".... Western and Arab powers alike forced Damascus to pull its troops from Lebanese soil. Five years later, on June 7, 2009, Saad Hariri, the son of the slain prime minister, won a clear victory in the Lebanese elections. And now, five months after that success, Hariri was finally able to form a "national unity government,".... Is Beirut slipping away from Damascus?
The truth is not that simple and not that rosy.........
Even before Hizbullah was officially included in the most recent Lebanese cabinet, Israel stated repeatedly that the responsibility for any attack on its territory carried out by the organization would rest squarely on that government, and that Lebanon as a whole would suffer the consequences.
WHAT, IF anything, will the new government be able to do to change this dangerous state of affairs? It is true that the June elections were fair and democratic, and that the Sunni-Christian-Druze coalition won 71 of the 128 seats of parliament, with the remaining 57 falling to the Shi'ite Hizbullah and Amal, and a breakaway Christian faction led by Michel Aoun. However, Hizbullah made it clear that it would oppose - by force if necessary - any government in which the opposition would have no part..... Further complicating the situation, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a key ally of Hariri, decided to take his party out of the coalition.
At that point the situation seemed hopeless. Outside intervention was clearly needed. Together with moderate Arab countries, the world rallied to the cause, attempting to convince Syria to pressure its Lebanese allies to tone down their demands. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who had shunned Syria since Rafik Hariri was murdered, invited Bashar Assad to visit his country, and later visited Damascus himself; France and the United States sent emissaries to Syria; and finally, the emir of Qatar made a special trip to Teheran and, according to unconfirmed reports, convinced the Iranians to agree to the proposed list of ministers, thus paving the way to the formation of a government while keeping veto power out of the hands of the opposition..... Such was the way two countries belonging to the so-called, "Axis of Evil" were able to decide the fate of Lebanon, regardless of the will of the people.
Saad Hariri has won an important battle, but he is under no illusion as to where the real power lies.... Hariri added that while his country would stand firm against Israel, he would not let an operation initiated by Hizbullah and its supporters spark another war....
In another sign of lingering Syrian influence, as soon as Hariri announced that he had formed a government, Michel Suleiman - without waiting for the formal ratification by the parliament - traveled to Damascus. It is expected that Hariri himself will do the same after that formal ratification. .... While the new prime minister is tackling local problems, he may discover yet that decisions taken in Damascus or Teheran will make a mockery of his efforts and wreak havoc upon Lebanon."
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