Lebanon comes full circle back to the Syrian fold

Ha'aretz ^ | Monday, February 15, 2010 | Zvi Bar'el

[SunkenCiv]

We could not have guessed which would be the first country to make peace with Israel, but we always knew which country would be second: Lebanon. Meanwhile, Egypt signed an agreement, Jordan followed and Palestine signed a deal that collapsed, but either it or Syria will be next. Lebanon was pushed to the bottom of the list. Whoever doubts this can pull out of the archives the clear-cut statement made by the previous Lebanese prime minister, Fouad Siniora. The man who conducted a bitter duel with Hezbollah, and whose power diminished as a result of the Second Lebanon War, made it very clear that "Lebanon will be the last country that will sign a peace agreement with Israel." Today, as it marks the fifth anniversary of the murder of prime minister Rafik Hariri, Lebanon comes full circle back into the Syrian fold. In 2005, Lebanese public opinion was what pushed the Syrian troops out of Lebanon. Lebanese politicians and pundits swore then that Syria would never again set foot on Lebanese soil, and Hezbollah faced a terrible dilemma between loyalty to the Lebanese motherland and dependency on Syria. But the Lebanese "order" was restored. The current prime minister, Saad Hariri, the victim's son, has already paid Damascus a visit, embraced Bashar Assad, and Lebanese politics continue to be dictated by Syria and Iran.

[SunkenCiv]

Photo: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. (Reuters)

[SunkenCiv]

G’night all!

[SunkenCiv]

• Like father like son, the same dilemma by Emile Hokayem, political editor

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

As long as Islam is the primary influence in a nation bedlam will be the primary result.

[SunkenCiv]

/bingo

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2450777/posts?page=22#22

[winner3000]

With Bush, the Lebanese felt safe with a strong America at its back. It felt safe to say no to Syria, and thanks to Bush, was able to kick it out.
Nowadays, is there any doubt that Obama would raise a finger if something bad happened to Lebanon? This gives the Lebanese government no choice. Syria is not going anywhere, and the US cannot be counted on. Do the math...

[SJackson]

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[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, you’re right, Obama wouldn’t lift a finger to help Lebanon — except to sell or give them weapons to fight Israel. Throughout the 90s, the Syrians (tourists, and servicemen looking for “services”) were whittled down in Lebanon, literally bled white; compulsory national service at age 18 meant that Syrian 17 year olds would leave “on vacation” to (for example) the Gulf states, take good-paying jobs, and not go back, rather than serve in Lebanon for next to nothing. The Lebanese had their massive demonstrations, but the Syrians found Hizbollah (formerly rivals and enemies of the attempted Syrian annexation of Lebanon) to be better able to occupy the southern part of the country, and the Lebanese quislings were already inside the popular movement to kick out Syria.

[Eleutheria5]

But Lebanon was unique in that Islam was not the primary influence, since there are several demonimations (sic) of Islam vying for supremacy there, a strong Christian minority, as well as Druze, Zoroastrians, and who knows what else living in Lebanon. Of course, Black September and the subsequent migration of the PLO minions to Beirut changed all that.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"But Lebanon was unique in that Islam was not the primary influence, since there are several demonimations (sic) of Islam vying for supremacy there, a strong Christian minority, as well as Druze, Zoroastrians, and who knows what else living in Lebanon. Of course, Black September and the subsequent migration of the PLO minions to Beirut changed all that."

Right you are.

Lebanon was the only successful Middle Eastern country besides Israel until it became dominated by the destructive force that is Islam.

Beirut was known as the "Paris of the Middle East". Now it is in ruins...not unlike the individual souls of the people trapped in the darkness of Islam.