Free Lebanon

Watching Mosaic, the daily summary of Arab news broadcasts on WorldLink TV, it becomes apparent that the Lebanese state-run channel, Al Manar, is by far the most hateful and distorted of a very motley bunch. Lebanon was once democratic, the only Arab democracy, but since 1976 it’s been a colony of the virulent Ba’athist dictatorship in Syria. Reforming the politics of the Middle East may begin with Iraq, but the restoration of Lebanese democracy is something that we can’t put off forever. Tom Friedman has some reflections on Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine in his column:

Let’s explore this in detail. For me, the best argument for pressuring Syria is the fact that France’s foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, said on Sunday that this was not the time to be pressuring Syria. Ever since he blocked any U.N. military action against Saddam, Mr. de Villepin has become my moral compass: whatever he is for, I am against. And whatever he is against, I am for.

Yes, Mr. de Villepin did say, while actually visiting Lebanon, that the world should focus not on Syria, but on rebuilding Iraq and advancing the Arab-Israeli peace process. But what he neglected to mention is something I am also for, and France should be for and the world should be for: the end of Syria’s occupation of Lebanon, which has been going on since 1976.

And that leads to the second-best reason for regime change in Syria: it could set Lebanon free. Lebanon is the only Arab country to have had a functioning democracy. It is also the Arab country that is most hard-wired for globalization. Trading and entrepreneurship are in Lebanon’s DNA. Lebanon should be leading the Arab world into globalization, but it has not been able to play its natural Hong Kong role because Syria has choked the life out of the place.

Iraq stepped out of line by attempting to annex Kuwait, but in 1976 nobody was home in the White House when Syria took over Lebanon. This needs to be corrected. Friedman suggests a policy of aggressive containment by the US, mindful that the UN doesn’t have enough concern for human rights to take meaningful action.