3 - 9 May 2001
Issue No.532
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 3 - 9 May 2001 Issue No.532 |
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Hariri squeezed both ways
Europe and the US pile up the pressure on the Lebanese prime minister to rein in Hizbullah. He may like to, but can he? Zeina Abu Rizk, in Beirut, writes
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's series of meetings with top leaders in Europe and the United States last week was reported by Lebanese officials to have been successful. However, the contacts failed to alleviate the overall pessimistic atmosphere at home, provoked by a precarious situation both internally and in the region.
Bush and Hariri shaking hands at the Oval Office
(photo: AP)
On his 10-day world tour Hariri met prominent officials including Pope John Paul II, US President George W Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and French President Jacques Chirac, in an attempt to obtain economic and political support.
His 45-minute meeting with Bush last week centred mainly on economic issues, indicating the US understanding that Hariri was not a suitable person to talk to on political matters. The prime minister is hoping the Bush administration will release $20 million in aid ear-marked for non-governmental organisations operating in Lebanon. Bush, meanwhile, affirmed his administration's commitment to the peace process and to ensuring its success. Hariri urged the US president to play a bigger role in advancing the process. "I explained to him the situation in the country, especially in the south. We also discussed the peace process and I told President Bush that Lebanon is interested in continuing the peace process," Hariri said.
The prime minister was diplomatic when asked whether he believed the current US administration was less committed to the peace process than the previous one. "Despite the different perception held by the new administration, the US is committed to pushing the peace process forward," he said.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Bush and Hariri agreed on the need for all parties in the region to avoid an escalation of violence and to strive to end the current bloodshed and restore calm.
However, even though Hariri agreed on the need to stop the violence, his say in this matter, in particular concerning Hizbullah's resistance operations in south Lebanon, remains limited. For the premier, whose main priority is to remedy a deteriorating economic situation, Hizbullah's operations against Israeli troops in the occupied Shebaa Farms are undesirable and inappropriate.
Hariri's stand has caused him trouble both internally and with the Syrian leadership. Not only has the premier's criticism of Hizbullah's operations provoked discontent among Lebanese authorities, but it has also irritated Damascus. This became evident when the premier's expected trip to Syria, prior to his tour of Europe and the US, was cancelled. Hariri's privileged relations with foreign leaders did not appear to impress Damascus. Taking into account that Syria remains the fundamental power broker in Lebanon, the premier will inevitably have to work on settling his disagreement with the Syrian leadership to regain internal influence.
Moreover, the recent conference in Tehran of parliamentary leaders from over 30 Islamic countries in support of the Palestinian Intifada, reinforced the regional commitment to all kinds of resistance operations against Israel. This narrowed even more any margin of manoeuvre by political players, especially when in contradiction with the positions upheld by the conference.
Hizbullah's secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, issued a warning to Israel at this conference to expect surprise attacks by Palestinian resistance groups. "Victory is ours," he said. "The resistance in Lebanon will continue its operations."
The US demand to contain violence was a priority also stressed by French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, who visited the region last week. Vedrine warned against a sharp escalation in regional violence, saying that all efforts should focus on ending Arab-Israeli clashes.
"It is clear that the bad situation could deteriorate," he said after a meeting with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.
Vedrine's assessment of the situation was at best disturbing, and his assertion that "the region should not lose hope" failed to reassure an already pessimistic public opinion.
The brief visit of the French minister, who later travelled to Damascus, coincided with a heightening of tension on the Israeli-Lebanese border and the continued violence in the Palestinian occupied territories. Vedrine said it was vital to break the cycle of violence, describing the current situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as "unbearable."
Vedrine, who said he understood the Lebanese government's reluctance to deploy the army along the southern border as a buffer between Hizbullah and Israel, hoped however that such a move would soon take place.
"I understand conditions are not ideal," he said. Nonetheless, he said the army's role would be even more important once UNIFIL's term ended this July. United Nations and European officials have indicated that they might consider reducing the number of UNIFIL soldiers in the south in case the Lebanese government continues to refuse to deploy its army in the south.
Vederine also said the government's reluctance to deploy forces along the border while Israel continued to occupy the Shebaa Farms should not be used as an excuse to escalate regional tension.
"It is not in Lebanon's interest to use any pending issue to increase tension," he said.
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