Lebanon: Decision Time

Flies are buzzing around my head
Vultures circling the dead
Picking up every last crumb
The big fish eat the little ones
The big fish eat the little ones
--Radiohead

Lebanon's pro-business, anti-Syrian President Hariri has resigned in protest against the continued occupation of Lebanon by the Syrians. The international community is turning the screws on the squalid affair that sees the monsters of Syria controlling the land of promise, Lebanon. Why promise? It is relatively rich, secular, pluralist and has a somewhat functioning power structure. Of course, Hezbollah is operating out of there, but that, I believe, is more a function of Syria's presence rather than of Lebanon's official state policy. The Press, particularly the Daily Star, rages against the abuses of Hezbollah, and I don't believe their presence would continue if Syria got its mits off Lebanon.

The international community, it appears, has identified Lebanon as the unwilling mistress to the overbearing tyrant next door and is taking aim at Assad. ...

Karameh defends Lebanon's ties with Syria


Lebanese PM attacks efforts to distance his country from Syria, proposes opening talks with his political opponents.


BEIRUT - Lebanon's new Prime Minister Omar Karameh has denounced international efforts to distance his country from Syria and said he wanted peace with his political opponents, local media reported Friday.

"Our nation is going through a very delicate situation. Lebanon and Syria are subject to strong foreign pressure aimed at breaking tight links between our two countries," Karameh was quoted as saying.

Pro-Damascus Karameh was asked to form a government following the resignation of his arch-foe Rafiq Hariri, a move which has drawn international criticism for Damascus's perceived role in the affair.

"It is untrue that international positions taken vis-a-vis Syria are concerned with protecting Lebanese independence and its sovereignty," Karameh said, referring to a UN resolution calling on Damascus to stop perceived meddling in its smaller neighbour's political affairs and to withdraw its estimated 15,000 troops from Lebanon.

What's next? Resolutions, sanctions, threats, carrots, sticks and a big army next door. That's what's up.