Looking Down the Precipice
Filed under: Middle East
Recent events indicate that Lebanon is teetering on the brink of collapse (the president has abdicated to a military junta). Publius Pundit contributor Manuela Paraipan has a new piece about this critical Middle East state running on the World Security Network (where she is an editor) entitled "Looking Down the Precipice." It begins like this:
During the time I spent in Lebanon I had the chance to talk - off and on the record - with individuals from various walks of life and with people who act as mediators between the March 8 bloc (Hizbollah, Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Amal, Marada, Syrian Socialist Nationalist Party and allies) and March 14 bloc (Future Movement, Progressive Socialist Party, Lebanese Forces, Kataeb Party and allies). No one can play a completely neutral role in Lebanon, but some do manage to keep away from the inter- and intra-quarrels and thus become trustworthy actors. Each community, group and individual has its own agenda, objectives and ties within and outside the Arab world. The Lebanese problems ceased to be only theirs decades ago when that time political class, lacking any sense of preservation and wisdom, allowed the Palestinians to enter the country. A few years later, Syria was given the green light to take over the country. Since then the snowball rolled and Lebanon's problems have become regional and international.
Click through to read the extended analysis of this vital Middle East topic.
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