19 - 25 April 2001
Issue No.530
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 19 - 25 April 2001 Issue No.530 |
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One crisis dwarfs another
An unprecedented Israeli attack against a Syrian radar station east of Beirut overshadows debate over the Syrian presence in Lebanon. Zeina Abu Rizk reports from Beirut
Israel's latest military aggression, an attack against a Syrian radar station in Lebanese sovereign territory, has plunged the region into a climate of apprehension. The attack has also muffled the fledgling debate among Lebanese politicians over the role of Syria in Lebanese affairs.
Four Israeli military planes raided a Syrian radar station in Dahr Al-Baidar, at the entrance of the Bekaa valley, at midnight on April 15. Three Syrian soldiers died, including an officer, while six others were wounded. The station, used by the Syrians as an early warning post for Damascus against Israeli raids, was totally destroyed.
The Israeli attack was the first against a Syrian position since 1996. Israel claims it was retaliating for a Hizbullah raid against an Israeli tank in the Shebaa Farms the day before. Israel took the Shebaa Farms from Syria in 1967. Hizbullah's raid was their first operation since 16 February. During the Hizbullah raid, one Israeli soldier died and another was wounded.
Both actions drew international criticisms. US Ambassador to Lebanon David Satterfield called on all parties to restrain themselves. Commenting on the Israeli attack, UN special envoy to the Middle East Terje Larsen said it was "a clear violation of UN resolutions 425 and 1337 which confirm Lebanon's sovereignty over its territory." Larsen added that Hizbullah's activities were also a violation of these two resolutions, remarking that the UN does not consider the Shebaa Farms Lebanese. The Lebanese government responded with a letter of complaint to the UN, insisting on the legitimacy of liberating the Shebaa farms.
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq Al-Sharaa said the Israeli attack was "a clear violation of international laws and an obvious mistake proving that the Israeli government was at a great distance from peace and tries to widen the scope of military confrontation." Al-Sharaa added that "the appropriate retaliation to the Israeli attack will come at the right time."
Israel's attack muffled signs of discord that had appeared between Hizbullah and Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri over the weekend. The premier's circles interpreted Hizbullah's Shebaa raid as an attempt to embarrass Hariri before his scheduled meeting with US President George Bush on 24 April. Hariri's disapproval of Hizbullah's attack was clearly expressed in an editorial published on Sunday in Al-Mustaqbal, the Lebanese newspaper owned by the premier. The newspaper virulently criticised the "wrong timing" chosen by Hizbullah to undertake the operation. Speaking on the government's behalf, the newspaper said the Lebanese government cannot remain silent about "acts that can have negative repercussions on the interests of the Lebanese," regardless of their "noble motivations." Hizbullah made no comment on the newspaper's editorial. But a Hizbullah source asserted that "operations will continue." The source said that "there is an understanding on this principle," in what appeared to be a reference to an agreement with Syria over their operations.
But the Israeli attack the next day forced the Lebanese factions to close ranks. They unanimously condemned the raid, implicitly supporting the Syrian presence in the country. Even the most outspoken opponent of the Syrian presence in Lebanon, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, expressed solidarity with Syria following the Israeli raid. He said, "Any loss incurred by our neighbours is also incurred by us."
President Emile Lahoud articulated Lebanon's official position, saying, "the Israeli raid inside the Lebanese territory is a dangerous development reflecting [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon's bloody methods, which he has adopted since he assumed power." Lahoud also warned that such behaviour will "lead to a comprehensive confrontation" in the region. He added that the attack "will not stop Lebanon from proceeding with the liberation of the Shebaa farms."
Lahoud contacted his Syrian counterpart Bashar Al-Assad on Monday morning and paid his condolences for the death of the Syrian soldiers. Lahoud also met Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri the same morning. Commenting on the Israeli raid, Hariri said the operation was "dangerous for both Syria and Lebanon," and warned that the attack could provoke a regional confrontation.
The military escalation overshadowed Sunday's meeting between President Lahoud and Patriarch Sfeir, seen as a crucial indicator of relations between different factions in Lebanon. After the meeting, a statement issued by the presidential Baabda Palace said the two men discussed matters of national interest, insisting that these interests can only be promoted by increased solidarity among all and by "staying away from matters that provoke divisions and sensitivities, and lead to internal dissent."
In his Sunday homily following the meeting, Patriarch Sfeir urged the president to lead a serious national dialogue, aimed at "accomplishing a comprehensive national reconciliation, first among the Lebanese and later between the Lebanese and the others, in compliance with the Taif accord, of which a number of articles have still not been implemented." One of these articles stipulates a Syrian redeployment to the Bekaa valley.
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