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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US enlisting Lebanese aid against Syria, al-Qaeda
2006-05-26
The United States has sought to bolster Lebanese security to battle Al Qaida as well as insurgents from neighboring Syria.
Have we considered blowing up Emile?... No. I guess that wouldn't work. It'd counterbalance Hariri, wouldn't it?
The Bush administration has sent a series of high-level officials to Beirut over the last few months to discuss U.S. training and equipment transfer to the Lebanese Army and security forces. Officials said the administration has sought to bolster the regime of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. "The Al Qaida network, for example, poses a threat to the security of both Lebanon and the United States," State Department counter-terrorism coordinator Henry Crumpton said. "If we can help Lebanon build its capacity to face Al Qaida threat, then it is in our interest -- and Lebanon's -- to do so."
Ummm... Leb is a delicately balanced confection made up of competing oligarchies. If you upset the balance of power in any direction they'll start blowing each other up. Best to preserve them in amber and have a look at them once every hundred years.
Crumpton began his visit to Lebanon on May 23 and met senior officials, including Siniora. He was the third senior U.S. official to visit Beirut and discuss the upgrading of Lebanese security.
Which would seem to mean wresting it form the Syrian puppets who previously ran it and putting it in the hands of... ummm... our puppets. Who will them be car boomed. I think I'd go with the amber alternative.
The other officials were Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs John Hillen and Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Kristen Silverberg.
Never heard of any of them.
Posted by:Dan Darling

#2  unfortunately lebanon CANT be preserved in amber,and thats the problem. The electoral system is still based on long outdated demographic realities, and that gives pro-Syrian groups traction in the Shiite community. You can either change that, or accept the Shiite-Syrian-Iranian alliance, and its push to make Lebanon a Syrian satellite. Since the Cedar Rev, most Lebanese OTHER than the Shia seem intent on preserving Lebanese sovereignty, EVEN at the cost of dangerous change - we can either support them, or we can cut a deal with Assad (in which case we'd better get something in return for giving him Lebanon) but what we CANT do is preserve Leb in amber.

I good microcosm of our dilemmas the world over, Id say.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-05-26 09:35  

#1  Some people are slow learners
Posted by: gromgoru   2006-05-26 00:42  

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