Religious festival? Or demonstration?
Now, coming across the wires, we're treated to photographs of "a religious festival," with the same large throngs of people touting Hezbullah flags.
Coincidence? Or were the people demonstrating earlier today handed signs to carry, not necessarily knowing what was written on them (the English signs, at least)? At the very least, is it not probable that these people were organized, in fact, to primarily celebrate "the 15th day of Shabaan, the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi, a 9th century religious leader?"
I bet you'll find that, once these people showed up to celebrate this religious event, they were handed all kinds of things to hold by their Hezbullah masters. One would even suspect that, being on the 11th of September, you'd even find some anti-American posters somewhere amongst the demonstrators. Our photographers, of course, would adamantly refuse to publish any photographs that would show Hezbullah in a negative light, wouldn't they?
And the propaganda marches on, completely unchecked by a most pliant press.
A Hezbollah logo is projected on a building, at right, as supporters of the group take part in a religious festival beside damaged and destroyed buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. The festival on Monday was to observe the 15th day of Shaaban, the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi, a 9th-century religious leader. The densely populated residential area was bombed repeatedly by Israeli forces during the 34-day Hezbollah-Israeli conflict. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Hezbollah supporters are seen through a hole in a building, that was the result of an Israeli attack during the recent conflict, as they take part in a religious festival beside damaged and destroyed buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. The festival on Monday night was to observe the 15th day of Shaaban, the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi, a 9th-century religious leader. The densely populated residential area was bombed repeatedly by Israeli forces during the 34-day Hezbollah-Israeli conflict. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
A young boy holds a toy gun as Hezbollah supporters hold pictures of the group's leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and wave Hezbollah flags as they take part in a religious festival beside damaged and destroyed buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. The festival on Monday night was to observe the 15th day of Shaaban, the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi, a 9th-century religious leader. The densely populated residential area was bombed repeatedly by Israeli forces during the 34-day Hezbollah-Israeli conflict. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
A man waves a Hizbollah flag and a poster of the group's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, during a rally organized by Hizbollah in a southern Beirut suburb September 11, 2006. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause (LEBANON)
A boy waves a Hizbollah flag during a rally organized by the group in a southern Beirut suburb September 11, 2006. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause (LEBANON)
A boy waves a Hizbollah flag as he holds a poster of the group's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, during a rally organized by Hizbollah in a southern Beirut suburb September 11, 2006. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause (LEBANON)
Hezbollah supporters wave Hezbollah yellow flags as they take part in a religious festival beside buildings that were destroyed following Israeli bombardment during the 34-day long Hezbollah-Israel war, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. The festival on Monday was to observe the 15th day of Shaaban, the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi, a 9th-century religious leader. (AP Photo)
The logo of the Hezbollah is projected on a building that was damaged following Israeli attacks during the 34-day long Hezbollah-Israel war while Hezbollah supporters wave Hezbollah yellow flags as they take part in a religious festival in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. The festival on Monday was to observe the 15th day of Shaaban, the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi, a 9th-century religious leader. (AP Photo)
A girl holds a poster of Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during a rally in a southern Beirut suburb September 11, 2006 which was organized by Hizbollah in front of houses damaged during the recent conflict between the group and Israel. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause (LEBANON)
Women wave Hizbollah flags during a rally organized by the group in a southern Beirut suburb September 11, 2006. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause (LEBANON)
A girl holds a poster of Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during a rally organized by the group in a southern Beirut suburb September 11, 2006. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause (LEBANON)
A girl wears a poster of Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on her head during a rally organized by the group in a southern Beirut suburb September 11, 2006. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause (LEBANON)
Two supporters of the secular Free Patriotic Movement, a group allied with Hezbollah, wave their group's flags amongst Hezbollah supporters holding pictures of their group's leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and waving yellow Hezbollah flags as they take part in a religious festival beside damaged and destroyed buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. The festival on Monday night was to observe the 15th day of Shaaban, the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi, a 9th-century religious leader. The densely populated residential area was bombed repeatedly by Israeli forces during the 34-day Hezbollah-Israeli conflict. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Hezbollah supporters wave the group's yellow flags as they take part in a religious festival beside damaged and destroyed buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. The festival on Monday was to observe the 15th day of Shaaban, the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi, a 9th-century religious leader. The densely populated residential area was bombed repeatedly by Israeli forces during the 34-day Hezbollah-Israeli conflict. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
A band of Hezbollah supporters perform on a stage erected by a building, that was destroyed in the recent conflict, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. The festival on Monday night was to observe the 15th day of Shaaban, the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi, a 9th-century religious leader. The densely populated residential area was bombed repeatedly by Israeli forces during the 34-day Hezbollah-Israeli conflict. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Hezbollah supporters hold pictures of the group's leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and wave the group's yellow flags as they take part in a religious festival beside damaged and destroyed buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. The festival on Monday night was to observe the 15th day of Shaaban, the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi, a 9th-century religious leader. The densely populated residential area was bombed repeatedly by Israeli forces during the 34-day Hezbollah-Israeli conflict. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
And, in case anyone was wondering who is really pulling the strings in Lebanon:
A protester shows an Iranian flag as others flash V-signs during a demonstration against the visit of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to Lebanon, in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. Angry protesters - including an Irish peace activist who disrupted a news conference Monday - marred a visit by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who had sided with Washington against a quick cease-fire in the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Tawil)
Tags: mahmoud tawil matt dunham reinhard krause AP REUTERS #Israel/Lebanon War 2006
