Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani condemned on Saturday Achrafiyeh blast that targeted the head of the intelligence branch of the ISF, General Wissam al-Hassan.
20 October, 2012 – Moqawama.org

In his statement to the Lebanese people, Qabbani highlighted that “the statehood is led by the blood of the martyrs in Lebanon while the hand of treachery and criminality still lurks this country. ”
As he slammed the perpetrators of this crime, the Mufti confirmed that “the goals of this crime are clear, the people who benefit from it are known and the crime is a murder of all Lebanon,” he said.

In parallel, he prayed that God protects Lebanon and its people from more dangerous coming incidents.
Qabbani called on the Lebanese to maintain calm and wisdom, so that the martyrdom of General Hassan “proves the immunity of Lebanon in face of discord.”
“General martyr Wissam Hassan had foiled several criminal plans, he protected the national formula so that Lebanon remains a country of justice,” he viewed.

He further assured that “martyr Hassan’s blood will not go in vain and the criminal will be punished sooner or later. ”
“We call on political, judicial and security authorities to take part in revealing the parties involved in the killing,” the mufti concluded. …source

Shocked by Ashrafiyeh Terrorist Crime: Hizbullah Denounces Blast, Urges Lebanese to Foil Conspiracy
20 October, 2012 – Moqawama.org

Commenting on the blast, which targeted Ashrafiyeh region in Beirut, Hizbullah issued the following statement:

Hizbullah expresses its great shock by this tragic terrorist crime that hit Ashrafiyeh area and killed and wounded dozens of innocent people.

As Hizbullah condemns this terrorist blast, it calls the competent authorities to mobilize all their capacities to unveil the perpetrators and hand-cut those who seek to tamper with the homeland and people’s security.

In parallel, Hizbullah urges all Lebanese parties, political forces and citizens to foil any conspiracy against the security of the country and the safety of its citizens. …source

Hezbollah Hedges Its Bets on Assad
By Giorgio Cafiero – 19 October, 2012 – FPIF

When the Arab Awakening began last year, Hezbollah’s leadership expressed solidarity with revolutionary movements in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Bahrain. However, this support was not extended to those demanding political reform in neighboring Syria.

This double standard must be understood in the context of Damascus’ relationship with Lebanon’s Shiite “Party of God.” As Bashar Al-Assad’s regime has been a vital strategic ally of Hezbollah that provides it with logistical, economic, and military support, the prospects of regime change in Damascus gravely alarm Hezbollah.

In a tone of jubilation, some of Hezbollah’s adversaries have asserted that the Arab Awakening will constitute the Shiite organization’s demise. These voices, however, underestimate Hezbollah’s legitimacy among Lebanon’s largest sect as a provider of social services and a force of resistance against Israel and the United States.

The Party of God will not disappear even if the Assad regime does. Nonetheless, if the Ba’athist order in Damascus falls, Hezbollah will be compelled to operate in a more challenging environment, both domestically and regionally.

However, a post-Assad order in Damascus will likely continue to maintain cooperative ties with Hezbollah to ensure Syria’s strategic posture vis-à-vis Israel. Randa Slim, a Lebanese scholar at the Middle East Institute, summarized this point: “Irrespective of the makeup of the new Syrian regime, absent a peace agreement between Syria and Israel, this new Syrian regime will have to rely on Hezbollah’s military arsenal as an important component of its deterrent strategy.”

Sectarian Spillover

Lebanon has long been susceptible to political turmoil in the broader Levant. Numerous events in recent years—including Saddam Hussein’s ouster in 2003, Rafik Al-Hariri’s assassination in 2005, the Hezbollah-Israel war of 2006, the Lebanese Army’s bloody confrontation with Fatah al-Islam militants in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in 2007, and Hezbollah’s incursion into West Beirut in 2008—inflamed Lebanon’s sectarian tensions. Nevertheless, the fragile peace in Lebanon survived each dramatic development. However, analysts have raised concerns about Lebanon returning to civil war if the spillover effect from Syria continues or intensifies. …more