Robert Fisk and Hariri: I am not sure that I like what Robert Fisk has been writing as of late on Lebanon. How could somebody (unless you remember that he had "private dinners" with Hariri and his family) say that "Hariri opposed the continued Syrian military presence in Lebanon"? When did he say that? Was it when he stopped for a meal at the headquarters of the head of Syrian intelligence in `Anjar every time he went to or returned from Damascus? Was it when the Syrian government and intelligence apparatus facilitated Hariri's horrific economic restructuring of the country? Was it when Hariri requested Syrian oppressive help to smash the labor unions in Lebanon, which were the only hope for a secular political force in the country? Was it when Hariri and his corrupt allies in the government censored the press, and threatened and punished journalists? Was it when Hariri (who was a virtual unknown) was imposed by Syria and Saudi Arabia on Lebanese political life? Also, in the article by Fisk on Hariri's assassination (which was today denied by the UN team) he ended it by seeming to imply that the attacks on Syrian workers in Lebanon (he only mentioned the stabbing of one Syrian) was an "obvious attempt to provoke violence" as if the thugs of the right-wing opposition are not capable of that. Hasan Nasrallah today estimated up to 30 Syrian workers have been killed in Lebanon. A well-informed Arab journalist told me that 32 Syrian workers have been killed in Lebanon so far. Neither the Lebanese nor the Syrian government have said a word about that. Hasan Nasrallah gave a long interview on Al-Manar TV today. I do not get Al-Manar anymore because it has been banned from the US. I read the transcript in Lebanese newspapers. One thing got my attention. He mentioned that various Lebanese factions HAVE weapons in Lebanon. To be sure, Lebanese militias were supposed to have handed in their weapons to the Lebanese Army in the early 1990s. Do you know that Walid Jumblat then refused to surrender his weapons to the Lebanese Army and insisted on surrendering his arms to the Syrian Army? That is what I call a loyal client of the Syrian regime (until a few weeks ago, that is). But we know that ALL Lebanese militias stashed weapons in secret locations. Even the Sunni Al-Murabitun militia has secret storages for their weapons. Furthermore, weapons are readily available in the Lebanese black market, and I am talking about some missiles too. Right-wing sectarian Christian groups in Lebanon condemn the Lebanese Army use of water hoses (in previous years) on demonstrators in East Beirut (predominantly Christian) but support Lebanese Army shooting of civilians in Hayy As-Sallum (predominantly Shi`ite).