avideditor
Rodan
DJM
Glezele Vayne
It seems as if the Jihadis are taking over Lebanon
\
BEIRUT – The Shiite armed movement Hezbollah cobbled together enough support Monday to appoint Lebanon’s next prime minister, effectively ending nearly six years of rule by Western-backed leaders and prompting the United States to warn it could cut off aid to this key Arab nation.
The apparent strength of Hezbollah marked an important political achievement for the group. It also signaled what appeared to be a significant shift for the country, away from alliances with the United States and Saudi Arabia, and toward Iran and Syria, which support Hezbollah.
In Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the United States “would have great concerns about a government within which Hezbollah plays a leading role.”
The United States considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization. A prominent government role for the group could compel the U.S. government to list Lebanon as a terrorist state. That designation would carry with it the automatic suspension of aid, a possibility that Crowley acknowledged. The United States has sent about $1.2 billion in economic and military assistance to Lebanon in the past five years, and the Obama administration has requested $246 million more this year.
Hezbollah and its allies agreed Monday to support Najib Mikati, a Sunni self-made billionaire, for the prime minister’s post, a decision that could be confirmed by the full parliament as early as Tuesday.
