So tonight, I was channel surfing. I caught a mix of NCIS, an SBS show about the iraq war (and the US long term plans); and topped it all off with the first story on Foreign Correspondent.
It was a piece from BBC2, called "Hunting for Hezbollah". All in all, it was a little bit of your standard fare for a bit there: Hezbollah, bombed buildings, pissed off people, religious fervor, and so and so forth.
However, what did catch my attention was the fact Hezbollah have a number of underground bunker complexes. We aren't talking primitive either - these things, built in secrecy, with running water, electricity, showers; and half a mountain to protect the occupants from bombing & shelling.
I've included here a number of snippets - I only started watching about where part 2 kicks in.
The other thing which kind of did shock me also was when the local guide pulled out an M4/M203 - here's a snippet from the Foreign Correspondent page on this. That's a pretty pricey piece of high tech weaponry, which has been taken from a dead US solider in Iraq. Supposedly, some of the groups over in Iraq are simply killing because the value of the equipment the US soliders have makes the risk worthwhile - there is no other underpinning for their actions, of a religious nature or otherwise.
Here's the picture of the weapon and the guide (Dawoud):
To give you a clearer idea of what it looks like, take a look at wikipedia's article on the M4 Carbine:
Have a watch:
Synopsis
Hezbollah, the powerful political, military and welfare organisation of Shia Muslims in Lebanon, has been linked to a string of bombings, attacks and kidnappings, mainly against Israel and the western world, for over 20 years.
Originally conceived by a group of clerics after the 1982 Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon – Hezbollah, or Party of God, was formed primarily to resist the occupation.
BBC reporter Darius Bazargan went to Beirut to investigate claims that Hezbollah is again gearing up for battle.
But to get to know Hezbollah you need a way in to their secret world. He found it in former Shia militiaman, Dawoud, who agreed to act as guide.
Dawoud is a staunch Hezbollah supporter – although not an official member of the party – with all the right connections to the city’s dark underbelly. He describes how ordinary people worried about security, are buying guns and preparing for war.
The guide takes Bazargan to an arms dealer where for a price, high-powered weapons are readily available; they travel to areas where Hezbollah is gaining support by rebuilding private houses destroyed in the conflict; and in the Shia heartlands they talk to the mother of a martyred soldier, proud and victorious that her son died fighting for his country.
In southern Lebanon the guide discovers the entrance to a secret military bunker, and closer inspection reveals an elaborate network of tunnels complete with running water and electricity.
But further into Hezbollah territory the atmosphere becomes tense as they drive through restricted countryside past warning signs prohibiting entry, and come across a Hezbollah military base.
Turning back, they are too late to avoid being detained and interrogated by a Hezbollah patrol.
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Low cost, easy, and it connects everything. This is probably the first ad agency I like.
All I can think is "WTF". This smells of a world gone mad - the ABC is under the thumb of censorship loving fools.
Glass House axed
By Rebekah van Druten of ABC Online
The ABC has axed its popular comedy show The Glass House.
Comedian Corinne Grant says she and co-hosts Wil Anderson and Dave Hughes have known about the decision for a number of weeks.
"Obviously we're devastated ... it's very upsetting, but it's not an overnight shock to us. We have known about it for a while now. But we don't understand the decision at all," Grant said.
She says when the ABC broke the news no "good" explanation was given.
Lesna Thomas from ABC TV Publicity today confirmed the show has not been renewed for 2007.
She says it has had five years on air and that the national broadcaster has decided to go in a new direction.
Grant says that is ridiculous.
"Only the ABC would cancel a show that is at the height of its ratings success and say it is time to move on. That would be like Pat Cash winning Wimbledon and going 'oh, it's time to move on'," she said.
"We just won an AFI award, we're nominated for another one, we just got nominated this year for the Most Popular Light Entertainment Program for the first time in the Logies - why would you cancel a show when it's at the height of its popularity?"
Grant says suggestions that the show may have been axed because of regular segments poking fun at Prime Minister John Howard or US President George W Bush are speculative.
"If that was the case, and certainly the ABC have not said that at all, but if that was the case that would be extremely concerning," she said.
"That would be a national broadcaster being dictated to by the incumbent government about its content. Which is the kind of thing you see in North Korea, not Australia."
Grant has also denied claims by Liberal NSW Senator Connie Fierravanti-Wells that she is guilty of a serious conflict of interest. The Senator says Grant is the face of the ACTU's workplace relations campaign.
"I am not fronting an ACTU campaign. That Senator is making that up. I am not the face of any ACTU campaign," said Grant.
Grant says a lack of funding may have been behind the ABC's decision.
"The ABC doesn't have a lot of money. Maybe it was the difference between our show and The 7:30 Report getting a new stapler."
The last episode of The Glass House will go to air on November 29.
Overnight Anderson, posting in his MySpace blog, urged fans to tune in.
"We are going to go out guns a'blazin, I promise."
