Press conference? Crowds chant ‘Blair out!’ on peace mission

from FPF-fwd. Daily Express UK -

The fact that Blair - one of the worst war criminals in our world - even was allowed to enter Lebanon has astonished many. And the way the Lebanese PM and some in his 'government' behave is too bad for words. Why keep them? - HR

Actually, after rereading the transcript of the pressconference - [ http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page10049.asp ] - I fully agree with the protesters. I've seldom in my decades as a professional journalist seen such a pile of bullshit and hot air.

The Lebanese PM is nothing someone in Lebanon deserves.

Crowds chant ‘Blair out!’ on peace mission

12/09/06

TONY Blair’s diplomatic mission to Lebanon was yesterday greeted with angry protests over his stance on the Middle East.
As Mr Blair arrived in Beirut, more than 1,500 people took to the streets waving banners and chanting: "Beirut is free – Blair out!"

And a demonstrator hijacked a press conference to accuse him of responsibility for the deaths of thousands of people in the recent conflict with Israel.

Soldiers and riot police were on guard as the Prime Minister met his Lebanese counterpart at the end of a tour of the region. And although, the trip represents the first visit to Lebanon by a serving British Premier, several prominent politicians refused to meet him.

There were security jitters when activist Caoimhe Butterly halted a press conference between Mr Blair and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora before unfurling a banner proclaiming: "Boycott Israeli apartheid."

She claimed his visit was an "insult" to the victims of the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Ms Butterly repeatedly shouted "Shame on you, shame, shame", before being led away from Mr Siniora’s official residence. Mr Blair said: "Over the last few years I have got used to demonstrations in my own country and elsewhere as well so I suspect some demonstrations here kind of make me feel at home."

Later, his official spokesman said: "We expected protests and know people have strong feelings. We recognise the right to express those strong feelings so we are not surprised, although maybe we are a bit surprised it was in the press conference."
Ms Butterly, 28, has often made headlines for her protests and was once shot in the thigh by an Israeli sniper while helping Palestinian children in the West Bank in 2002.

She has been arrested several times and staged a number of hunger strikes in a bid to bring peace to a number of warring regions. The Irish activist is a member of the International Solidarity movement and has campaigned in Iraq and several places in the Middle East.

Mr Siniora stayed calm and said he was "proud" that he led a democratic country where freedom of expression was allowed.
He added: "I really look with pride towards my countrymen who went on demonstrations today."

But outside soldiers and riot police were put on guard and barbed wire barriers put up to keep the demonstrators, many said to be pro-Syrian, at bay.

Many set up loudspeakers blasting out patriotic music and accused Mr Blair of backing Israel in its war with Hezbollah.
And As-Safir newspaper, which is close to Lebanon’s Shi’ite community in which Hezbollah has its roots, declared: "The ugly British are here." It called Mr Blair’s visit "a political error". It added: "The man is despised around the world, especially in his own country, for his role in Iraq."

Even a pro-Lebanese government daily claimed the visit "heightens tensions between the pro-western parliamentary majority and Hezbollah".

Mr Blair, who has also visited Israel and Palestine in the past few days, was snubbed by Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri and influential Shi’ite leader Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. But Mr Siniora appealed to his people to be "pragmatic" and look to move on from the recent conflict and see how they could benefit from Britain’s help.

The UK has pledged millions in aid to Lebanon since the conflict, although Mr Siniora said he did not always agree "100 per cent" with the British PM.

Mr Blair, who marked the fifth anniversary of 9/11 by offering condolences to the victims’ families, defended his decision not to call for an immediate ceasefire during the recent fighting.
He also re-committed himself to getting the Middle East peace process back on track and defended his relationship with the US – which he insisted was central to solving the crisis.

[andend] - Url.:  http://www.express.co.uk/news_detail.html?sku=409

Related links:

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* "THE ISRAELITE PEOPLE OF THE ENTIRE WORLD DECLARE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL WAR ON GERMANY" - 24 MARCH 1933 - On the front page of the London Daily Express appeared the main headline: "JUDAEA DECLARES WAR ON GERMANY: JEWS OF ALL THE WORLD UNITE" - Url.:  http://www.heretical.com/mkilliam/wwii.html

* MARCH 1933 - by the way - also was the month this same group in London knew about their 'Brethren in the jewish Faith' which were holocausting up to ten million people in Ukraine. Via the Sovjet Union, where they were in power too. In their Sovjet 'Gulag system' around 40 million human beings were killed. The New York Times Moscow 'correspondent' Walter Duranty even got a Pulitzer prize - dispensed by the same people - for his slander and inhuman silence, denying this holocaust. - Url.:  http://tinyurl.com/eqkgq

* REVENGE: THE MORGENTHAU HOLOCAUST PLAN - After the second WW Germany was holocausted by the 'Allies'. One of the 'London War Lords' - Morgenthau - presented his 'plan' together with US Gen. Eisenhower (Eisenhauer) and prescribed a dismantling and starvation treatment for Germany ''that would be good and hard." - There were protests against "this addlepated (stupid and confused) ... brutal and vicious Morgenthau Plan." which killed millions. Children, women and men again. - Url.:  http://dc.indymedia.org/mod/comments/display/90027/index.php

* RELATED: BACKGROUND LINKS TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE - If after checking a factual error is found, pls. send an email so it can be corrected. - Url.:  http://tinyurl.com/fhln9

* The Dutch author this far has worked abroad for more than 4 decades for international media as an independent foreign correspondent, of which 10 years - also during Gulf War I - in the Arab World and the Middle East. Having practical experience of coups and the obscenity of war: seeing worldwide that every bullet and every bomb breeds more terrorism!

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