Quote:
Originally posted by sgtclub
I agree with this - there are two layers of repression here. However, it gives me hope that one of the layers MAY be being peeled. I also suspect that those doing the peeling will be embolden by the president's pledge (and actions) to support liberty, as they at least know that if they do rise up GW won't leave them to be slaughtered.
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Of course, Lebanon was lost to democracy mainly by the Reagan administration, which did nothing to prevent Israel from invading in 1982, an action which pushed most of the people to alliance with Syria. For those of us with longer memories will remember that Lebanon was pretty closely balanced and that opposition to Syrian involvement was quite high until that invasion.
What seems to be happening now is that Syria is willing to slightly accelerate pull outs that had been already in the works, and may be ready to commit to further pull-outs. The real question is whether among the Lebanese there is the ability to have a stable government without foreign involvement from any of the powers who continuously meddle - including the US and Israel. With a pretty long constitutional and democratic history, the biggest problems Lebanon has faced is that if it looks like any foreign power is about to come in, all the other ones head in first to play for position.
