[News] Hizb Allah rally draws thousands

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Hizb Allah rally draws thousands

Tuesday 08 March 2005 1:04 PM GMT


More than 100,000 pro-Syrian demonstrators have gathered in Beirut to 
denounce what they see as Western interference in Lebanon.

The gathering, called by the Shia Muslim group Hizb Allah and its allies, 
highlights deep divisions over Damascus's role in the country.

The demonstrators chanted pro-Syria slogans a mere 300m from where 
opposition protesters held daily rallies to demand a complete Syrian 
withdrawal form Lebanon.

Hizb Allah chief Hasan Nasr Allah had said the rally would be held to thank 
Syria for what he called its sacrifices in Lebanon and to oppose a UN 
resolution demanding the disarming of militias. Shia Muslims are Lebanon's 
largest religious sect.

Hizb Allah, which began as a small guerrilla force devoted to ending 
Israeli occupation in the south of Lebanon, has developed into a 
sophisticated group with political, military and welfare bodies. It has 
several MPs in parliament and runs several charities.

Syrian pullback

Syrian troops in a mountain ridge east of Beirut continued preparations to 
pullback from their posts, a day after Syria promised to redeploy its 
troops to eastern Lebanon this month under a two-stage withdrawal.

The United States has dismissed the plan for failing to set a deadline for 
a full pullout.

Syrian President Bashar al-Asad agreed the withdrawal plan in talks with 
Lebanese President Emile Lahud in Damascus earlier in the week. Syrian 
forces intervened in Lebanon's civil war in 1976 and Damascus still has 
about 14,000 troops in the country.

Buses and cars were ferrying supporters of Hizb Allah and its allies from 
across Lebanon. At the Riad al-Sulh Square, Hizb Allah members were setting 
up loud speakers and putting up Lebanese flags and banners.

Young men in black were looking after security, searching streets and even 
drainage holes for suspect objects.

"Thank you, Syria's Assad," a large banner said. "No to foreign 
interference," another said. "Beirut is free, America out," protesters chanted.

Nasr Allah had urged demonstrators to carry only Lebanese, not party, 
flags. Pictures of al-Assad and Lahud were also hoisted.

Pressure on Damascus

US President George Bush's administration warned Syrian leaders it would 
"hold their feet to the fire", and Britain, Germany and Lebanon's former 
colonial power France also put pressure on Damascus.

Hizb Allah (Party of God) warned of mayhem if Syrian troops were to leave 
Lebanon, where the 1975-90 civil war ended with a fragile balance between 
the country's diverse main religious groups. Lebanon is due to hold a 
general election by May.

Set up by Iran's Revolutionary Guard in 1982, Hizb Allah is the only 
Lebanese faction to keep its guns. It won wide popularity after helping 
drive Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in 2000.

Syrian forces are credited with helping ending the civil war that tore 
Lebanon apart. Christian, Muslim and Druze militias fought each other in 
rounds of sectarian and inter-sectarian fighting. About 150,000 people were 
believed to have died.

A historic day

"This is a historic day in the history of Lebanon, a day that will found 
the future of Lebanon," Hizb Allah's media director Muhammad Afif told 
Aljazeera.

"This huge crowd is gathered under the title of rejecting resolution 1559, 
as many Lebanese people, including some opposition elements, reject this 
resolution.

"This demonstration does not come against the opposition protest in 
al-Shuhada (Martyrs) Square. We respect all Lebanese opinions, as they are 
democratic expressions.

"Lebanon is a democratic and free country. Everyone wants to express their 
opinions," he said.

Anti-Syria protests

Syria's role in Lebanon has come under fierce fire since a 14 Febuary bomb 
killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri. Damascus denied any 
involvement in the blast.

Opposition demonstrators, mainly Christian and Druze with some Sunnis, have 
staged several large anti-Syrian protests since al-Hariri's killing. On 
Monday, tens of thousands of flag-waving opposition demonstrators again 
took over central Beirut's Martyrs Square to demand a complete Syrian 
withdrawal.

Syrian soldiers based in the Lebanese mountain towns east of Beirut were 
dismantling military and communications equipment for a second day on Tuesday.

A Lebanese security source said the troops were sending equipment to other 
posts closer to the Syrian border to enable them to move out quickly when 
orders come later this week.

The source said a joint Lebanese-Syrian military committee would meet on 
Tuesday to fine-tune the pullback plan and give the go-ahead.

New government

Under the agreement by al-Assad and Lahud, Syrian troops will complete 
their move to eastern Lebanon by 31 March. The Syrian and Lebanese 
militaries will then decide how long the troops should stay in the eastern 
areas before returning home.

Bush and French President Jacques Chirac confirmed in phone talks they were 
determined to obtain the full application of a UN Security Council 
resolution calling for all foreign forces to leave Lebanon, French 
officials said.

Lebanon's Lahud was set to hold consultations on Wednesday with parliament 
before naming a new prime minister-designate.

Political sources said outgoing Prime Minister Umar Karami appeared 
favorite to be asked to form a new government.

Karami, a staunch pro-Syrian politician, submitted the resignation of his 
cabinet on 28 Febuary under pressure from the opposition and street protests.

Aljazeera + Agencies
By

You can find this article at:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4A02EB97-5B87-4F28-8B91-523CCAA3FE92.htm 



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