Powerline and SoCalPundit agree that the (so-called) Pro-Syrian Demonstration in Lebanon was staged to justify a continued Syrian presence in Lebanon.
The following was copied from Powerline:
"Shooting Erupts in Beirut Christian Sector". But as the story makes clear, the shooting didn't exactly "erupt":
Volleys of gunfire were heard shortly after a convoy of cars carrying pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad, which had earlier demonstrated in Muslim south Beirut, headed later to the Christian sector of Ashrafieh, a center of anti-Syrian sentiment.
People in the cars exchanged insults with about a dozen men. Gunmen then opened fire from the cars as they drove around, the witnesses said. There appeared to be no casualties.
The shooting appears to be a clumsy attempt to provoke violence that would justify a continued Syrian presence in Lebanon. I thought this was interesting, too. This AP photo news story says: "A pro-Syrian protester fires into the air, in the Christian sector of Ashrafieh, Beirut, during a convoy of cars carrying pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad driving in Beirut, Lebanon." Here's the photo:
That's not a protester. That's a thug, and someone is paying him. These are protesters:
Today Syria's Assad promised a phased withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon; first they withdraw toward the border, then, at some unspecified time, across the border. His announcement was reportedly greeted joyfully by the anti-Syrian protesters in Beirut. But it's obviously inadequate. Let's hope the anti-Syrian movement in Lebanon isn't too easily satisfied. They, and we, need to keep the pressure on.
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