Monday, October 11, 2010

Not Everyone In Lebanon Welcomes Ahmadinejad's Visit

The US has already made clear its reservations about Ahmadinejad coming to Lebanon:
"We expressed our concern about it given that Iran, through its association with groups like Hezbollah, is actively undermining Lebanon's sovereignty," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters at his daily briefing.

"But ... we respect that these are judgments for (the) Lebanese government to make," he added.
Considering how much influence the US has over Lebanese actions, it is well that Crowley tempers its concern with 'respect'.

But others are less nuanced in how they feel. According to Ya Libnan, Al Qaeda: Lebanon will tremble if Ahmadinejad shows up:
A group called the Abdullah Azzam Brigades said today that the whole of Lebanon will tremble and its ground will quake if Ahmadinejad steps foot on it.

The group added: “We will do the impossible to thwart this conspiracy.”

The group which is linked to al Qaeda was named after Abdullah Azzam, a Palestinian who led Islamic militants in Afghanistan and was killed in 1989 by a roadside bomb.Azzam is regarded as the one-time spiritual mentor of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
I'm not sure what their beef is with Ahmadinejad or Iran, given that there apparently are ties between Iran anad Al Qaeda.

The threats are obviously not going to stop Ahmadinejad from coming, but it will at least give him something to think about.

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