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Al-Ahram Weekly 9 - 15 September 1999 Issue No. 446 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 9 - 15 September 1999 Issue No. 446
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Focus Culture Features Books Special Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Controversial statements
By Zeina KhodrYou did not have to listen to the news to know that there was something going on in Beirut last Saturday afternoon. Army personnel were deployed on almost every street corner from the airport to Government House in downtown Beirut. The tight security measures were in place for the arrival of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Albright concluded a lightning visit without achieving tangible results. Instead, her stopover only highlighted the differences in positions between Lebanon and the US, viewed here as an ally of the "enemy" -- Israel.
Statements made by Albright and Lebanon's Prime Minister Salim El-Hoss clearly showed that Washington and Beirut do not see eye to eye.
"Hizbullah," Albright said, "is hampering moves to achieve peace and the issue of the Palestinian refugees must be discussed within the framework of final-status talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority."
El-Hoss disagreed. "Hizbullah is resisting occupation. The Lebanese government and people support the movement and it will continue its activities until every inch of Lebanese soil is liberated from Israeli occupation," he told reporters at a joint news conference with the US secretary of state.
The prime minister also said Lebanon has to be a party in any negotiations that involve the fate of Palestinian refugees. "Lebanon refuses to provide permanent residency to the Palestinians living here. That is prohibited under the constitution. We cannot accept that this matter will have to be relegated to final status talks... we think we should be a party to any such talks."
Lebanon hosts some 350,000 refugees and categorically rejects their resettlement because of their role during the war and the delicate sectarian balance in the country.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has recently said that "under no circumstances will Palestinians in the diaspora be able to return." His statement raised fears that the refugees in Lebanon will be naturalised in exchange for much needed aid.
"The prime minister explained to me the difficulties Lebanon faces owing to the large number of refugees and that Lebanon wants the situation resolved. But it must be discussed in the context of Palestinian-Israeli peacemaking," Albright said.
The differing views on such controversial and crucial issues led observers in Lebanon to dub Albright's brief and unscheduled visit a failure. "It is obvious that Albright's trip will not lead to an imminent resumption of peace talks," said one.
The US secretary of state wants the Lebanese government to "help calm the situation in south Lebanon as a prelude for possible resumption of talks between Israel, Lebanon and Syria". According to Albright, "there must be calm since the opponents of peace would like nothing more than a new round of violence. The friends of peace -- I include both my government and Lebanon's in this category -- must work to prevent this."
Albright's statements drew fire from Hizbullah. It accused her of backing the Israeli occupation and vowed to continue the struggle to oust Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.
A Hizbullah deputy, Sayed Ibrahim El-Sayed, went further and accused "some parties in Lebanon of serving the interests of Israel and the US" -- a veiled reference to the government.
Despite the fact that Albright failed to break the deadlock in peacemaking, analysts saw her trip as a goodwill gesture to Lebanon, where Syria is the dominant political force. "The US is committed to the full independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon," said Albright, who was wearing a brooch of a cedar tree, Lebanon's national symbol. Albright also made clear that Washington attaches great importance to Lebanon's role in peace talks. "Even though my visit is brief, it is vital because without Lebanon there can be no lasting peace."
She also became the first secretary of state in 16 years to land at Beirut International Airport in a sign of growing US confidence in the country. During the war (1975-90) many attacks targetted western, particularly US, interests. The US only lifted the ban on its citizens visiting Lebanon in 1997, and US airliners are still barred from landing in Beirut after a TWA flight was hijacked in 1985.
While indications are that there will be no early resumption of talks, it was reported here that Albright had presented a plan to the Lebanese government. According to the pro-Syrian daily Al-Sharq, it was proposed that "Israeli forces would unilaterally withdraw to the international borders sometime between December and January, and Israel's allied militia force would deploy in Christian villages in the vacated areas while the Lebanese army would take up positions in Muslim areas. The Palestinians would be resettled here in return for aid."
While there has been no official confirmation of the proposals, many here are expecting violence to escalate in the south due to the lack of progress in peace negotiations.
