Posted on 12/01/2007 3:40:17 PM PST by shield
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, Saad al-Hariri's Mostaqbal party agreed to a constitutional amendment that would allow Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Michel Suleiman to be elected president. Up until now, Hariri and his March 14 allies (the date of the 2005 Cedar Revolution) had resisted Suleiman's candidacy; Lebanese democrats are generally loath to have military men serve as President of the Republic, especially after the last nine years of former commander Emile Lahoud's presidency. But more importantly, Suleiman is Damascus's number one choice to fill the now vacant spot.
So why have Hariri and his colleagues, including Druze chieftain Walid Jumblatt and leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea, made an about face? It is because of Annapolis. They feared Washington was going to cut a deal with Syria over Lebanon, so they made their own bargain to protect themselves since it is now obvious Washington will not. Thus, the wages of peace processing.
In October, Hariri visited Washington where he met with the president and every major administration figure along with dozens of legislators on both sides of the aisle. "There is a killing machine in Syria," Hariri told a roomful of journalists. "We came to Washington to say, 'If you are going to do something about it, let us know. If you are not going to do anything about it, let us know. But no matter what, we're not going to give in."
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
“As the next government is formed, the concern will be whether or not Hezbollah and other Syrian assets will be given a veto to derail
the tribunal meant to hand down indictments in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri.”
What’s the big hurry? He was just killed about 3 years ago./s
Interesting Read Ping
Yes, he is. If W wants democracies in the ME...I’m certainly surprised this happened. What’s with this anyway?
They feared Washington was going to cut a deal with Syria over Lebanon, so they made their own bargain to protect themselves since it is now obvious Washington will not.
Exactly what kind of deal, especially affecting Lebanon, "Washington" was going to make with Syria? Syria was invited to Annapolis "Palestinian state" conference to show that Syria doesn't give a darn about "Palestinian" state, peace between "Palestinians" and Israel, or anything involving "Palestinians" and their pitiful existence under UN occupation of "Palestine"... Syrian agenda was getting Golan Heights which has absolutely, positively nothing to do with Palestinians - and that was clear for everybody to see, including "Palestinians".
March 14 figures are being picked off one by one, and their Washington ally, the world's lone superpower, has done nothing to check the violence.
They want "Washington" to do something about the "violence" in Lebanon? How? What do they think the recent bombing of Syrian nuclear installation was all about - making some deals with Syria on Syrian terms?
But the United States did nothing about Bashar al-Asad...
What do they expect us to do, assassinate him? Oh, and see above about that nuclear thing...
Any suggestions by the author on what he would do with Syria and Bashar al-Asad, if he were President? If not, he can run for elective office...
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has recused herself from every other issue in the region, including Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Exactly, because Department of Defense is dealing with them. She is in the State Department, which should be concerned of doing as little harm as possible - useless "talking" and "peace conferences" are a good start.
What the Lebanese have failed to grasp, however, is that there is no deal with Syria.
Duh! Well, that means either the rest of the article and conclusions based on false assumptions don't make sense and it is simply another worthless hit piece or people the author talked to are not that bright.
This is exactly why I posted this article!!! I have been hoping someone would tell me this is a complete Bull$hit article as I thought...THANK YOU...
Glad to be of help. Articles like these, on this subject, are posted on FR every day and, surprisingly and regrettably, are given credence they don’t remotely deserve.
But then again, apparently, Ron Paul is taken seriously and would be voted for by about 10% of FR, so...
It’s become a sad state here at FR. There would have been a time when that article would’ve been posted immediately. Then the many great FReepers [many have left] would have torn that article to pieces. It took hours for someone to come along and confirm what I had thought when I first read that article. ;o( All those banned or time out FReepers never came back...we lost a bunch of the best.
I hear you. I would not see this post except for an accidental glance at sidebar... would not bother to read (”Annapolis”, who cares), except for the strange juxtaposition in the title - “Annapolis” and Lebanon - which made no sense to begin with, let alone the “price” of it... almost did not bother to pen a response, except this was just too bizarre and there have not been even one post to note that - hopefully, for the original reason (”Annapolis”, who cares), or maybe just because of saturation of these hit pieces, many coming (strangely enough) from the right or otherwise picked up in that fashion here on FR...
Some of these threads are just painful to read, they are eating our own senselessly and for no reasons at all, often just venting. even when facts (not author’s opinions) described in the articles show exactly opposite.
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