[LCM Articles] Four Days that changed the Middle East

[Patrick Zeitouni]

Rima,
A quick comment on the fresh view you mentioned.
First, I had a chance to listen to Rami Khoury talk at the Kennedy School of
Government at Harvard last year, and I have to say that Rami is very much a
Hizballah apologist. While he tried to portray himself as neutral and discuss
both sides of the conflict, it was very apparent what his political sentiments
were.
As such, I would very much take the article with a grain of salt. While
Hizballah did achieve a military victory of some sorts, I believe that it lost
something much more valuable, the respect of all non-shiite Lebanese who now
see it as an instrument of Iran, Syria, and Shiite dominance.
I believe the government made a key decision not to deploy its opwn gunmen or
the Internal Security Forces (ISF) who number in the 10,000 and are 
composed of
mainly Sunni and Christian. That would have put a strong counter attack to
Hizballah, at the expense of starting a new civil war. Fortunately some (i.e.
NOT March 8) are still committed to the principles of negotiation through
dialogue, not violence.
Where this will take us, I don't know. While this is part of a U.S. vs. Iran
power play (as the Hizballah likes to portray it), it is also an Iran 
vs. Saudi
Arabia play (Shiite vs. Sunni) and another effort by Syria to remain relevant,
regain influence in Lebanon and retain its tool of applying pressure on Israel
to get the Golan's back.
Let's be realistic when we talk about this situation. It's about people with
guns who don't want to give up their guns, and want to be the big boys and the
bullies of the block.
I welcome your thoughts and opinions on the matter!
ciao
Patrick



Quoting Dima Najjar <dimanajjar at gmail.com>:

> A fresh view..
>
>
> Click the following to access the sent link:
>
> Four days that changed the Middle East
> <http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?article_ID=91914&categ_ID=5&edition_id=10>
>
>
> Or copy and paste the following link in your browser address bar:
>
>
> <http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?article_ID=91914&categ_ID=5&edition_id=10>
>
> http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?article_ID=91914&categ_ID=5&edition_id=10
>
>
>
> *
> *
>
> *Abstract:*
>
> Events in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon continue to move erratically,
> with simultaneous gestures of political compromise and armed clashes that
> have left 46 dead in the past week. The consequences of what has happened in
> the past week may portend an extraordinary but constructive new development:
>
>
>
> --
> Dima Najjar
> +97150 413 4343
>