Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 9 -15 November 2000 Issue No.507
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875

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Bad timing for taboo battering?

By Dalal Saoud

Bad timing for taboo battering For the first time since 35,000 Syrian troops entered Lebanon in 1976, in the midst of the then-raging civil war, its military presence was the focus of heated discussion in the Lebanese parliament.

The subject, which has been taboo for many years, was brought out into the open amidst rancorous debate and the exchange of accusations even among political forces long allied with Syria. Since the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1991, the Syrian presence has been justified by its supporters as defending the Lebanese front against Israeli aggression.

Leading the criticism of the Syrian presence, Christian parliamentarian Albert Mokheiber said it is the duty of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri's government to ask Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to withdraw his country's forces. If Syria fails to do this, said Mokheiber, Lebanon may face another war.

Hariri defended Syria's military presence in the country as "necessary," arguing that Israel is looking for pretexts to attack Lebanon. Hariri warned against diverting attention from Israel and blaming Syria for Lebanon's problems.

These remarks, however, failed to end the debate in parliament about Syria. While the country's long-time supporters, namely, Hizbullah, Amal Movement and the Nationalist Syrian Socialist Party, maintained their usual positions, Druze leader Walid Jumblat set himself apart from the camp he is usually associated with when he called for reviewing Syrian-Lebanese relations.

Jumblat, who expressed "understanding" for Syria's wish to maintain its presence in Lebanon at a "critical and dangerous point in the Arab-Israeli conflict," called for a less obtrusive military presence and an end to Damascus's interference in Lebanese internal affairs.

While Jumblat's position was much milder than those of right-wing Christian opposition figures who demanded the immediate withdrawal of Syrian troops, the Druze leader indirectly reaffirmed his critical stance when he defended the rights of parliamentarians wanting to "discuss or protest Syria's military presence" in the country. This, said Jumblat, "is their right and the government has the obligation to respect public freedom."

Jumblat opened himself to harsh criticism from the pro-Syrian camp. By questioning the Syrian presence, Jumblat was playing into Israel's hands, implied Assem Kansou, an MP for the pro-Syrian Baath Party. Saying that Israel is currently preparing for war, Kansou described Jumblat as "going too far" in his suggestion that relations with Syria should be reassessed.

Kansou also accused Jumblat of trying to meet former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who he referred to as Jumblat's ally, before repeating allegations that the Druze leader had met the Israeli politician in 1982, during Israel's most destructive invasion of Lebanon.

Jumblat, predicted a political analyst, will be relatively unscathed by the debate. The politician's image as a nationalist leader will not be tarnished by his remarks and the general public will not be convinced that he has drastically changed his position, the analyst suggested. What is clear from the exchange in parliament was that Syria wanted to send Jumblat a clear message that discussion of relations between the two countries is not on the cards, at least at this stage.

Indicating that he had received the message, Jumblat said on Monday while leaving parliament: "It seems that it is not the right time to discuss this issue publicly."

Reiterating the position of his new government, Hariri told parliament: "I have said it before, and I am saying it again today: the Syrian presence in Lebanon is necessary. We say it is temporary, and the Syrians confirm this." Syrian soldiers remain in the country, said Hariri, "because we need them. When they are no longer needed, we will go to the Syrians to talk," added the new prime minister.

Promising to protect public freedom, Hariri said that practices such as the arbitrary detainment of mainly Christian opposition figures and the widespread tapping of telephones would all be put to an end.

The Syrian army was not the only armed group in Lebanon to be discussed and criticised in the opening meetings of the Lebanese parliament. Christian MP Mokheiber interspersed his attack on the Syrian presence with strong warnings against Beirut's support for the continuation of Hizbullah's resistance activities in the south. Mokheiber said that this will "lead to a new war on Lebanese land as our people are made uneasy by tensions prevailing along the border [with Israel]."

In stating his case, Mokheiber cited favourably the warning by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan that Lebanon might "once again be an arena of conflict," due to the refusal by the Lebanese government to deploy its troops along on the border. Beirut has said it will not station its troops along the border while the conflict with Israel continues.

Hariri responded to Mokheiber saying that Israel is still the "aggressor" in the region, continuing its occupation of the Shebaa Farms, holding 19 Lebanese prisoner as well as stealing Lebanese water resources by using water from the Wazzani River.

"It is the duty of Lebanon and the resistance to secure the return of their sons [prisoners held in Israel] by ways that Israel understands," Hariri said, referring indirectly to Hizbullah's capture last month of three Israeli soldiers and a retired colonel, who the resistance group claims is a Mossad agent.

The new prime minister asserted that "calm is fragile in the south because Israel refuses peace. The problem is not about whether to deploy the Lebanese Army." Explaining his position on the conflict in the region, Hariri said, "Only a just and comprehensive peace based on complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese and Syrian land and allowing the Palestinians to establish a state with Jerusalem as its capital will solve the problem."

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Related stories:
Destination Palestine 2-8 November 2000
Back in business 2-8 November 2000
Stirring sectarian sensitivities 28 Sep. - 4 Oct. 2000
Handling the Lebanese file 15 - 21 June 2000

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