Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Hope is the worst of evils

An hour and half after the national dialogue was suddenly cut short, Nabih Berri held a press conference. Saad Hariri and Samir Geagea were by his side and Ghazi El Aridi, Jumblat's representative, was seen leaving.
Absent were Michel Aoun, Hassan Nasrallah and any of their representatives.

Berri gave the whole matter a positive spin and said that the participants have to think things through and should come back on Monday to settle matters.

More pro-US than ever, Jumblat is confrontational and is not ready to compromise with Iran and Syria and its allies in Lebanon.
Last Sunday Walid Jumblat said to Fares Khashan in Al Mustaqbal newspaper that the talks were a Syrian and Iranian trap. He followed up yesterday with a speech from the Brookings Institution in Washington DC where he called for the US to help Lebanon against Syrian influence. He also said that Hezbollah should give up its weapons.

Al Manar, Hezbollah's television, described Jumblat's US intervention as a "bombardment from Washington", adding that his words were one of the main reasons behind the break up.

"We have no magic wand," said ex-President Amine Gemayel, "we are dealing with problems that are 30 years old."
He added that "God willing we will return to the table next Monday."

It is obvious that something went wrong today, and that Aoun and Nasrallah had something to do with it.

The sticking point is the military wing of Hezbollah that will never give up its weapons, structure or its decision to wage war against Israel. The fanaticism of Hezbollah is dangerous and will surely lead Lebanon into dangerous grounds.
Hezbollah cannot afford to wage an armed conflict with any local party, but it will rather give the green light to its pro-Syrian allies to wage a bombing campaign.

Michel Aoun, who is totally blinded by his presidential ambitions, knows the true nature of his new found partner but is ready to compromise with Hezbollah until a change occurs in the regional balance of power. Aoun is playing his own version of ostrich politics.

Tensions in Lebanon will remain until the military and political defeat of either Iran or the US in the region.

Although, we all wish that Berri is right and that a compromise will be reached next Monday, the truth is that the best we can hope for is for these tensions to remain political and not turn violent.

It seems that Nietzche was referring to Lebanon when he said: "Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man".

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

nice article but I have to put the whole responsibility on Jumblat who is always putting sticks in the wheels or everyone. Whether we like it or not Hizballah is staying the same but the rest of the political class have to find a way to tame their thread and make them more Lebanese. On the other side, Jumblat has to be more Lebanese too because he is losing so much credibility by blasting Wolfowitz and then praising him...

08 March, 2006 17:53  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with the previous comment. Hezbollah has probably been the most constant throughout this period. Saad Hariri clearly knows nothing of politics, while Jumblatt is ever to willing to change his stance on issues. His going to America for help while Lebanese were sitting down to try and solve the country's problems says much about his faith in the Lebanese and about his sincerity for peace and understanding in Lebanon.

10 March, 2006 19:41  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

did you say Hezbollah fanatism? how did you figure out this?you think Nassrallah sent his son to die for Iran?you think those martyrs who died, died for iran? for God and Lebanon sake, can you be bit more lebanese yourself?

12 March, 2006 20:32  
Blogger Emilio Dib said...

call me a traitor if you want to but i think hezballah must give up its arms and become a political party rather than an armed one. i think that war is the worst of evils and not hope and that a conflict with israel is not an obligation.

12 March, 2006 23:26  

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