 BEIRUT - A UN resolution that calls on Syria to end its military presence in Lebanon has placed its smaller neighbour in a difficult position.
| Yes, let's all pity Lebanon. Where's my femtoviolin? |
Lebanon rejected the resolution as "illegal interference". So too did Syria, which has around 20,000 occupying troops in Lebanon who tell the Lebanese what to do and exerts considerable influence over its political and economic affairs. The situation was exacerbated a day after the UN Security Council adopted the resolution on September 2. The Lebanese parliament amended the constitution to allow President Emile Lahoud, a Syrian protege, to stay in office for an extra three years. This prompted a call from some deputies to limit Syria's role in Lebanon, while pleading not to be killed maintaining strategic ties.
Following the extension of Lahoud's term, four government ministers resigned. One of them, Economy and Trade Minister Marwan Hamadeh, later escaped a car bomb attack that recalled the ugly scenes from the 1975-1990 civil war. The president's arch-foe, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, also quit. He said he was not a candidate to form another government, opening up a period of uncertainty until legislative elections are held, probably next spring. "But more than these elections, it is Syria's standoff with the international community that remains the main problem faced by Lebanon," a well-informed political source said. "The question is how Syria, which is known for its belligerence intransigence, will deal with the situation," he added. He also expressed fear that the departure of Hariri, a canny politician with close ties to western leaders and financial creditors, would harm the economic health of the country, which is 32 billion dollars in debt.
| Just ask doc Assad for some of Sammy's money. |
The International Monetary Fund warned Lebanon during the year about its economic "vulnerability," given its gigantic debt, and stressed the need for long overdue reforms. IMF chief Rodrigo de Rato recently said Lebanon's economic weaknesses stemmed from its huge public debt. "Efforts have to continue on the path of reforms," mainly with respect to long-awaited privatization projects, he said. |