Why Lebanon Is Poised to Fall into Islamist Hands

Irvine, CA--In the so-called "war on terrorism," we supposedly only face a small number of isolated killers, whose goal of creating Taliban-style regimes is thoroughly rejected by an overwhelming majority of Muslims in the Middle East. "Yet," says Elan Journo, junior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute, "Lebanon is poised to fall into the hands of the murderous jihadist group Hezbollah--thanks to mass street demonstrations. How can this happen?"

"Contrary to Washington's evasions, in reality huge numbers of Muslims in the region support the jihadist cause of totalitarian Islamic world domination, and they want vicious killers such as Hezbollah to rule them. That is why, for more than a week, hundreds of thousands of people, out of a tiny population of four million, have been demonstrating in the streets of Beirut.

"Hezbollah, which was elected to office and won control of three ministries in Lebanon's government, now wants total control--and its followers are encouraged. After all, Washington said that it wanted the people of the region to express their 'political conscience.' The people have spoken: they demand 'Death to America, Death to Israel.'

"The situation in Beirut is another illustration of the wide popularity of the jihadist goal. Islamists have gained power in the Palestinian territories and in Iraq, and have become a major force in Egypt's parliament.

"The enemy we face is an ideological movement--including the regimes that support it--not isolated 'terrorists.' Refusing to recognize that, Washington has absurdly insisted on bringing elections, rather than defeat, to our enemies--and thereby made them stronger."