Beirut Is Burning
If there were ever a perfect example of the Bush administration's utterly bankrupt, and provably impotent, foreign policy, it would have to be the State Department's reaction to events in Beirut over the last few days. The laughably weak U.S.-backed Lebanese government, in what can only be described as a moment of insanity, decided last week to take on Hezbollah by cutting off their private telephone network, an act that Hassan Nasrallah, perhaps the Arab world's most popular leader, described as an act of war. And war he brought, completely taking over West Beirut in a matter of hours, and humiliating the hapless pro-Western government and its allies. And what was the U.S. up to as Beirut burned? This, according to the New York Times:
"Ms. Rice and other Bush administration officials were on the phone Friday with their counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon. A senior administration official said the United States, which barely talks to Syria, Iran or Hezbollah, which the Bush administration considers a terrorist organization, was trying to use its Arab allies to send a message to Iran and Syria to stop interfering in Lebanon."
Trying to use its Arab allies to send a message to Iran and Syria to stop interfering in Lebanon. Hmm. I'm sure Supreme Leader Khamenei is quaking in his slippers, and President Assad in his bespoke brogues. Hezbollah was indeed created by Iran in the early eighties, and has been supported by her and Syria ever since (and it might be good to remember that one of Sheikh Nasrallah's official titles, perhaps his most important, is "Representative of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in Lebanon." That would be Ayatollah Khamenei. And Hezbollah's flag shares a symbol with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, their mentors.) But Hezbollah, which in the minds of at least most of the Muslim World handed Israel it's first real military defeat, this week proved what everyone, except the Bush administration and the Lebanese government, already knew: there will be no peace in Lebanon, nor will there be real peace between Lebanon and Israel, without Hezbollah. And yet our government will not speak to Hezbollah, nor will it speak to its creator, Iran. It can pick up the phone, however, and beg its Arab allies to ask Iran and Syria to stop interfering in Lebanon. Does that message come with a please? Does America still really believe that Iran is afraid of her?
A couple of months ago, after the latest UN resolution on Iran's nuclear program passed, I was chatting with a senior Iranian diplomat. He asked me if I thought America really believed that Iran, or Iranians, were afraid of the U.S. "Don't they know us?" he asked. He asked another diplomat in the room to tell me how old he was when he went to the front during Iran-Iraq war. "Sixteen," replied the other diplomat. "And how old was your brother when he was martyred at the front?" continued the first diplomat. "Fourteen," was the soft reply, and I saw the diplomat fight back tears. "This," said the first diplomat, making a gesture, "is who we are. We have seen the worst. Do you think we're now afraid of anything? Do the Americans really think that threats will work on us?"
Send a message...stop interfering in Lebanon. And this is what American foreign policy has come to. There are still three candidates in the U.S. presidential race, and two of them would continue the Bush foreign policy with respect to Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas. Senator Barack Obama, however, who has indicated that he would at least speak to our adversaries, might be able to do more than just beg, through intermediaries, that they stop embarrassing us.
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The Bush administration's mideast policy has been disastrous from the beginning and McCain or Hillary would be just as bad or worse. It makes a lot more sense to me that we should hold discussions with ALL the parties to a conflict. Nothing will ever be accomplished if some of the parties cannot participate in discussions to try to bring a just and peaceful solution to conflicts. Obama seems to be the only one with the right approach. At least it's an approach that has some possibility for progress.
Lebanon has been a playground for mischief makers for many years. Bashar Al Assads dear old daddy kept things churning during the civil war there. Arafat set up shop and had the Israelis come beating down the door. (And anyone in the way.) Reagan got the US embarssed by a suicide bomber. Ariel Sharon and the IDF were run out of Lebanon by Hezbollah. Should the Bush administration be involved in Lebanon? Of course not. The current government is seen as a puppet, and thus Hezbollah wants into the government to change that. Israel mulls a rematch with Hezbollah after the last round, and Iran and Syria make mischief 24/7. Is this great foreign policy or what?
Wasn't Lebanon split off from greater Syria after WW I when the League of Nations in all its wisdom gave control of the region to France.
So maybe Syria has some legitimacy in Lebanese affairs. Do they recognize the decisions of the Imperialists? I know I wouldn't.
And didn't Israel seek a partnership with the Shia in it's first invasion of Lebanon? And wasn't the creation of Hezbollah a reaction in part to this "collaboration?"
Or did Israel help create Hezbollah as a counter to the Yasir Arafat, like they did when the encourage the creation of Hamas?
lebanon was the first democracy in the mid - east founded by maronite christians. it was at the beginning of the turkish rebellion, started by jusef bakaram my great-great uncle, incidentally. :(
sad that freedom and democracy are now nothing but some bread and circus for the bush league.
Don't forget the French, who created Lebanon.
Lebanon is simply CheneyOilCo's back door into Iran.
Time to get Dougie Fieth involved again.
When the situation calls for the very dumbest, he just happens to be unemployed.
SEE WHAT I MEAN MR MAJD?
mr majd,
don't you realize that this is all part of the (sic) path the neo-con/zi
certainly now that barack obama appears to be the democratic nominee for POTUS they will find it expedient to expedite the iranian conflict in order to maintain control of the american government.
unfortunately, the american populous (specifically our "working, hard-working Americans, white Americans.
and that's, more than likely, our "best case scenario." if that's not a success look forward to another catastrophic "pearl harbor" type event to justify martial law and suspension of our elections.
The average American barely understands the difference between Iraq and Iran. Most couldn't find either one on a map. They have no clue as to Shiite versus Sunni. To them Hezbollah, Hamas, and Al-Quaeda are all the same --- enemies of Israel, therefore, enemies of the United States. Or at least, "terrorist organizati
This largely ignorant US population elected a leader with even less understanding of Middle Eastern peoples, cultures, and politics. This supremely ignorant man surrounded himself with "yes-men" and "yes-women" who supported, if not encouraged him to launch an unprovoked war against Iraq. They have a plan for domination of the Middle East, PNAC, the Plan for a New American Century.
The result has been a bloody, expensive, 5 year occupation with no end in sight. Increased hatred of the United states throughout the region. A complete loss of US influence. Nobody is going to do squat that the USA asks or begs. All America can do now is sit on the sidelines and watch what happens in Lebanon and elsewhere.
Well said, and speaks volumes about the shallow, hollow, inept American "education system."
I believe posts such as yours should be compulsory reading for anyone who wants to graduate high school social studies or world history.
The media is part of the problem, too. I tune into the CNN "situation room" to get my fix of American news from my apartment in Lebanon...
'Ignorance' is a bit little, how about 'stupidity'.
Hezbollah and the Iraians are all through, they have been placed in check, after their next move, it's checkmate, GAME OVER!
Not in your lifetime.
Bet me! I'll give you 3 to 1 odds.
That is very funny...ju
U-S-A!!!
What ? You can't handle the truth?
America has forgotten that people in their home countries do not like to be told what to do or how to live or what to eat or how to govern themselves. They do not like to be called terrorists or insurgents or jihadists or extremists or any of the other names this administration uses in place of calling them what they are which is of course nationalistic citizens of whatever country they happen to be from.
It is naive and shortsited to think that Syrians, Egyptions, Americans, Germans or Sudanese are any different from one another, At the end of the day we eat, we breath, we sleep and we shit just like the billions of other people do who are not from America do each and every day.
At one time the British looked at our forefathers as terrorists, as extremists and as anything but what we actually were which of course is being a human being who wants freedom, We fought off those who would try to stick their nose into our business and we won. We won because it was and is our country and we would never stop fighting for it. Ever.
Now what makes Bush and those who support him think that anyone from anywhere would do anything differently than what we did ourselves?
History...
Excellent comments, I said something similar to this yesterday and people looked at me like I was crazy.
If a vastly superior military force overran our government we'd also put up a hell of a fight and every man, woman and child of the invaders would be fair game. But somehow we're shocked, shocked, that other people feel the same way.
Nationalism is the single most powerful political force in the world.
Nothing, not Marxism, not Capitalism, not religion even comes close.
It is remarkable how many well educated and informed people (as opposed to those in the Bush Admin) fail to realize this fact.
And people will put up with an enormous about of bad government if it comes from their own citizens and leaders.
But will revolt over ANY AND ALL governments imposed by foreigners.
Nearly every time.
Hezbollah did not exist until the 1982 invasion of Lebanon by ISRAEL. The US foreign policy in the Mid East is totally bankrupt! Right, Wolfowitz????
Spin. Anti Israel hate. And I think Obama believes the same anti Israel propaganda you do. He would be a disaster.
That would be President Obama to you, He shall make an excellent president. Stop the anti Israeli propaganda, it's not true.
On what basis do you make this accusation against Obama? I'm very pro-Israel (read my comments history). Your charges are bogus -- you must be reading the fiction of such discredited former scholars such as Daniel Pipes. Obama will make an excellent president, and continue the U.S.'s strong friendship with and support for Israel.
'Israel hate' give me a break!! You are just full of it. Go with your pity somewhere else and let the Europeans pay you a visit for their atrocities. Palestinians have nothing to do with your suffering nor the Lebanese nor the Arabs as a whole. Israel hate is away for you to associate the holocaust to someone that has nothing to do with it, like classifying them as anti-semitic. You are the propaganda.
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