| Lebanon's president appointed staunchly pro-Syrian politician Omar Karami as prime minister on Thurdsday, asking him to form the next government in a move that consolidates Syria's hold on Lebanese politics. Karami replaces billionaire Rafik Hariri, who has had a long rivalry with President Emil Lahoud — a close ally of Damascus — and who announced a day earlier he would not continue as prime minister in the new government. The shake-up came as Syria was under new pressure from the United Nations to end its decades-long domination of its neighbor Lebanon. In defiance of the U.N. Security Council, Lebanon's parliament last month extended Lahoud's soon-to-expire six-year term by another three years. The issue has divided Lebanon's leadership, creating its worst political crisis since the end of the 1975-90 civil war, and put the country and Syria — which has 14,000 troops in Lebanon — in direct confrontation with the United States and France at the world's highest body. Hariri, who enjoys wide international contacts, was seen as less dependent on Syria than many other politicians. Analysts said his departure cleared the field for a Lebanese government whose ministers are all loyal to Syria, helping Damascus face international pressure. |