[News] On the Road with Ahmadinejad in Lebanon

[Anti-Imperialist News]

On the Road with Ahmadinejad in Lebanon

Posted: 16 Oct 2010 02:50 AM 
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Dr. Franklin Lamb – Intifada Palestine


Thousands of Lebanese took to the streets to 
greet Iran's President Ahmedinejad as his 35 car 
motorcade moved slowly through the streets of Beirut.

Qana.

He came, he saw, he conquered.

As he watched the Iranian President blow kisses 
to cleaning workers at Beirut’s airport during 
his departure for Iran early this morning, a 
Lebanese Christian historian commented “This 
Persian’s glory at the moment is arguably greater 
than Caesar’s following Rome’s second conquest of Britain”.

And the Iranian president did indeed throw much 
more than a stone at US-Israel projects for 
Lebanon, perhaps energized by the adoring public he encountered.

A grateful nation extended to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 
what one Bishop claimed was the greatest 
outpouring of popular support on the streets, all 
along this country’s sectarian divide, that the 
Republic of Lebanon has ever witnessed including 
the May 10, 1997 visit of Pope John Paul II.

An important reason for the outpouring of popular 
support was the quarter century of Iranian 
assistance to Lebanon for social projects, and 
for rebuilding much of Lebanon following the 
1993, 1996 and 2006 Israeli aggressions. Massive 
aid that was detailed by Hezbollah’s 
Secretary-General in a recent speech and the cost 
of which is estimated to be in excess of one billion dollars.

Iran’s President is widely believed in the 
diplomatic community here to have promoted 
sectarian unity in Lebanon, calmed the current 
political atmosphere, and delivered on offers of 
more desperately needed economic projects via 17 
bilateral agreements. A particularly appreciated 
offer throughout Lebanon is Iran’s major pledge 
of an electrical complex that will deliver 7 
times Lebanon’s current power supply, which in 
2010 still sees power cuts throughout Lebanon. 
The current deficiencies range from three hours 
to 12 hours daily power cuts everywhere in 
Lebanon plus total blackouts for days at a time 
in some areas. Iran’s President is widely 
believed to have achieved a major advancement for 
Lebanese stability, sovereignty, and independence.

The throngs were cheering, waving, and shouting 
their admiration. Local media used descriptive 
words like “rock star, rapturous, massive 
affection,” to describe his reception.

Wretched Palestinian refugees, tightly shoe 
horned into Lebanon’s squalid UN camps, denied 
even the most elementary civil rights by an 
apathetic international community and some of the 
local sects, could be seen along the route. Many 
with eyes moistened, perhaps by Nakba memories 
and tears of hope for the early liberation of 
their sacred Palestine and the full exercise of 
their internationally mandated and inalienable Right of Return to their homes.

Refugees, plenty of them illegal, Iraqis, 
Afghans, Kurds and others, urging the expulsion 
of occupation forces from their countries and the 
restoration of their former lives waved and blew 
kisses. Lebanese domestic ‘guest/slave workers’ 
from Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Sudan, Philippines, 
Bangladesh, and other countries could be seen in 
the crowds along with Syrian construction 
workers. Also a sprinkling of Stendhal “Le Rouge 
et le Noir” characters who, seeking secure 
advancement in life, have fixed themselves to one 
or the other, both requiring that they be seen 
publicly at such an important event.

Close to 750,000 people, or approximately one 
quarter of the total population of Lebanon, of 
all ages and stations in life, appeared at the 
main road from Beirut’s airport and at other 
events during an intense two day frenetic series 
of appearances. Red, green and yellow rose 
petals, the colors of Iran’s flag, greeted 
Lebanon’s guest. Due to time constraints, some 
events for which much preparation had been made 
were “postponed”, including an “American Town 
Hall Meeting with President Ahmadinejad. ” It was 
to include 15 Americans currently in Lebanon as 
academics, business people, students, housewives, 
and NGO’s, in a much anticipated US political 
campaign type format with Iran’s President 
joining an informal dialogue with his interlocutors.

At Al Raya Athletic field in South Beirut, often 
used for popular Hezbollah events, an estimated 
150, 000 people crowded onto just the main field 
boundaries, one Hezbollah source reporting that 
it was the largest gathering inside the field 
ever seen. Thousands of other attendees spilled 
onto the side streets where huge TV screens has 
been set up and vendors hocked roasted ears of 
corn, boiled balila beans, kaak asrounye (baked 
bread with filling) ) various treats, including 
chips, cotton candy and soft drinks. Driving 
around the area on the mercifully cool autumn 
evening by motorbike, one could see thousands 
more gathered at several dozen Dahiyeh outdoor 
cafes and store front shops where families and 
friends gathered to watch on the proprietors’ 
outdoor TV screens. Some of the adults smoked 
arguila water pipes and little kids played, happy 
to be allowed to stay up late while teenagers 
appeared contented to get a day off from school 
and an evening without homework.

Lebanese and Iranian flags were fluttering 
everywhere without huge numbers of Hezbollah 
flags displayed in keeping with the message that 
this was an official state visit. President 
Ahmadinejad of Iran was invited by President 
Michel Suleiman of Lebanon on behalf of every 
Lebanese, including the majority of Lebanese who 
live in the Diaspora. Deployments of Suleiman’s 
Presidential guards were the ones seen to be 
providing security for Iran’s president with 
Hezbollah security largely out of site, except 
for occasional fleeting glimpse of Hezbollah 
sharpshooters in windows throughout the assembly 
area. They also surfaced quickly if a dispute or 
argument flared up in the packed crowds. In these 
few cases a representative of Hezbollah would 
apologize for the crowded conditions and ask for 
patience and understanding during the event.

At one stop near the blue line in South Lebanon 
he smiled broadly, winked to the media contingent 
and adoring villagers surrounding him and, gazing 
deep into occupied Palestine, as if posing for a 
Marlboro Country billboard advertisement, Iran’s 
charismatic President made many a heart flutter 
when he spoke softly, almost whispering to some 
villages, and with a twinkle in his eye, as if 
someone were eavesdropping: “Now isn’t this one 
fine view?”, as he discretely pointed. “I like it over there, don’t you?”

Almost everyone laughed at his joke.

A young lady wearing a full length black Chador 
(a women wearing one is called a ‘Chadori’ in 
Persian and Lebanese resistance culture) , with 
some of her school mates in tow who were 
volunteering as hostesses and Farsi, Arabic, and 
English interpreters, offered arriving American 
guests enthusiastic greetings: “Welcome to the 
Islamic Republic of Iran’s new border with Palestine!”

Almost everyone laughed at her joke.

Then, exuding an easy self confidence and 
speaking American accented English while 
obviously having a good time, the student noticed 
one seemingly horror struck humorless lady 
wearing a light brown business suit and heels who 
a security guy later confided was suspected of 
being a US Embassy plant. “Just teasing”, she 
assured the woman, as she offered her hand in 
friendship to the flinching guest who glared 
uneasily at the hostesses’ hand as if it held a 
dead rat or might bite hers. “Why are you 
Americans so serious”? the loquacious hostess 
smiled. “Do you agree Iran and America are 
destined to be good friends after our countries 
are finished with this problem?”, and she 
gestured with her head south toward Tel Aviv.

“Please tell me what do Americans think? I read a 
few days ago in preparation for my work today-I 
should not say work, it’s really fun- a report 
that ninety percent of Americans in a recent poll 
said they did not favor attacking Iran unless 
Iran attacks Israel first. This is very good news 
because I am sure Iran, unlike Israel’s record, 
will never be the first to start a war. Iran will 
retaliate naturally and that could mean World War 
III, but there will be no war involving Iran 
unless Iran, Syria, or Lebanon is attacked. We in 
the Resistance Alliance are ‘one for all and all 
for one’ but we really want to be friends with 
the American people.” And she offered the woman a 
small ribbon-tied, party wrapped, cellophane 
pouch with Iranian pistachios and candy attached 
to a small Iranian flag. “No thanks”, the American answered as she walked away.

The American Embassy warned Americans to avoid 
Ahmadinejad’s “provocative and potentially 
dangerous visit because the Lebanese government 
cannot protect US Citizens.” Jeffrey Feltman, the 
assistant secretary of State for Near Eastern 
affairs, complained to the pan-Arab Al-Hayat on 
10/13/10: “Why is the Iranian president 
organizing activities that might spark tension? 
We are taking steps to lower tension while Ahmadinejad is doing the opposite.”

Nevertheless, there were plenty of Yanks in 
attendance at all of Ahmadinejad’s appearances.

During his Qana visit, the Hezbollah 
Parliamentary delegation, friends with many 
Americans here, must have tipped off the Iranian 
President that Americans were sitting near them. 
The reason for this hunch is that he could not 
have been more gracious, making frequently eye 
contact and touching his forehead as a greeting 
and salute and thanking them for coming. He 
assured the American guests that eventually Iran 
and America will be good friends and perhaps allies.

Shortly before the Iranian President’s 35 car 
convoy carrying his delegation and various 
Lebanese officials arrived at Qana, his fourth 
largest gathering, an Israeli Air Force MRPV 
circled lazily yet provocatively above the site 
of the 1996 Qana massacre. Some in the more than 
15,000 person crowd pointed skyward, some kids 
squealing “Israel!”. From their experience, 
“Qanains” as Ali, who grew up in this village 
explained some locals call themselves, were able 
to give foreigners fairly precise details of the 
MRPV’s specs and capabilities. This Israeli 
provocation ended, according to a Hezbollah 
security source, when the MRPV’s controllers 
realized that a Resistance laser guided missile 
had locked on to the uninvited intruder. The same 
source divulged that Hezbollah did not intend to 
shoot it down and would only monitor the threat. 
This was because the Resistance did not want mar 
the Iranian Presidents tour. In addition, he 
explained, explained that Lebanon’s resistance 
wanted to maintain “tactical and strategic 
ambiguity” concerning its array of anti-aircraft 
weapons until the moment war comes.

Lebanon’s people, army and resistance ignored 
provocations from this country’s southern enemy, 
including assassination threats like the one made 
by the Nakba-denying Knesset member Aryeh Eldad , 
more blustering from Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, 
and PM Netanyahu, the beefing up of Israeli 
forces along the blue line, efforts to crack 
Hezbollah communications and send SMS threats via 
hacked mobile phones, conducting a chorus of US 
officials in childish criticisms of the visit, 
and Israeli spokesmen like Mark Regev and 
political extremists in Congress issuing threats.

Israeli warplanes on Friday carried out 
intensive, mock air raids over south Lebanon as 
if to send the message, “He is gone but we are 
still here!” The state-run National News Agency 
said Israeli jets staged mock air raids at medium 
attitude over Nabatiyeh, Iqlim al-Tuffah, Marjayoun, Khiam and Arqoub.

Another signature Israeli taunt during Iran’s 
Presidents visit was the launching of hundreds of 
blue and white balloons to catch the air current 
north to Bint Jbeil when Ahmadinejad was 
appearing. Some with insults written on them by 
children with magic markers and others allegedly 
smeared with human feces, the spreading of the 
latter being an IDF insult employed over the past 
45 years of incursions into Lebanon and Palestine 
when during occupations of Lebanese and 
Palestinian homes some Israeli soldiers create 
what they call “poop art” on walls, mattresses and other surfaces.

Analysts will write about Iran’s Mahmoud 
Ahmadinejad’s historic visit for months to come 
and what the visit means for the two countries, 
for the question of Palestine, strategic 
alignments in the region, and consequences for 
China, Russia and the wider international community.

A perhaps too early, road-weary, sleep-deprived 
photo snap of his visit’s effects would warrant 
the following brief and tentative evacuation, as 
Lebanon’s guest has just departed Beirut airport 
to return to his country. His midnight departure 
followed a visit at the Iranian Embassy with 
Hassan Nassrallah during which the Hezbollah 
Secretary-General gave the Iranian President an 
Israeli rifle taken from an Israeli soldier during the July 2006 war.

Ahmadinejad’s visit achieved more than a symbolic 
consecration of a new local and regional reality 
that encompasses a third way, separate from the 
US-Israel-Saudi or Syrian path. Some here think 
we are witnessing a new era of growing and 
uncompromising Resistance to Israel’s brutal 
occupation and ethnic cleansing of Palestine as 
well as America’s occupation and exploitation of 
Arab natural resources. Some analysts are 
speaking about a six member Axis of Resistance 
led by Iran and Turkey and including Iraq, 
Afghanistan, Syria, and Lebanon that is the rising regional power.

What seems quite evident is that Iran’s President 
and the large delegation of business people 
comprising his entourage have opened a new era of 
bilateral relations between the two countries. 
His positive personal and political connections 
with virtually all Lebanon’s leaders, including 
compliments from rightist Christian politicians 
including Samir Geagea, will likely lead to big 
joint economic projects, the Iranian arming of 
the Lebanese Armed Forces, and strategic political cooperation, starting now.



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