The Hasan Nasrallah-Michel `Awn-Live-TV Show. So I watched the marathon (taped) live TV interview on Orange TV (owned by the Free Patriotic Current (the movement headed by Gen. `Awn). First, I am very impressed how many commercials Orange TV airs: they ran in one hour more commercials than NBN TV runs in a year. The host was John `Aziz: formerly of the Lebanese Forces but now supports `Awn. I used to dislike him `Aziz because I watched him once talking about Bashir Gemayyel on LBC-TV--and I have a chemical and psychological aversion to Bashir Gemayyel (the Benedict Arnold of Lebanese history--he is even much worse because at least Arnold had military competence). But I have been reading `Aziz in Al-Akhbar and while I don't agree with him he is a very good and competent columnist. He is an interesting writer and has original take on things--compare that to the boring columnists of An-Nahar: I can read 900 pages on obscure topics but I can't, for example, finish one column by An-Nahar's Sarkis Na`um (a close ally of Syrian intelligence when Syrian troops ran Lebanon, and now a champion of Lebanon's independence of Syria--but the championing only began months after the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. The show was very long: it lasted something like close to 4 hours--a bit less. `Aziz is a good moderator who is very well-prepared but he needs to relax before the camera--I suffer from the same problem. I can't relax in front of the camera. Only once I was relaxed, when I played a supporting role in Legally Blonde (the first one). There were some new revelations in the show, but I will address the form and theatrics first. There was a bit of an imbalance as `Awn appeared under the spell of Nasrallah. To be sure, Nasrallah offered words of praise for `Awn early on and spoke of "chemistry" between the two, and I believe that, in light of the durability of the "understanding"--they don't like to call it an alliance, between the two sides. `Awn would look at Nasrallah as his son: with great admiration, and he would look at him deferentially when speaking. Nasrallah did not reciprocate in that regard, although he would quote the "general" once in a while. And `Awn needed to speak more: in certain sections, Nasrallah seemed to dominate. And `Awn was more defensive about the "understanding"--and he needs to be because he did pay a price in terms of popularity among the Christians, while the understanding is quite popular among Shi`ites. You have to analyze in the context of the sectarian politics of Lebanon. Also, let me say this: yellow is the color of Hizbullah and orange is the color of the `Awni movement, and I like neither colors. But I certainly dislike yellow more. Yellow is a horrible color for a movement. My favorite color is dark green, but there are other colors to use other than the awful yellow or orange, ok? Here are important points that came through: Nasrallah gave the most categorical statement against the goal of an Islamic republic in Lebanon to be sought by Hizbullah. He stated in clear terms that the party will not seek an Islamic republic. Now I can't judge matters of sincerity but I think that the statement was intended to allay Christian fears because the Hariri coalition uses that to whip up sectarian fears and animosities in Lebanon, and to undermine the popularity of `Awn among Christians. Nasrallh also spoke about those long meetings between him and Rafiq Hariri (until prior to the assassination of the latter). When you listen to those accounts, you realize the extent to which Hariri was able to bamboozle Nasrallah in those meetings (and I said so to Nasrallah last time I saw him in 2006, when I was last in Lebanon). Because Hariri was lying right and left: and the new biography of Hariri by his close propagandist, George Bkasini, reveals a lot: that Hariri was plotting with Patriarch Sfayr not only for the elimination of Hizbullah's weapons from Lebanon, but also for the elimination of Hizbullah as a political force in Lebanese politics. Yes, Hizbullah media still jam my ears with references to the "martyr Rafiq Hariri" and the accounts of those late night meetings between Hariri and Nasrallah. I imagined Hairri going home after those meetings, and laughing to his confidants about his lies. He was promising Nasrallah to protect Hizbullah's weapons, while preparing simultaneously for the UNSC 1559. Nasrallah also revealed that he agreed with Hariri family right after the assassination on a joint Saudi-Lebanese court to investigate the assassination but that Saudi Arabia balked at the idea although Nasrallah acquired Syrian support for the idea. The rest was not new:those who follow Lebanese politics did not learn something new except to watch the two together although `Aziz could have made the atmosphere a bit more relaxed by being a bit less formal. I am not suggesting that he should have invited dancers and clowns, but come on. Nasrallah joked a bit (like about not having the skill or experience of "25 years of lying"--in reference to Walid Jumblat's confession on Press TV that he practiced lying to and about Syria for 25 years). `Awn looked less engaged, I felt and that could be related to his recent hospitalization. I was very glad when `Awn spoke favorably about secularism as the ultimate solution for Lebanon but I am afraid that the`Awn movement resorted to sectarian discourse and mobilization in recent months, although this was partly due to the sectarian context imposed by the Hariri dynasty. Both leaders did not munch or drink on camera although they may have during the commercial breaks. `Aziz should have offered some Syrian mazza to the guests, but he did not. Did I mention that Lebanese singer Wadi` As-Safi has been hospitalized in Damascus? He was rushed to the hospital after he fell ill on stage while singing...."AND FROM THE WINDOW...."
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