Surprised to see the Lebanese population rising up against Syria in the wake of the Hariri murder? You shouldn't be - it's cause and effect, as David Ignatius notes as he continues his tour of the region:
- "Enough!" That's one of the simple slogans you see scrawled on the walls around Rafiq Hariri's grave site here. And it sums up the movement for political change that has suddenly coalesced in Lebanon and is slowly gathering force elsewhere in the Arab world.
...."It is the beginning of a new Arab revolution," argues Samir Franjieh, one of the organizers of the opposition. "It's the first time a whole Arab society is seeking change — Christians and Muslims, men and women, rich and poor."
The leader of this Lebanese intifada is Walid Jumblatt, the patriarch of the Druze Muslim community and, until recently, a man who accommodated Syria's occupation. But something snapped for Jumblatt last year, when the Syrians overruled the Lebanese constitution and forced the reelection of their front man in Lebanon, President Emile Lahoud. The old slogans about Arab nationalism turned to ashes in Jumblatt's mouth, and he and Hariri openly began to defy Damascus.
...."It's strange for me to say it, but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq," explains Jumblatt. "I was cynical about Iraq. But when I saw the Iraqi people voting three weeks ago, 8 million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world." Jumblatt says this spark of democratic revolt is spreading. "The Syrian people, the Egyptian people, all say that something is changing. The Berlin Wall has fallen. We can see it." [Washington Post]
And hey, look at this:
- Beleaguered Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karameh said he was ready to quit in the face of intense pressure to end Syrian domination of his country and find the killers of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.
Karameh spoke as US President George W. Bush kept up the heat, repeating a joint demand he and French President Jacques Chirac made earlier this week for Syria to withdraw its troops immediately.
Article comments
1 - HW Saxton
The silence surrounding this post speaks
volumes Eric.Being no fan of the current
administration,I'll be the first to give
credit where credit is due involving the
ripple effect of our invasion into Iraq.
Libya is seemingly toeing the line,you
don't hear about Afghanistan that often
anymore and talk of democracy in places
that was illegal to speak of it is being
heard loud clear and often in many Arab
countries. Should this continue then you
have the right to say "I told you so",
Eric. As much as it might pain others to
hear and admit this,you may well just be
correct.
2 - Dave Nalle
It's hard to respond to this post, because it's so spot-on. The next few weeks should be very interesting indeed. Egypt is also in some real turmoil over all of this. They're very tired of Mubarak and it may be time for him to go while he can still do it gracefully.
Dave
3 - SFC SKI
Don't worry, someone we'll be along to rain on the parade soon enough.
Good post, Eric.
4 - Eric Olsen
thanks men - HW, you are a gentleman as always, no one ever really knows what the result of any given action is going to be but this really does seem to be heading in the right direction.
As callously manipulative as it sounds, for me it really does go back to the idea that "this town needs an enema": something had to be done in the region and Iraq was that something because it was doable. We are sure talking a different language when it comes to Iran and that is so precisely because it does not appear to be doable, at this time and place. We've shot our forcible regime change wad for now and have to use other means.
But momentum can be a mighty force and appears to be sweeping, or at least infiltrating, the region.
5 - Eric Olsen
oh, and as much as I like comments, this time I did interpret the silence in a positive light (chuckle)
6 - RJ
chirp...chirp...
7 - JR
Good thing Bush completely reversed himself on the issue of "nation building". See what happens when Republicans finally embrace liberal ideas?
Hey, maybe next he can flip-flop on the environment. That'd be great!
8 - Eric Olsen
agree with you there JR!
9 - RJ
Recent updates on the situation in Lebanon can be found here.