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A Dangerous Dance |
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Written by Newsweek
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A Dangerous Dance
Lebanon's P.M. rips Israel and criticizes Syria. He wants President Lahoud to quit, but that could be a death sentence.
By Lally Weymouth Newsweek
May 1, 2006 issue - Lebanon's new prime minister, Fuad Siniora, visited President Bush last week to appeal for support. Lebanon is struggling to emerge as a democratic country—free from Syria's grip. Yet Damascus still wields vast influence over the affairs of its weaker neighbor, in part through a potent network of intelligence agents. NEWSWEEK's Lally Weymouth spoke with Siniora in New York last week. Excerpts:
WEYMOUTH: What did you request from President Bush?
SINIORA: I came to ask President Bush three specific things. One is to empower the Lebanese government politically. The most important point is to help Lebanon achieve the full integrity of all its territories and [to achieve] the withdrawal of Israel from the remaining parts of Lebanon which are still occupied, the Sheba Farms.
According to the U.N. secretary-general and the Security Council, Israel fully withdrew from Lebanon in 2000; Sheba Farms was [considered] Israeli-occupied Syrian land.
Sheba Farms is Lebanese. The Syrians say verbally that it is Lebanese. [But] they don't provide the necessary documentation to the United Nations.
So your No. 1 aim is to get Israel out of Sheba Farms. What's No. 2?
No. 2 is to [enhance] the capabilities of Lebanon's internal security forces and its Army, by providing equipment and training.
And the president said?
Yes. We will be sending some ministers to the U.S. to discuss this.
And No. 3?
To empower the Lebanese government economically.
One of the March 14th [pro-freedom] group's aims was to get rid of President Lahoud [who has strong ties to Syria]. In order to have a free Lebanon, don't you have to get a new president, and how are you going to do that?
I would recommend for the president to resign. If that happens, it will open new horizons for the country.
Do you think that the Syrians have threatened Lahoud? Could he quit or would they kill him?
I think, personally, he is not the type to do that.
They would kill him?
I don't want to use that term. He is not free to resign.
Who can disarm Hizbullah as required by the U.N. resolution?
If the U.S. and friendly countries help us achieve the withdrawal of Israel from Sheba Farms, this would make it possible for the Lebanese forces to be the sole owner of weapons and arms in the country.
Why would Hizbullah give up their weapons? Didn't they threaten you and tell you not to come here?
They didn't threaten me, though some of them said I should not come.
But Hizbullah has strong ties to Iran, as the recent U.N. report points out. It says that arms came to Hizbullah via Syria during the last six months.
It [records] one incident in which 12 trucks were smuggled into Lebanon for Hizbullah from Syria.
Is it Syria's President Assad who would have to disband Hizbullah?
Assad will play an effective role in this regard. ... Things in Lebanon cannot happen by mere force [but] through dialogue and achieving the objectives that were set by Hizbullah. Hizbullah has several objectives that I subscribe to: release the [Lebanese] detainees; ask the Israelis to provide us with maps of the land mines that they planted in Lebanon, and stop the aerial and sea violations of our airspace and waters.
Would you talk to Israel directly about this?
No. We do not have any diplomatic relations with Israel.
Why don't you normalize relations with Israel?
We will upon the finalization of the peace process.
Didn't Hizbullah kidnap three Israeli soldiers in 2000?
Didn't Israel kill tens of thousands of civilians?
Israel withdrew from Lebanon.
Israel must hand over the Sheba Farms. Then Hizbullah will be in position to hand over arms to the government.
How strong is Syria's influence in Lebanon today?
Syria has its men and people in the country: supporters, some politicians and quite a number of Syrian intelligence agents. They are effective.
Weren't they behind the killings of journalists and politicians?
There is a wide perception in the country [to that effect], but I don't have any smoking gun.
Allegedly they killed [former prime minister] Hariri.
That is the perception. I am in no position, in all honesty, to make any accusations.
What do you hope to achieve at the U.N.?
I am requesting a decision to form an international tribunal to look into the death of Hariri, and I'm also asking that Sheba Farms is recognized by the United Nations as Lebanese.
You have been hoping to exchange ambassadors with Syria and to demarcate the Lebanese-Syrian boundary, but Syria ...
... is delaying that. I am stating my demands in front of the U.N. But Syria doesn't want Sheba Farms resolved because it would remove the need for the resistance of Hizbullah.
© 2006 MSNBC.com
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12442834/site/newsweek/
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Madness takes over Lebanon.
Militants are fighting in the streets of Beirut. Military guns are on both sides. What is the prospect of such a situation. Aren't the Lebanese fed-up with wars?
23 November 2007
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud left the Baabda presidential palace without handing over the power to a new president. This is the first time since independence in 1943. |
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