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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Anti-government campaign gathers momentum but doesn't consolidate its gains |
| 2005-02-22 |
| By all accounts, particularly Monday's thousands-strong rally, the opposition seems to be gathering momentum, while the loyalist camp continues to lose ground, making it more and more likely that the pro-Syrian government could be ousted and Syrian troops driven out of the country. Many partisan MPs refused to comment on Monday's rally, preferring to wait. "Any comments would be like adding fuel to the fire," one MP said on condition of anonymity. President Emile Lahoud commented Monday on opposition moves, suggesting that former Premier Rafik Hariri did not belong to one group. "Some exploit the deadly incident to meet their personal interests and ignore that Hariri was a national asset whose stances and policies have restored Lebanon's unity and regained its role internationally," Lahoud said. In a statement issued Monday, former Prime Minister Salim Hoss criticized both the government and the opposition. "The government should have resigned or at least expelled key security officials from their posts?" he said. However, Hoss criticized the manner in which some opposition parties have exploited the tragic event. "Escalating the tone of oral nuisance against Syria, thus instigating violence against ordinary Syrian citizens, has gone too far," he said. "Hariri was confident that the Syrian troops were going sooner or later; the withdrawal is far less complicated than many would have us believe," he added. |
| Posted by:Fred |