LEBANON FLOATS IN A SEA OF FEAR AS HARIRI ANNIVERSARY NEARS

IHT/AP:

Pro-government and anti-Syrian factions are mobilizing their supporters for a massive rally to mark Thursday's third anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a show of force against the Syrian-backed opposition led by Hezbollah.

Government backers say they're ready for a street fight with the opposition if it comes to that. One anti-Syrian leader, Walid Jumblatt, warned the opposition earlier this week, "If you want war, we welcome war" — comments that shook Lebanese and revived memories of the 1975-90 civil war.

Saad Hariri, the son of the late prime minister and leader of the anti-Syrian majority in parliament, sought to back down from that tough tone on Tuesday, telling The Associated Press, "We will not go to civil war. We don't want a civil war."

"But if they (the opposition) want civil war, what you want us to do? Sit and be killed? We believe that there is an army, we believe there is a government and the government will defend the people of Lebanon," he said.

• I BELIEVE THERE WILL BE TROUBLE: HIZBALLAH, ASSAD AND IRAN BENEFIT FROM TORUBLE AND SO WILL TRY TO INCREASE THE CHAOS.
• THE TROUBLES AND THE CHAOS WON'T STOP UNTIL WE SMASH HIZBALLAH, ASSAD AND THE MULLAHCRACY IN IRAN.