Martyrs' Revenge

[bemildred]

The Dead Rise Up in Lebanon

Last September, Syria demanded that Lebanon amend its constitution to allow the incumbent president, ex-General Emile Lahoud, to serve a second consecutive term. There were other officials who would do the same job as well as Lahoud, which is to say do nothing very well. Heavy pressure came down on the Lebanese politicians to get them to vote for this. It was as if they wanted each man who would vote to declare himself pro- or anti-Syrian openly and without reservation. They were even called to Damascus for what were called "consultations," which in this proud country could not look like anything but submission.

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It is believed that Syrian intelligence, the mokhabarat, ordered the assassination of Hariri. It would not be the first time they undertook these violent measures here. The killing reminded the Maronites of the murder of their charismatic leader, Bashir Gemayel, in 1982, by a fanatic of the "Greater Syria" party. The killing reminded Jumblatt of the killing of his father, Kamal, one of the great men of the previous generation, by Syrian agents in 1977. The list could go on and on. Maronites are still prisoners-of-war in Syrian jails, and others are struck down by the mokhabarat in Lebanon itself. The murder of this one man - who had himself accepted Syria all the way until September - stands for them all.

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This crisis in Lebanon has highlighted how terrible the younger Assad's presidency has been for the oligarchy which ensured his succession after his father's death. Bashar never wanted to be the president - Basil, his brother, was supposed to be the heir but died in a car crash. He is clearly improvising and will be blamed for opening Pandora's Box, unleashing the forces eroding Syrian control in Lebanon, over a demand that was so petty as Lahoud's unconstitutional re-election.

If Lebanon is lost so quickly and without gaining anything he will not survive the year. There is a rumor that he has already faced one attempt on his life by the military recently. If Syria loses its economic jewel - Lebanon is the only line tying sanctioned Syria to the rest of the world - it will not be the last.

Sobaka