Heads up: President of Lebanon resigns.
Lackey of Syria, Hezbollah leaves office without successor.
By Moe Lane Posted in Breaking News — Comments (4) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Political crisis deepens in Lebanon
By SAM F. GHATTAS, Associated Press WriterBEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanon's political tumult intensified as President Emile Lahoud said the country is in a "state of emergency" and handed security powers to the army before he left office late Friday without a successor. The rival, pro-Western Cabinet rejected the declaration.
Lahoud's final announcement created new confusion in an already unsettled situation, which many Lebanese fear could explode into violence between supporters of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's Western-backed government and the pro-Syria opposition led by the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.
Read on.
To summarize: the President of Lebanon's out, the Prime Minister doesn't recognize the legitimacy of the way he left and the Iranian regime, Syrian regime, and fellow terrorist group Hezbollah don't recognize the legitimacy of the Prime Minister's disapproval. Meanwhile, the Lebanese military would very much not like to be involved, please - and while both sides aren't reaching for their guns, the situation is not what you'd call relaxed.
On the bright side, the French still* have their priorities straight on this:
France on Friday called for patience to resolve Lebanon's crisis but also chided Syria. French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Pascale Andreani said it's up to the "Syrians, like everyone else, to remember that the goal is not to hinder the process but to help it."
...which should mean that the quote-unquote "international community" might actually refrain this time from peeing in the soup because they like the flavor better that way. Hey, every little bit helps.
Moe Lane
*To be fair, they've been on the side of the angels since the start of the Cedar Revolution. Credit where credit is due.
« Toward an Understanding of the Obamian Language — Comments (4) | Our compliments to Markos Moulitsas, the Left's... Karl Rove. — Comments (29) »
Heads up: President of Lebanon resigns. 4 Comments (0 topical, 4 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
after heir-apparent to the Presidency of Lebanon Tony Franjieh, wife and infant child were murdered in the late seventies, State INR Chief Phyllis Oakley told me that Tony’s family had stayed with her and hubby Bob in Maine the previous summer. They had all gone to see The Godfather and Tony left the theater shaking…. “That movie is about my family and my country.”
His one-year old toddler was killed by tying a grenade to his bib and pulling the pin.
Great country.
Lebanon is routinely oversimplified, and it bears remembering that the roots of this dispute lie in the Maronite community, which is split between pro- and anti-Syrian factions. The outgoing president is considered to be pro-Syrian, as is the general he appointed as his successor. (Under Taif, the Lebanese President is always a Maronite Christian.)
Bears watching, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a deal made in the next few weeks on a consensus candidate.
For we have a peculiar power of thinking before we act, and of acting, too, whereas other men are courageous from ignorance but hesitate upon reflection.
Former President Lahoud's term expired at midnight; he didn't resign, just left office without a successor. The opposition denied a 2/3rds majority needed to name a replacement.
Lahoud's trying for a de-facto coup by putting the military in charge, since the Lebanese constitution has the prime minister taking over in the absence of the president. The problem for Lahoud is that the PM is part of the anti-Syrian bloc.
for disaster. I am not at all sure where this one will go. The Lebonese army is hardly that at all. Just a bunch of guys in uniform with a paying job.
Israel must be very tense right now, Hezbollah would love to step in and fill the void, to be sure. Watch for a spark that could ignite the powder keg here.