journal says:

Now, the opposition is proving its authoritarian agenda. Like they did when they began a war this summer without consulting the rest of the country, the opposition is once again forcing Lebanese into a situation they don't want to be in. However, this time it's Lebanese against Lebanese.

Blocking off an area for a demonstration is one thing. Blocking movement in an entire country is quite another. Forbidding citizens from doing what they choose, particularly when that thing is their livelihood, is unbearable and cannot be tolerated.

Should a militia have the right to stop Lebanese from going down the streets they choose?

The opposition is tearing apart families, neighborhoods, and the country. They are further cantonizing an already divided country. What's to keep employers from firing staff members who don't show up for work? Will this lead to a Lebanon where everyone is hired based on political affiliation? Isn't this what we're trying to work against?

The opposition has gone too far. They are leading the country down a path to violence.

Abu Kais From Beirut to the Beltway says:

Hizbullah is calling this an "intifada". And indeed, their supporters are now stoning anti-Hizbullah residents of Beirut. March 14 MP Walid Eido says that Beirut is "being occupied by the Hizbullah militia...".

... And so, It begins....

...While I am still convinced that this government will not fall, I am increasingly convinced of the futility of this “opposition”, and that nothing will ultimately remain of our country's true soul, at the very least.

As I had posted before, I still see a silver lining in this cloud; Hezb's intransigence reveals an underlying weakness, and their escalation shows how little endurance they really have.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Seniora accuses Hezbollah of intimidation and terrorism. He may be over-reacting a bit with the t-word in this context, but it's telling because he used to call them a "resistance" movement instead of terrorists. Those days are gone.