President Bush’s latest travel ban is so far-reaching even the many FPM supporters in the USA could be in danger.

ABR just pointed out President Bush’s Latest travel ban. And frankly, it can be scary even to legit Lebanese opposition. Check this out:

In order to foster democratic institutions in Lebanon, to help the Lebanese people preserve their sovereignty and achieve their aspirations for democracy and regional stability, and to end the sponsorship of terrorism in Lebanon, it is in the interest of the United States to restrict the international travel, and to suspend the entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of aliens who deliberately undermine or harm Lebanon’s sovereignty, its legitimate government, or its democratic institutions, contribute to the breakdown in the rule of law in Lebanon, or benefit from policies or actions that do so

So in other words, if another “black tuesday” were to happen tomorrow, where Aoun declares the government illegitimate and FPM supporters block the roads and “contribute to the breakdown in the rule of law”, George Bush’s text would apply to the FPM.

Is this a good thing?

There are now two versions of the Beddawi camp violence: The official Lebanese Army version, and the “Eyewitness version“

First, with the “eyewitness” version (where is Youtube when you need it?):

A peaceful protest began within the Badawi Palestinian Refugee Camp in north Lebanon. The protestors had signs reading “Nahr el Bared is in our soul” and “Nahr el Bared, we won’t forget you.” The protestors were calling for an end to the violence. [..] The protestors did not have clubs. Nobody had clubs. We saw the whole demonstration. They weren’t carrying anything. We went from the beginning to the end of the demonstration. We saw it all, and no one was carrying clubs.“Furthermore, she continued, “the protest was never out of hand. They weren’t throwing stones. At the time the Army opened fire, women were sitting on the ground at the front, and a number of people even had their backs to the soldiers. At the time the Army opened fire, people were getting quieter and had stopped shouting, as if shouting is enough to legitimize open fire.”

Now the Army’s official version:

Translation (mine)

Today, a group of people began a protest from the Beddawi camp and cut-off the main road using tires and barricades, demanding the return to the Naher Al Bared Camp. The armed forces tried persistently to end this movement peacefully but didn’t receive any cooperation from the protesters who tried to trespass the Military checkpoints without listening to the soldiers’ repeated warnings, or to the warning shots released after the momentum of the demonstrators, who are armed with batons and sharp instruments, became a threat to the security of the Soldiers

This is a free world and I chose to believe the Army. Why on earth would they shoot at people if they don’t feel threatened?