UNIFIL In Lebanon--Disarmed By Villagers

The UN force in southern Lebanon cannot even keep their weapons--just how are they supposed to keep the peace?

Villagers disarm UN patrol in south Lebanon: army

Villagers disarmed a French patrol of UN peacekeepers Saturday and attacked them with sticks, rocks and eggs in south Lebanon, in the latest in a string of such incidents, the Lebanese army said.

"Residents of the village of Tuline as well as some villagers from nearby Kabrikha attacked a patrol with sticks and threw stones and eggs," a military spokesman told AFP.

"The citizens disarmed the soldiers and briefly took control of their vehicle before the army intervened and made them move away from the patrol," the spokesman said.

Naturally, Hezbollah has voiced its most sincere concern:

Hezbollah has urged the peacekeepers in south Lebanon, a stronghold of the Shiite militant movement, to stick to their mandate, following a wave of protests by villagers.

"UNIFIL should always carry out its role... in a way so as not to arouse mistrust and worry of citizens as was the case during the latest exercises," Hezbollah's number two, Naim Qassem, said in a newspaper interview.

"...in a way so as not to arouse mistrust and worry of citizens"--yeah, that's a laugh.

Remember Hezbollah in January 2007?

While I was in Lebanon gathering the material I've been publishing, Hezbollah kept threatening to strangle the country by seizing major roads, including the one that leads to the airport. I was worried I might get stuck there, but I didn't. Today, though, they finally make good on their threat. Palestinian guerillas are reportedly helping.

Future TV and LBC say there are clashes between rioters and commuters. Cars, as well as tires, are burning.

Photos via Blacksmiths of Lebanon. Click for more.

UPDATE: 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.

UPDATE: More pictures at The Ouwet Front. One commenter says "It looks like Gaza." Yes, it does.

Yes, Hezbollah is nothing if not sensitive to the needs of the Lebanese.

Technorati Tag: UNIFIL and Lebanon and Hezbollah.