Lebanon: Mixed Feelings Following Syria’s Bombing · Global Voices
Thalia Rahme

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
Today's Damascus blast cost the life of Syria's deputy Defense Minister Assef Shawkat and other top officials of president Bashar Al Assad's inner circle. As usual, the blast had its direct repercussions on Lebanon.
It all started in northern Lebanon, in Tripoli, where Bab al Tabbaneh anti-Bashar regime residents opened celebratory gunshots to mark the occasion.┬аAccording to Naharnet website, one person was killed by a stray bullet.┬аA child from the neighbouring Alawite Jabal Mohsen was also injured.┬аThis pushed the army to deploy in the region so as to prevent the escalation of the situation.┬аThe news also went viral┬аamong Lebanese netizens.
Muslema,┬аfrom Tripoli, is overjoyed [ar]:
Journalist Sawsan Abou Zahr exhales:
Jihad el Murr, owner of MTV's Lebanon station, also shares her views:
I have a feeling that our Martyrs in Heaven above are beginning to smile :)
Sarah Assaf wonders:
So where is Bashar Al Assad now?
She gives the answer herself:
Bashar. Don't go anywhere. Just stay where you are. They're coming for you..
Some are shocked following some Lebanese Channels reactions (mainly pro-Hezbollah, Al Manar). Political analyst Hadi El Amine tweeted:
╪╣┘Ж ╪╡╪п┘К┘В┘К:”┘И╪╡┘Б ┘В╪к┘Д┘Й ╪╣┘Е┘Д┘К╪й ╪з┘Д┘К┘И┘Е ╪и╪з┘Д╪┤┘З╪п╪з╪б╪╣┘Д┘Й ╪и╪╣╪╢ ╪з┘Д┘В┘Ж┘И╪з╪к ╪з┘Д╪к┘Д┘Б╪▓┘К┘И┘Ж┘К╪й [╪з┘Д┘Д╪и┘Ж╪з┘Ж┘К╪й] ╪к┘В┘Д┘Д ┘Е┘Ж ╪е╪н╪к┘Е╪з┘Д ╪и╪┤╪▒┘К╪й [ ╪г╪╡╪н╪з╪и ┘З╪░┘З ╪з┘Д┘В┘Ж┘И╪з╪к ]”
Nader Haddad seems to think in a different way:
Manar & NBN should start rethinking communication strategy: Chawkat shldnt be branded as a martyr.
Tom Fletcher, British Ambassador to Lebanon, also used Twitter to voice his concern about the bombing's repercussion on Lebanon:
Appears that Syria in new phase. Vital that Lebanon maintains policy of disassociation, and that international community back it concretely.
Imad Atwi, on the other hand, points the finger elsewhere. He tweets:
Alqaida тАк#QatarтАм тАк#TurkeyтАм along with their terrorist agents in тАк#SyriaтАм assassinated Syrian figures.may be тАк#KSAтАм has some thing 2 do too
However, what is most making the news is the anticipated speech of Hassan Nassrallah, Hezbollah's leader, tonight.
Antoun Issa writes:
Hassan Nasrallah re-writing his speech, scheduled for tonight. No doubt his most important speech yet on Syrian crisis.
Lebanese politician Antoine Haddad tweeted:
Nasrallah in quiet critical situation: How will he deal w/ Damascus dramatic events in 2night's speech? Denial, condemnation or support?
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.