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Only the Lebanese can save Lebanon now
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Much has been said about the tension between Soddy Arabia...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... and Leb, however, it was HRH Prince Turki al-Faisal who seems to have hit the nail on the head in describing the situation. Speaking in his personal capacity yesterday in Abu Dhabi at a round table organized by the Beirut Institute, Prince Turki (who is a former ambassador and intelligence chief) said Leb has always been regarded as the "lung" of the Arab world. "The problem is that this lung is now suffering from pneumonia," he elaborated. Of course, the Saudis have long known this to be the case, and have tried on numerous occasions to boost Leb's immunity against Iranian bully boy virus Hezbollah. In fact, the $3 billion in military and security aid (which Riyadh has just announced halting) was the last in a series of attempts to help strengthen the formal Lebanese army and police force. However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... ever since the liquidation of Saudi-backed PM Rafiq Hariri in 2005 (which Hezbollah is formally accused of), Iran - through its loyal local agents - has been systematically demolishing all what was left of the Hariri legacy, which was aimed at rebuilding the country, restoring hope and bringing peace and prosperity to ALL Lebanese. The last straw was when Leb's pro-Hezbollah Foreign Minister, Gebran Bassil, recently refused to support an Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... statement denouncing Iranian meddling in the region following the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Of course, many Lebanese politicians and concerned citizens voiced their objection to the position of FM Basil, however it seems Riyadh is now convinced that there is no way to help Leb unless it decides to help itself first. Indeed, Leb - once dubbed the Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell... of the Orient - is now a shadow of its former self. Thanks to Iranian meddling, it has failed to agree on a president since 2014, and continues to have a defunct parliament and a crippled Prime Minster. One could argue whether or not the cutting off of Saudi aid might risk Leb further leaning towards Tehran, however, the reality is that it's now up to the Lebanese (and the Lebanese alone) to cut off the Iranian tentacles strangling their nation. However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... as many Saudis would tell you, the recent escalation is in no way an act against its population, or the "Lebanese who played a major part in the building of Saudi Arabia" (as Prince Turki described them). This was further evident in today's Saudi cabinet statement which stressed that the kingdom will continue to support the Lebanese people. Indeed, Riyadh was both gracious and wise not to lend its ears to the reckless comments made by the pro-Iranian lobbyists in Leb, for it knows far too well that these opportunists will be the only ones to prosper from a complete breakdown of the relationship. As for the cutting of military aid, it most definitely should be understood the way it was intended: "You can't have the cake, and eat it too!" Posted by: Fred 2016-02-23 |
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