Lebanon once again is becoming the battleground for others. Again, Lebanon a hostage of events and strategic calculations larger than it, we're caught in between.
Since two years ago, the Bush administration has been after the Syrian government demanding more cooperation on the Iraqi border and hassling them on their military presence in Lebanon. The Syrians of course cooperated on what they're able to concede in terms of information sharing and what not.
I believe that the relative "success" of the Iraqi and Palestinian elections have emboldened the Bush admiminstration to increase the heat on Syria. Add on to it the extension of Lahoud's term and Hariri's assassination.
It seems that the timing is against those who are calling for an end to the Syrian military/intelligence presence in Lebanon, who genuinely are calling for the sovereignty of only the Lebanese over Lebanon. The US has its own aims to fulfill in our region, and if it's democratization, then that is not much of an evil mission; however, most of the Lebanese are calling for something independent of Bush's claims and bully-style schemes. And if Syria is threatened by an evil scheme, then giving us the right to exercise our sovereignty will only benefit it.
Lebanon cannot be crushed because of strategic calculations, because of a US-Syrian/Iranian confrontation; that will backfire on the Syrian regime as it creates more disgruntled Lebanese. A Lebanon that is able to exercise free will is Syria's best bet in confronting any evil scheme, because then our government's claims will not be branded as scripted by Syria or our politicians branded as puppets; in short, we'd be more ligitimate in our eyes and in the eyes of the international community.
"Nobody knows how many rebellions, besides political rebellions, ferment in the masses of life which people earth."
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4 comments:
I think that there is a local component to the conflict as well. You apparently have two camps with very different images of what Lebanon ought to be in the future.
I see that it is very easy for you to call Pres. Bush a bully, but do you use the same rhetoric for real tryants like Saddam Hussein and the Pres. of Syria who occupies your country and denies your people freedom to choose their type of government.
Doha,
Someone has to lead. Either the communist, tryrants, or those of us who want everyone to enjoy their God given freedoms(the right to create and live peacefully with governments of the peoples choice--without coercion, the right to work and enjoy the fruits of their labor and the right to enjoy the prospering of their families in peace). We prefer to live with as many free loving peoples around as possible. And I think we have proven that we are willing to shed blood to this type of world emerge.
I guess what I'm saying is...if the tables were turned would your people shed blood to free us--like we are doing in Iraq, like we hope freedom comes to Lebanon.
Raja, it's amazing how we see eye-to-eye, you are right, the local component is essential and should not be ignored, you can read my latest post about it..
on a second note, i sent you an email, it seems it went straight into the junk, i just wanted to tell you that you and i figured on the website of the CJR publication (columbia journalism review)
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