Indy Media Watch

Beirut Indymedia has always been somewhat of an anomaly.
On the one hand, the concept of a free press anywhere in the Middle East (Besides Israel, Turkey and soon Afghanistan and Iraq) is foreign. On the other hand, the "West Asia" (which I guess is code for Middle East) section of Global Indymedia lists three sites:

• Beirut
• Israel
• Palestine.
  

Unsurprisingly, Beirut Indymedia is 95% reposts of tired old anti-Israel tirades like Palestine Indymedia (or for that matter nearly any other site in the 'network'). This includes ongoing "anti-Occupation" declarations which target the Jewish state, but rather tellingly, never ever mention the occupiers of any other Middle Eastern country, such as Syria's occupation of Lebanon.

I visited Beirut Indymedia subsequent to the recent bombing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri (and about 100 other people who were also wounded).

Buried under the vicious anti-Israel rhetoric was a single piece which was in fact lifted from Reuters. Gotta love that Independent media!

Anyway, the Beirut Indymedia/Reuters piece details how:

At least 150,000 Lebanese turned the funeral of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri on Wednesday into an outpouring of public anger against Syria, blamed by opposition leaders for the bomb that killed him.

The comments on the other hand tell a completely different story:

Lebanon reacts just like Uncle Bush wants Bushites and Sharon want Syria out also

His Unholiness (Bush) is playing Lebanon the same way he played Amerika on 9-11. The Corporate Trash Media is the Lead Vocals in this Satanic War Choir. If Lebanon truly believes Uncle Bush I have some WMD's to sell them in Iraq.
...
Yeah, Bush's Covert Operation worked!
Dave

Another covert operation from the Bush Gang, and once again innocent naive people fall for it.

Wake up, before Bush invades your country too.

Is there anything in the Arab world in these peoples' minds which is not a giant US conspiracy?

At least the Lebanese (who have been occupied by Syria for nearly 30 years) have worked out (scroll down) the brutality of the Syrian Government, even if their 'enlightened' Indymedia brethren have not.

Oh and in case you forgot, in 2002 Syria was head of the UN's Security Council. I'm sure the various Syrian sponsored terrorist groups felt way-secure that year!