la libert
A couple of intersting links:
From the Head Heeb: A Tale of Two Rallies
[quote]The rallies of the past week have shown, not only that Lebanon is closely divided between government and opposition supporters, but that both sides are highly motivated. This heralds a noisy, closely fought election campaign in which the country’s future is indeed in question.
The size of the Hizbullah and opposition demos should also put paid to the theory that either side was manufactured ex nihilo by foreign interests. It simply isn’t possible to mobilize crowds that size in a nation of four million without genuine popular support. In fact, as Mary Wakefield points out (via Issandr), there are two legitimate popular movements in Lebanon right now, both of which are well organized and have closely studied popular protests in other countries. The debate over Lebanon’s future has been unleashed, and although each side might look to allies in the outside world for support, it is fundamentally a Lebanese debate.[/quote]
headheeb.blogmosis.com/archives/027910.html
And from Abu Aardvaark, a couple of posts on media coverage, including references to the hot babes angle.
Abu Aardvark: Zoom In
abuaardvark.typepad.com/abuaardv … om_in.html
Fantastic to see the huge counterprotest.
I believe that many of the pro-syrian protesters were bussed in from Damascus. The trip takes only four hours and can be even faster if the buses are not having to wait at customs and immigration, even less if you head directly to the Cola Bus station instead of going downtown. Ditto if it is on the weekend. You could get a large group in for the day and out the same night easily. I question the 500,000 number for pro-Syrian, Hezbollah demonstrators. I believe a more accurate figure was given as 300,000 to 350,000 still substantial but if you calculate that anywhere from a third to perhaps half were bussed in then you really have only 150,000 to 250,000 still substantial but decidedly less so than this 500,000.
Let’s keep the pressure on and see another domino fall. I want Syria going democratic as well. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. That will have a huge impact on the support the insurgents in Iraq have been getting. Keep the pressure on!
I have not heard anyone who sounded like they knew what they are talking about treat the pro-Syria demonstration as anything other than a joke. Democracy Now (yes, hardcore left-leaning, anti-Bush democracynow.org – I like to listen to all sides) had a radio interview last week discussing the demonstrations. The Syrian guest they had basically said:
(a) Your point about bussing people in was correct, and that they opened up the border that day in a way that he had never seen before.
and
(b) Most of the remaining 150,000 to 250,000 that you are talking about were not Lebanese either: they were Syrian guest workers living temporarily in Lebanon. Apparently there are around 1,000,000 Syrian guest workers in Lebanon, and if the Syrian intelligence agencies were able to “encourage” even 1/3 of them to turn out for their staged protest, the numbers were very easy to understand. His only surprise seemed to be that even with those massive number of Syrians in Lebanon, the Syrian government could only manage to put together 500,000 bodies for their propaganda stunt. 
i love the the comments in the zoom in blog where the 42 year old woman is indignant that conservative blogs are playing up the “babes of beirut” angle. damn sexist conservatives. tsk, tsk. :no-no: