Hariri's death, still unavenged.
I'd like to compliment AP stringer Grace Kassab on this touching photograph. The rich tones, contrasted with the mummified statue, seems to symbolize everything that's gone wrong with the United Nations' attempts to bring justice to Rafiq Hariri's murderers. Perhaps the composition could have been tweaked according to the Rule of Thirds, to heighten the contrast between the mummified statue on the rightand the random Lebanese citizen on the left, but otherwise, it is absolutely perfect.
As to the rest of the story: Hezbollah has just collapsed the Lebanese government due to disagreements between it and the rest of the country on official Lebanese support to the UN tribunal investigating Hariri's murder. And let me tell you, this action speaks volumes.
Specifically, it says (1) Hezbollah is openly admitting that it murdered Hariri, and (2) Hezbollah believes it has a sufficiently large body of public support in Lebanon that the election that will certainly result from this collapse will turn largely in its favor.
Which will now allow Hezbollah to officially block the UN tribunal, with the power of controlling Lebanon's government behind it.
As a bonus, they can also use the same to ramp up their neverending war on Israel, in a more official manner.
This is not a good start to 2011, my friends.
A wrapped statue of slain former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri stands in a small garden in front of the Government House in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011. The Islamic militant group Hezbollah and its allies plan to resign from the Lebanese Cabinet and topple the government on Wednesday over tensions stemming from the international investigation of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, officials said. (AP Photo/Grace Kassab)
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Tags: AP grace kassab #Lebanon
