March 14 Group’s Political Games reveal what they are – deceivers and power mongers

March 14 Group’s Political Games will Never Return Them to Power
By Mohammad Irani – Mehr News Agency – 29 October, 2012 – Moqawama.com

Lebanon is facing a new security dilemma in the wake of the recent bombing in Beirut that killed the head of the intelligence unit of the country’s Interior Ministry, Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan.

In light of current developments in the Middle East and Lebanon’s special geopolitical position in the region, the repercussions of the incident were not restricted to Lebanon.

Neighboring Syria, which is still grappling with a 19-month political crisis, was roundly accused and the Lebanese opposition said it was the prime suspect.

Al-Hassan was one of the key members of the March 14 alliance and was totally opposed to Syrian intervention in Lebanon. Immediately after the bombing, some figures in the opposition seized the opportunity and accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of personally having a hand in the assassination of al-Hassan. This is obviously a new political game by the March 14 group to help it return to power, but the country’s current situation shows that there is almost no chance for the March 14 group to win such a game.

Meanwhile, after more than 19 months of chaos in Syria, the efforts of Western governments and their regional proxies to internationalize the crisis have failed. The Sassine Square bombing in Beirut was apparently another move by the anti-Syria front to intensify the crisis and pave the way for military action against the Syrian government.

The fragility of the sectarian political system in Lebanon increases the risk of civil war. This would not only harm Lebanon’s national interests but would also create a threat for neighboring countries.

However, despite the Lebanese opposition’s anti-Syria propaganda, it can be said that Syria did not gain any advantage from the Beirut bombing. In light of the internal crisis in Syria, it would be almost impossible for Damascus to commit such an act of political suicide. Moreover, after the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005, Syria has had a much more diminished role in Lebanon, and logically, the Syrians do not want to add to their problems in Lebanon.

The assassination of Wissam al-Hassan, who was one of Lebanon’s most senior security officials, was certainly a complicated operation that needed sophisticated intelligence support. Taking Syria out of the picture, the only other regional player that could have sponsored such an operation is “Israel”. The “Israelis” have a long record of hostility toward Lebanon and Syria, and this time, they were trying to replicate what they did in the Hariri assassination to further destabilize the region. However, the conspiracy was foiled again, and “Israel” was unable to benefit from the unrest in Lebanon. …source