Dec 10 - 2006
As western analysts fear, the Iranian government's hopes are riding on the coup in Lebanon succeeding, putting Iran-backed Hizbollah in charge of the country. In a meeting Saturday in Tehran, Iranian President Ahmadinejad rejoiced in the mass demonstrations and pending overthrow, in the streets of Beirut.
The president said, "The imposed pressures of the Zionist regime against people and government of Palestine will not last long and the US, as the most important supporter of the forged regime is weakening and decaying and the conspiracies of the enemies of Islam to shatter the resistance of Palestinian people will be defeated."
The success of the coup will likely place representatives of Hizbollah, the militant Islamic group openly involved in terrorist attacks in Israel, in places of leadership in the new government. This will raise the pulse of Israel and the West: Hizbollah is largely supported by Iran, and Ahmadinejad has made no secret of his wish to see Israel annihilatied, and a '"second, true Holocaust" upon the Jews.
This comes as Ahmadinejad jousts with the U.N. and the West over his use of accumulating nuclear facilities in Iran.
"Creating discord among the Shia and the Sunni is a conspiracy of the US and the Zionists and a political game to keep domination over Muslims", Ahmadinejad told Haniya.
