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From our friends at Free Lebanon
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1
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BobW
said:
The US Committee for a Free Lebanon MIGHT or COULD be natural allies of Israel's supporters. The key is to clearly identify "Israel". Israel is split. Thus, those supporting "Israel" are more than 1 bloc.
Lebanon could regain independence and sovereigny. Inherently, this means Lebanon will not be a constitutional republic as "Free Lebanon Committee" hopes for. This is always a core problem. It depends on how the term "democracy" is exercised in the current political efforts. Doctrines of "majority rule", "Constitutional government" and "democracy" are frequently antagonistic to one another especially within the Lebanon scene.
The US Committee for a Free Lebanon has a policy position suppported by less than half of the population. They are against antiSemitism but believe they do support antiZionism.
If we look at the 1958 US military deployment to Lebanon, the political stability was lost because of the threatened civil war betwen the Maronite Christians and Muslims. Now, decades later, we must add in the Druze - and both Jumblatts were anti-Israel. Therefor, nothing changed unless saying a worse situation is present. The Free Lebanon Committee considers Lebanon a distinct nation. Hezbollah does not. If we again see a power sharing arrangement among Christians, Druze and Muslims, it would not be "democratic" since Hizbullah argues there are more Muslims than Christians in Lebanon and requiring a more favorable ratio for Muslims.
The Free Lebanon Committee supports the UN as a viable organization that can help the region. Although we are dealing in complexities and complications in all this - and our position cannot seek the perfect - let's remember that UN Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is battalion headquarters for Hizbollah (at least in my opinion).
If Lebanon adopts a constitution after an agreed-upon power sharing arrangement(if possible), will this be a precedent for Israel to adopt a constitution with a power sharing arrangement? Israeli Druze would surely gain from this along with Israeli Arabs. The Israeli Jews will be preoccupied with tsunami relief and support of Edgar Bronfman's program to get the UN General Assembly to denounce antiSemitism.
If the new state of Palestine is obliged to follow a new Lebanon model, will Arabs of the Hizbollah affiliation become the dominent political bloc? If any of this is realistic, Hizbollah has been imported into Israel and around Israel's shrunken periphery. This doesn't even duplicate the Lend Lease risk of WWII. It's worse. This is all because Hizbollah is the most powerful and most ruthless force in Lebanon, Israel and soon, the new Palestine.
Some material on the link to the pending Free Lebanon post, I did not understand. I know the USMC processed 1,066 PLO terrorists of a total of 6,436 "Palestinians" to be evacuated on the Greek vessel Sol Geoggious. This was on one day alone (25 Aug 82). The above link was unclear as to how the PLO returned to Israel.
Our problems are internal. We can handle Lebanon and even assist to accomodate our interests. We have a decent record of handling Kaisers, Czars, Commissars,Prime Ministers and others.
Our problems are internal.
Kol tuv,
BobW
Posted by: BobW on March 20, 2005 06:12 AM
From our friends at Free Lebanon
Updated, 2005_03_20, 10:40 EST - see addendum at article's end.
The people at Free Lebanon are the natural allies of Israel's supporters. For this reason I have recommended in the past, and repeat now, that we should pay close attention to what the Free Lebanon people say. This applies in particular now, when Lebanon stands a very good chance of regaining her independence.
Today, Free Lebanon sent around a particular illuminating e-mail, highlighting the analogies between Saddam Hussein's Baathist regime and Assad's Baathist regime. This particular document is not yet posted on the Free Lebanon site, for which reason I am appending it to this post. To read it, click here.
Addendum:
Taking into consideration Bob's comment (#1) to the original post, I posed the following questions to Ziad Abdelnour of Free Lebanon. The exchange, which I am posting with permission, is reproduced below. I thank Ziad for taking out the time to respond and for permitting me to post this exchange.
Question: What is your reaction to the statement made (or implied) by the Maronite leader to the effect that Hezbollah should be integrated into the political fabric, with disarming not even being a condition?
Ziad Abdelnour: Hizballah SHOULD be disarmed by any mean, shape or form....Short of that, everybody loses....We Lebanese nationalists have a huge problem with having Hizballah as a military force; we have however no problem having them as a political force only (like any other party) in the new Lebanon shaping up.
Question: What, in your view, is the chance for a peace treaty Israel-Lebanon, should Lebanon succeed in getting the Syrians out? Will Lebanon continue to follow the line of all other members of the Arab league?
Ziad Abdelnour: Chances for peace treaty will basically depend as to who will be the next Lebanese President coming May...This is why the May Parliamentary elections which decide who the next President is going to be are crucial....A pro-Syria President will always provide cover for Hizballah and will never sign a peace treaty with Israel. A true Lebanese President will dismantle Hizballh by giving the upper hand to the Lebanese army and sign peace with Israel in a heartbeat.
Posted by Joseph Alexander Norland at March 20, 2005 08:03 AM