Joe Von kanel
CNN Writer/Editor
You may have noticed that Vice President Joe Biden was in Lebanon last Friday. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid a visit last month. What's the sudden attraction of going to Lebanon? An upcoming election there could be very interesting!
Lebanon's Parliament is up for grabs and unlike any legislative body in the U.S., all 128 seats in the Lebanese Parliament are determined by religion: Christians and Muslims each get 64 seats – exactly half. Since Christians haven't been united for centuries, various Christian denominations are guaranteed a certain number of seats. The largest single bloc, 34 seats, goes to the Maronite Christians.
Of course, Muslims aren't united either. The two major sects - the Sunni and Shia– get 27 seats each. Lebanon's Shiite political party Hezbollah - yes, the same Hezbollah that the U.S. has labeled a "terrorist organization - has brokered a coalition of Shiite parties that has thrown-in with the Maronite Christians. The groups are running on a "reform" agenda, promising to clean-up corruption. Guess who could win? And guess who the U.S. really doesn't want to win? The U.S. is backing a Sunni-dominated counter-alliance.
The election is on June 7th. We'll be watching!
| Mike in NYC |
May 26th, 2009 5:07 pm ET Biden basically tried to buy the election. I doubt he changed many minds. Interesting goings-on over there. The Lebanese have been busting Israeli-run spy networks. Interestingly, they were also making arrests for collaboration with the Israelis during the run-up to the 2006 war. In addition, Der Spiegel in Germany has made it all too obvious that it's a party to a black psy-op with its unsourced disclosure of "evidence" that Hezbollah assassinated the elder Hariri. There's a lot at stake here, and desperation is in the air. |
|
| Lydia |
May 26th, 2009 5:13 pm ET I had to read this several times to try to understand who's who & who's with who & then tried to figure out about God in all this and who's God is who's and why are sides being taken in the name of God anyway? Thank God, we live in a country founded on and proud of, our seperation of Church and State! |
|
| RoseParvin |
May 26th, 2009 5:14 pm ET It is outrageous that Hezbalah is the prrty of Shiate Islam for it is a more liberal dimension of Islam and someone powerful is trying to destroy Islam by connecting Shiates to Hezbalah and all the killings and a similing face on a flag or is that another part of propaganda against god for it does not make sense except if it is promoted by those who do not make sense they only make news and if it flies they will go with it and the world becomes more chaostic than it is! |
|
| Kathy |
May 26th, 2009 5:16 pm ET Great. A Catholic based Christian group allying themselves with Hezbollah. Great. |
|
| Annie Kate |
May 26th, 2009 5:33 pm ET Good example of the old truism: Politics makes strange bedfellows. When you throw religion into the same mix you get even stranger bedfellows. Who knows – one of these coalitions may have the answers to peace in the MidEast – I have noted that down thru history the US usually backs the wrong side in another country. We should stay out of it and wait to see who the Lebanese people want and then work with them. It is their country and their choice. |
|
| Kathy |
May 26th, 2009 5:46 pm ET Mike in NYC. Good point. Excellent idea. Fat chance. |
|
| Chochin Toton Follon Cricoide |
May 26th, 2009 6:10 pm ET I agree with Waldo. I hope hezbolla dont win so we can help that country rebuild after the Palestinian flood they received since the 70's. |
|
| Mari |
May 26th, 2009 7:09 pm ET @ Annie Kate........ Well said. Agree 100%. It is the Lebanese choice! |
|
| JRQ |
May 26th, 2009 7:27 pm ET I had to read this over and over and now to my family. I don't get why I should care. Life will take care of itself. Don't worry so much unless they have oil. (smiles). |
|
| lisa |
May 26th, 2009 8:09 pm ET two words... Holy War. |
|
|
Comments have been closed for this article |
||
A behind the scenes look at “Anderson Cooper 360°” and the stories it covers, written by Anderson Cooper, the AC360° staff and a network of contributors. Insight you can’t find anywhere else.
We search the news each day to show you what’s on our radar and what we’re planning for the show each night.
For more details, read our tips on how to win 360° approval for comments.
Send your instant feedback to Anderson Cooper 360°.
- Real-life effects of reform getting lost in the noise
- Evening Buzz: Buying Health Care Reform Votes
- Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 12/21/09
- U.S. soldiers in Iraq could face courts-martial for getting pregnant
- FAQs about health care reform
- Interactive: Brittany Murphy’s acting career
- Senate health care reform bill
- House health care reform bill
- Interactive: The top 10 Health-Care-Reform Players
- Video: Child custody battle continues
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2005
