Reversing Democracy?: Pro-Syrian forces to be re-instated in Lebanon

[spanone]

<snip> BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's parliament nominated pro-Syrian Omar Karami as prime minister Wednesday, a decision sure to anger the anti-Syrian opposition that pressured him to resign in the first place. <snip>

Didn't they hear about democracy blooming everywhere??????


http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-lebanon.html?hp&ex=1110430800&en=e8938d3675d302de&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[maxsolomon]

1. i've heard enough: let the streets of beirut flow with freedom!

we'll shove democracy down their throats & they'll like it!

pay no attention to the agenda of the american client state on the southern border.

[bigtree]

2. That's as close to democracy you're going to get there, short of civil war

unless they can get Bush to ride in and impose his version of it with our military.

[Colorado Blue]

3. Seriously this is a strange development. I think it must be

more anti-US than pro-Syrian. And Hezbollah isn't pro-Syrian either, not if you count the Syrian people themselves. I saw Assad on the tube a couple of weeks ago, arguing that terrorist organizations, which include Hezbollah, are enemies of his regime and the Syrian people. And I doubt if he actually welcomes a development which could incite Bush to further aggressive action in the region.

I would be surprised, if a SECRET vote were taken either place, if Hezbollah emerged as a great representative of the people in either country. Moreover, I suspect that if a SECRET vote were taken in Lebanon, without the shadow of a possible attack by Bush looming overhead, people would be very pleased to have the Syrian troops withdraw.

I did some some checking on Google, for demographics of both Syria and Lebanon as well as about Hezbollah. No census has been done in decades in Lebanon due to the sensitivy regarding religion there, but one must assume that the Shi'a are a minority and in Syria, the Sunni are a GREAT majority. Hezbollah, on the other hand, is a Shi'a organization whose philosophies are linked to the mullahs of Iran. They are also dedicated to the philosophy of war with Israel, at a time when other nations and the Palestinian people are normalizing relations and attempting to forge a lasting peace. Lebanon, meanwhile, has enjoyed a long history of interaction with the greater Mediterranean region and with Europe and has a number of Christians as well as other Muslim sects. It is quite a cosmopolitan place. I would be surprised if the people of Lebanon are actually looking forward to being ruled either by the Shi'a or by Syria.

Frankly I'm alarmed by this development. As a "Bush Get Out" statement it is undeniably powerful. But Hezbollah is not a representative of peace, IMO.