Chouf 1984

Walid Jumblat, head of the Democratic Gathering, reacted with fury after Hassan Nasrallah suggested that the Lebanese people should directly elect their president.

Jumblatt said: "We want to protect the presidential elections from being hijacked by suggesting a popular referendum which is against Lebanon's consociational formula for democracy and the Taif Accord."

Fancy that “the people” should be so nasty that they would “hijack” the elections.

Whatever next?

Maybe the great unwashed would ask Jumblat what he did with all the reconstruction money from the 1983-84 mountain war—that was when Jumblat was a “Syrian stooge” and labelled a “terrorist” by the US”.

The picture is the USS New Jersey (BB-62) firing a salvo from her 16"/50 guns at the Chouf on 9 January 1984. Photographed by PH1 Ron Garrison.