Lebanon's Cedar Revolution Withers

[callady]

Lebanon's cedar revolution withers

Rory McCarthy in Beirut
Saturday October 22, 2005
The Guardian


Eight months ago, Martyrs' Square in Beirut was crowded with people, tents and banners as a rare blast of democracy blew through the Arab world. Today, the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese, Muslims and Christians who occupied the square in protest at the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri have gone, and many are wondering what their cedar revolution achieved.

Omar Halawi, 26, a student who spent two months living in a tent in the square, said: "We were there because we wanted the truth about the killing and because we wanted unity. We wanted to live together after 25 years of war." But he added: "It is as if that moment was deleted from our lives. What I wanted hasn't been achieved and I feel deceived."

But much has changed. Under the weight of the street protests the then prime minister resigned and the anti-Syrian opposition came to power in summer elections. The Syrian regime, widely blamed for the killing, withdrew its troops after a 29-year occupation. One prominent Lebanese Christian leader was released from jail; another returned after 15 years' exile in Paris. The UN investigation into the killing of Mr Hariri has led to the arrest of four of Lebanon's top security officials.

Yet, security in Lebanon is fragile and the uprising has not changed the feudal party system that has dominated its politics in the 30 years since the civil war began. Several prominent figures, all critics of Syria, have been assassinated since Mr Hariri's killing, and the old political recriminations between parties, religions and sects returned during the elections. The gulf between the broadly anti-Syrian parties on one side and the Shia Muslim Hizbullah on the other is no narrower. Many of the main politicians who championed the uprising have left the country for their security, among them Mr Hariri's son, Saad, now an MP.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/syria/story/0,13031,1598068,00.html

[cantstandbush]

1. Hariri's assassination has accomplished just the opposite of what

the US intended. Now Lebanon will become like Iraq: unstable, factionalized and easy targets for US/Israel pickings.

[callady]

2. I think

unstable, factionalized and easy targets is exactly the intention.

[ingac70]

3. I think that as well....

And I have no doubts the US blew up that guy to kick this all off.