Even though people mean well when they congratulate the Lebanese for a peaceful election, most Lebanese take it as an insult because it carries within it the assumption that they are barbarians and somehow managed to control their urge to kill each other. Elections in Lebanon go back a long time, and have always been held peacefully and losers accept the results in a democratic way.
Dipping fingers in ink is another insulting introduction by the US, through March 14, which has never been used before. It is demeaning since it is only necessary in illiterate societies that require something other than a list of voters to see who voted and who has not. It is not necessary in a country that has one of the highest literacy rates in the world.
Contesting results where there are grounds for such is normal and done all over the world. Trying to spin the numbers to one’s benefit is also a part of the democratic process. Pointing out irregularities or illegal activity is a must, even if you won or the revisions do not change the results. It is a must to insure it does not happen again and certainly to insure that people do not feel they got a way with it and thus do more the next time. It is simply the rule of law.
Hizbullah can be disarmed in only one of two ways. Military action, which will be extremely costly for Lebanon and is not promoted by anyone, or eliminating the justification for Hizbullah’s weapons. Booth options require a well armed Lebanese Army capable of defending Lebanon and controlling the country. Big words in the media do not alter reality on the ground.
So far arming the Lebanese Government has been a taboo. Israel is even complaining about the extremely meager weapons Lebanon is getting and lobbying the US to ban all arms to Lebanon. How then is Hizbullah to be disarmed?
The words of Hizbullah and its Iranian and Syrian backers indicate a certain relief that the Christian opposition did not win. In fact Hizbullah’s pre-election speeches may have been the main culprit in insuring that outcome, as they may have scared enough votes to the other side, while not having any rational need for their own campaign. They were already guaranteed victory. The Syrians are believed to have helped Hariri in the north through the Alawite vote.
As I said, March 14 is already in agreement to share power with Hizbullah. Its leaders have already stated their commitment to the policies of the past Government, which included in no uncertain terms a legalization of the “resistance”.
Washington knows all this and has accepted the Saudi deal. All our state department is asking for is that the Foreign Minister not be a member of Hizbullah, so it can maintain the stand of not talking to Hizbullah. They are not asking to exclude Hizbullah from the Government.
The Christians in March 14 are complaining, but they do not have enough to change that. The FPM and its Christian allies will probably be isolated again and left out of the cabinet to insure that the Christian voice inside the Cabinet will be limited.
Hizbullah will make some noise about their exclusion to bargain for more concessions, but not much more. The supposed battle against Hizbullah has been nothing more than a trick to get the US and the West to support the status quo that keeps Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia in control with their newly found rapprochement.
Will Washington ever learn?
There is an old saying in Lebanon that says “dogs do not really bite each other.”
Cadmus
