ARAB LEAGUE DELEGATION PURSUES MEDIATION AS DELAY-TACTICS Until they can convince the rest of the Arab League, the USA and her allies, the UN, the UNSC, and the IC to let Lebanon go, and then hand her over to Syria again; but with a much better package-deal this time - signed, sealed, and delivered!

MSN-Arabia News Thursday 15^th May 2008

The Arab League Delegation was pursuing efforts on Thursday to end the crisis that has pushed Lebanon to the brink of civil war, after the US-backed cabinet, in a major back-down, cancelled controversial measures against its Hezbollah rivals.

The Delegation, headed by the Qatari prime minister, was to meet Hezballah leaders and later hold a press conference on a package deal being discussed to try to end the paralyzing 18-month political crisis.

On Wednesday, the Lebanese government decided to rescind its decisions against Hezballah activities that had set off the worst sectarian violence since the end of the 1975-1990 civil wars.

The Cabinet had announced plans to probe a private Hezbollah communications network and replace the head of airport security over allegations he was close to the powerful Shiite militant group; moves Hezballah chief Hassan Nesrallah branded a declaration of war.

Analysts said the government’s back-down would leave it in a weakened position as it struggles to put an end to the showdown with the opposition that has left the country without a president since November. Such a retreat was a major set-back for the government and its supporters, and set a highly dangerous precedent.

The Government made three terrible and irreversible mistakes: The first was when it made its decisions and declared them openly; and on paper, too, to boot; the second was when it rescinded its decisions and backed down. It should have known better and made the decisions and put them aside - on the shelf, so to speak - and bided its time till the right moment or time. That was not the time for it. The third was when it agreed to go to Qatar to continue negotiations. If the Government was a lame duck before this, it has now become a crippled duck with wings clipped short.

Qatar is close to the opposition; for God’s sake and for crying out loud, too, to boot! They might as well have agreed to go to Syria, or Iran, for that matter! Also! This is probably a truce that might be prolonged until they go to meaningful negotiations in a country that plays music more to the opposition’s taste, or the opposition’s staple music - Syria’s and Iran’s cpmpositions.

Last week's violence left at least 65 people dead and 200 wounded - not to mention the destruction and trauma -  and saw Hezballah fighters take over large swathes of mainly Moslem west Beirut, tens of miles away from the border with Lebanon’s supposed enemy: Israel.

Although the opposition withdrew at the weekend after the army had moved in, it refused to lift its blockade on Beirut airport and end a civil disobedience campaign unless the government revoked its measures against Hezballah and returned to the negotiating table. Also, the road leading to the airport remained closed on Thursday and there were no commercial flights scheduled for the eighth straight day.

Washington said it was considering rushing additional aid to the Lebanese army to be better equipped to withstand Hezballah and its military might. Left it a bit rather too late, didn’t you; ASS-HOLES? Now nothing less than jet-fighters and attack-helicopters (and the latest ones, too) for the Lebanese Air Force, and the latest tanks and up-to-date weapons and equipment the armed forces, including security, and speed-boats with the latest weapons and equipment for the navy will do!

The Lebanese parliament is scheduled to convene on 10^th June for what will be its 20th attempt to elect a president to replace Damascus protégé Emile Lahhoud who stepped down at the end of his term in office in November.

The government and the opposition have agreed on army chief Michael Suleiman as a compromise candidate for the presidency but remain at odds over the details of a proposed government of national unity and a new electoral law for parliamentary polls due next year. By the way; I personally wouldn’t trust Michael Suleiman with anything more than a bag of rotten beans, for two very simple reasons: the first is, his full name combines two of Lebanon’s horrors: Michael (Aoun) and Suleiman (Franjieyeh); the second is, my instincts and sixth-sense tell me he is one of Syria’s and Iran’s FIENDS! Time will tell……if he becomes the next president, that is.