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rfmcdonaldLeila Abu-Saba mourned when she heard that Lebanon's former Prime Minister, Rafiq Hariri, was assassinated. Lebanon is a country that has suffered a notoriously difficult 20th century history, culminating in the 1975-1990 civil war. Hariri, a billionaire businessman, played a critical role in providing a framework for Lebanon to piece things back together. The country still has severe problems--latent communal tensions, heavy emigration, very high levels of public debt, and most importantly, Syria's continuing occupation--but things have improved sharply.
Many different groups have motives for assassinating Hariri. Syria seems to be considered the most probable guilty party, given the Ba'athist regime's desire to retain control over its prosperous Lebanese satellite and Hariri's recent alliance with the anti-Syrian opposition. John Leicester's AP story "U.S., France work together on Lebanon" suggests strongly that even if Syria isn't the responsible agency, it will find itself in a corner thanks to Franco-American cooperation. If there is
Lebanese freedom would be a good thing for Lebanon, and for the wider world. Here's hoping that it comes as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Many different groups have motives for assassinating Hariri. Syria seems to be considered the most probable guilty party, given the Ba'athist regime's desire to retain control over its prosperous Lebanese satellite and Hariri's recent alliance with the anti-Syrian opposition. John Leicester's AP story "U.S., France work together on Lebanon" suggests strongly that even if Syria isn't the responsible agency, it will find itself in a corner thanks to Franco-American cooperation. If there is
France is closely linked to Lebanon by history, business and even language - Lebanon hosted a summit of French-speaking nations in 2002. Hariri, a billionaire closely associated with the reconstruction of Lebanon after its 1975-90 civil war, was a friend of French President Jacques Chirac.
"In life, everyone has highs and lows. Well, my dear friend, I remember that your wife and yourself were present in good moments and the difficult hours," Chirac said when presenting Hariri with the Legion of Honor's Grand Cross, France's highest award, in 1996.
The United States, meanwhile, has long been seeking to free Lebanon from the grip of Syria, a country it accuses of funding and helping terrorists.
The United States and France have pressed Syria and the pro-Syrian Lebanese government for the withdrawal of Syria's 15,000 troops from Lebanon. France and the United States sponsored a resolution that the U.N. Security Council passed in September which effectively called on Syria to withdraw its troops and to stop interfering in Lebanese politics.
On Tuesday, France, the United States and other Security Council members were working on a demand that the Lebanese government bring to justice those responsible for Hariri's killing Monday in a bombing in Beirut.
Paris and Washington worked together on drafting a declaration that would ask U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan for an investigation into Hariri's death, a French diplomat said.
Lebanese freedom would be a good thing for Lebanon, and for the wider world. Here's hoping that it comes as quickly and painlessly as possible.
