Mikati: 'It will be a long process after Assad falls!'

"NEW YORK—Lebanon's prime minister said unrest in Syria runs the risk of destabilizing his nation and creating broader havoc in the Middle East, a delicate step by a Lebanese leader away from one of his country's most vital neighbors and allies.

"Any explosion in Syria will be regional, and Lebanon is in a very delicate situation," Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in an interview this week. "I wish for the Syrian people what Syrians wish for themselves." The sentiment is notable coming from Mr. Mikati, a controversial figure at home and in the West for his alliance with Hezbollah. He came to power this year with the backing of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant and political group that is supported by Iran and Syria...  Mr. Mikati expressed concern about what might come next should Mr. Assad's regime fall. "I don't see what and who will be the post-Assad regime, ... It will be a long process."...  "I do know Mr. Assad very well. But I haven't had a chance to talk to him for a few months," said Mr. Mikati, a 55-year-old Sunni Muslim and telecommunications billionaire...Mr. Mikati says he sees no benefit in taking a stand on Syria because it could upset Lebanon's precarious stability. "I choose my words very delicately because I have a divided society," ...