22.11.07

Lebanese presidential elections: Pro-US March 14th reject a last minute compromise offered by Aoun and the opposition

From UrShalim

My brother was asking me on the phone five minutes ago: 'who are we in Lebanon and what do we represent for major foreign powers and political brokers who have visited us from five continents repeatedly the last four weeks in an attempt to reach a consensus between the Lebanese nonmajority that is Sanyura's government and the majority opposition that are Aoun-Amal-Hezbollah ?'

I don't have the answer. The only thing I know is that it has been like this in Lebanon since the fall of the ottoman empire; foreign powers set the political agenda. The other thing I know is that Lebanese have been always divided between pro-western and pan-Arab sympathies. And the last thing I know is that Politicians in lebanon have always opened the door wide to foreign intervention.

And now it seems that the destiny of Lebanon and the decisions of its March 14th non majority are being crafted in the US: Rice rejects compromise to resolve Lebanese crisis. Read : She wants Birth Pangs.

I think that in no way the US is ready for a large scale confrontation that may result from a new lebanese civil war now in the ME. But they have set Iraq as an example of what they are capable of and they are trying to capitalise on the Iraqi tragedy to instill fear. Because if they are really ready for another confrontation, with the Iraqi disaster going on, it will be the end of US foreign policy in the ME. And I think if they are really willing to go for a large scale confrontation, they shouldn't have bothered offering some carrots to Syria, like inviting it to the Annapolis conference, in order to isolate Syria from Hezbollah and Iran. Aoun and Hezbollah shouldn't be bothered, no matter the outcome in terms of Lebanese presidentiel elections, time is playing on their side.

Update, Friday November 23rd, 23:45, local time, Lebanon
Hours before his term's end at midnight tonight, president Lahoud leaves the country in care of the Lebanese army.

Read here an English translation of the adress presidential candidate and one of the opposition leaders, anti-Syrian general Michel Aoun, gave to a Lebanese TV station.

2 comments:

Ted said...

What will the Army do there? I am under the impression that Isreal has kept the Lebanese Army pretty limited in material.

Will they run the country or protect the people?

I hope Israel doesn't use this as an excuse to invade and "administer" the country.

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Sophia said...

Ted,
You are right the lebanese army is very limited. However, lebanese trust their army because it is the least sectarian institution in Lebanon. Israel, as other neighbouring countries, are, not only waiting to consolidate their position in Lebanon and an Israeli invasion of the south is not impossible, but they are also pulling the strings behind great powers in the ongoing political game to elect a president.

I remind you here that beyrouth is the only Arab capital that was invaded and occupied by Israel.

 
Since March 29th 2006