An Imminent Coup by Hezbollah in Lebanon

By: Elias Bejjani*

A Saudi advice has delayed the return of Lebanon's PM, Saad Al Hariri, from Saudi Arabia to Beirut. Meanwhile, 3500 Hezbollah militiamen are secretly deployed in the Eastern Christian region according to a report that was published yesterday by the "Beirut Observer" web site. Hezbollah has reached its final logistic preparations to execute an armed coup to take over all of Lebanon by force. The web site attributed its information to well-informed sources in the Saudi media. Below is a summary of the report with other related information:

Well-informed Saudi sources have confirmed to the "Beirut Observer" that the delay of Lebanon's PM return to Beirut came in response to advice by Saudi officials. The Saudis are extremely concerned in regards to information became available to them indicating that an imminent Hezbollah coup is in on the horizon. The Saudis are fearful that Hezbollah’s threats are not mere political rhetoric this time. The Iranian-armed militia has set all the needed logistic preparations for the coup and is only waiting for the zero hour.

According to the report, Hezbollah's planned coup will take a camouflaged cover of civilian protection this time. But the reality on the ground is that it will not be different from Hezbollah's bloody and cruel invasion of Western Sunni Beirut and Druze Mount Lebanon in May 2008. The coup will be initiated by putting government officials under house arrest. This will include Lebanon's PM, Saad Al Hariri, General prosecutor Said Mirza, Internal Security Forces General Director General Ashraf Rifi as well as many other officials and politicians. Sources said that Information Branch President Colonel Wesam Hassan will be spared from house arrest in the early hours of the coup.

The report went on to conclude that at the present time the centre of attention is a scheduled visit by a Saudi envoy to Damascus today and on the results of his talks with Syrian officials. The Saudi mission to Syria will focus on the current volatile situation in Lebanon, the avoidance of bloodshed, strife and and the repetition of what happened on May 2008. The Saudis fear that the impact of any military coup executed by Hezbollah in Lebanon will spread chaos over the entire region.

Private sources from Beirut unveiled that Hezbollah has deployed 3500 of its armed militia men along the Mediterranean coast in the Christian region from Beirut northwards through the cities of Junieh, Tabarja and Batroun. These bearded Hezbollah men are residing in chalets and apartments located in Christian areas and on standby alert status in case of any political development or security emergency that may require their armed intervention.

According to the report, a decision was taken by Hezbollah's leadership to invade Christian regions loyal to the March 14 Coalition, and subdue them by military force. Hezbollah's Leadership aim from such an invasion is to deliver a bloody intimidation message to all Lebanese who oppose its hegemony over the country. They want to prove on the ground that they have the upper hand, the sole power and the authority all over the country.

The report attributed to the same sources that Hezbollah has bought real estate in the Christian area of Muarab through Christians intermediaries loyal to General Michel Aoun, and in the Christian town of Bikfaya through Syrian Socialist National Party loyalists. In anticipation of potential fights with parties, possession of this real estate allows Hezbollah militia to surround the head of the Christian Lebanese Forces Party, Dr. Samir Geagea, and the Head of the Kataeb Christian Party, Amin Gemayel.

Yesterday, Hezbollah issued a statement saying that Lebanon's Attorney General Judge Said Mirza’s request to summon former General Security chief Jamil as-Sayyed on Thursday was political par excellence: "We were surprised by the judiciary’s decision which is political and oppressive to those who declare the truth,” the statement said. It is worth mentioning that Hezbollah invaded West Beirut and Mount Lebanon in May 2008 because the Lebanese Government decided to transfer the Beirut airport security chief, a Hezbollah loyalist. The Lebanese are fearful a replication of the same defiance scenario is imminent.

Hezbollah's statement comes after Sayyed said on Sunday that “[Prime Minister Saad Hariri] should take a lie detector test to prove he did not support or fund false witnesses in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL),” in investigating the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri, and vowed to take his right “with his own hands.” Sayyed was detained from 2005 to 2009 on suspicion of involvement in the Rafik Hariri murder. In April 2009, the STL ordered his release without charges due to lack of evidence.

Hezbollah has called for revoking the judiciary's decision to summon Sayyed for questioning, adding that it should have summoned “those who were bragging that they collaborated with Israel at a certain period of time.” Hezbollah and its two evil of axis masters, Syria and Iran with all their Lebanese mercenary armed allies are ratcheting up pressure aiming to discredit a UN-backed tribunal expected to implicate Hezbollah and most likely Syria in the murder of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.

Below is the link for the Arabic report published yesterday by the Beirut Observer web site
http://beirutobserver.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37340:hariri-&catid=39:features

*Elias Bejjani
*Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
*Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
*Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
*Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/.