To those not versed in Lebanese politics, Lebanon might seem as if it has a death wish. In fact, Lebanon has a vibrant wish to live. The methods employed to assert such a wish can be cruel, violent, cynical, or even plain outrageous, but the underlying principle never changes.
The death of Prime Minister Hariri united the Lebanese though his tenure as PM divided them bitterly. When his government fell more than four months ago, there was jubilation in the streets of Lebanon. His minister of finance, Fouad Sinyora, could very well be the most unpopular figure in Lebanese history. He introduced fiscal measures that included a value added tax into an overburdened economy and oversaw such financial scandals as the Medina Bank affair.
The closure of the MTV television station happened on Hariri’s watch. General Aoun’s criminal case‚ file on trumped up charges and Samir Gagea’s incarceration should also be added to the list of achievements of Hariri’s successive governments.
Then Syria overplayed its hand by insisting on extending President Emile Lahoud’s term and bringing in a government to its liking. This would have passed like many other incidents in Lebanese politics without much ado. But the brutal assassination of Hariri brought the cauldron to a boil. The incident became a popular referendum on Syria’s presence in Lebanon.
Mercurial as any politicians in the area, the Lebanese political scene shifted and strange bedfellows appeared together on the political stage. This occurrence did not limit itself to the Lebanese. For example, Walid Jumblatt, the erstwhile ally of Hariri, had his American visa revoked a few months ago by the State Department when he publicly wished that the missile aimed at American officials in a Baghdad hotel had hit its mark. On Monday, David Sutterfield of the State Department went to visit him in his mountain hometown. Obviously, if Walid can’t come to America, then America will come to Walid.
As the world watches, Lebanon throbs. To be a politician, one has to be quite shameless and without scruples. In Lebanon, such qualities are magnified. This comes from a long tradition of democratic practice that is in many ways faulty, yet shines vibrantly in the dimness of the Arab world. Hariri’s legacy is now consigned to history. He will take his place among the dozens of slaughtered officials in this country’s long history.
What is left are some familiar faces who should understand that their fellow citizens and all the Arab people will judge them harshly if they fail to bring about the peace and prosperity that Lebanon deserves. Syria’s role in Lebanon has been good at times, bad at others. What was achieved should not be forgotten. But Lebanon is now “old” enough to take care of itself without supervision.
Others should also understand that Lebanon is not a battlefield. If America wants to “get” Syria, it should not do so in Lebanon. Israel should not make peace with the Palestinians only to ignite its northern neighbor. President Chirac should not use his personal preferences to steer his country and the European Union into positions limited by political nearsightedness. In other words, leave the Lebanese to sort out their problems. They can and will do it if given half a chance.
