Al-Ahram Coverage Of Lebanon

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Lebanon between the squares
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For three weeks Lebanon was represented by those who laid claim to Martyrs Square -- not any more, writes Graham Usher in Beirut
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This week "Lebanon" changed places. It was no longer assembled in Beirut's Martyrs Square, candle lit grave-site of the assassinated former prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri and host to daily protesters demanding that his killers be brought to justice and that Syria end its long, 29-year tutelage of their country. It became Beirut's Riad Al-Sulh square, pulsating shore to a sea of people whose demands were written on two enormous Lebanese flags hoisted by cranes: "Thank you Syria," said one; "No to foreign interference," said the other.

The shift was engineered by two monumental decisions. The first, on 5 March, was President Bashar Al-Assad's announcement that Syria, under mounting international pressure and 15 years late, would implement those clauses of the 1989 Taif Accord that requires its forces to re-deploy to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley and thence to Syria. The former will be completed by the end of March, said Al-Assad, following a meeting with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on 7 March. The latter is subject to further Lebanese-Syrian "consultations".

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http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/733/fr2.htm

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Damascus holds its ground
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Troop withdrawal is one thing but complete withdrawal is another thing altogether, writes Sami Moubayed from Damascus
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The mood in Syria is relaxed after President Bashar Al-Assad's speech on 5 March where he declared that the Syrian Army would withdraw from Lebanon in compliance with the Taif Accord of 1989 and UNSC Resolution 1559. There are no contradictions between Taif and Resolution 1559, Al-Assad said, pointing out that "the Taif Accord is mentioned in the UN resolution, and it is also recognised by the United Nations."

Contrary to what many people in Syria feared, Al-Assad did not aggressively defy the US, made no mention of France, and supported Resolution 1559. He told Time magazine: "I am not Saddam Hussein. I want to cooperate."

Domestically, the speech boosted Al-Assad's standing among a people increasingly worried by Syria's isolation. He assured them and others that he would cooperate with the US and would do all that it takes to preserve Syria, even if that meant disengaging from Lebanon. Al-Assad appeared before parliament seeming relaxed, confident and in a surprisingly good mood, despite all the pressure being put upon him by Washington.

Syria has always taken great pride in its relationship with the United Nations. It boasts of having been a founding member in 1945 and of having served on the Security Council, as a non- permanent member, in 1947 and 2002. In his speech, Al-Assad surprised many by saying, "Despite our reservations on Resolution 1559, our decision was to deal with it in a positive manner." He even added, "We don't have a problem with the United Nations regarding 1559."

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http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/733/re1.htm

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The 'other' Lebanon
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The Lebanese opposition has some serious explaining to do, says Hizbullah chief. Omayma Abdel-Latif looks into the knotty relations between the resistance movement and the Lebanese opposition
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A few days after the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri, Hizbullah's Secretary- General Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech in which he sternly warned Lebanese politicians against using "the Lebanese street" as a tool to serve their political ends. "In Lebanon," he said, "every group has the ability to mobilise its own street and organise protests. But let's put this aside and act in a responsible manner and through legitimate institutions."

For three weeks Nasrallah's call seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as Lebanese opposition went ahead with their carefully orchestrated rallies and marches to push for an agenda which the majority of Lebanese did not necessarily share.

This week, Nasrallah had little option but to resort to the same street tactics he once shunned. During a press conference on Monday Nasrallah called on all Lebanese people to participate in a massive protest in Riad Al-Solh Square, some 100 metres away from the ongoing anti-Syrian protest in Sahet Al- Shuhada Square. The main purpose, he said, was to thank the Syrians for the sacrifices they had made for Lebanon and to protest against foreign intervention in Lebanese affairs.

Nasrallah's shift in policy, according to Hizbullah sources, was not meant to be a "muscle-flexing" exercise. Rather, it sought to send a clear message to the outside world that anti-Syria rallies in Sahet Al-Shuhada, widely covered by Western media, did not necessarily represent all of Lebanon. "There is an 'other' Lebanon that needs to have its voice heard," Mohamed Fneish, an MP for the Hizbullah parliamentarian bloc told Al- Ahram Weekly. Fneish dismissed accusations that by calling for the demonstration, Hizbullah has abandoned its long-standing neutrality and has decided to throw its weight behind the pro-Syria alliance. "We are neither with the opposition nor with the pro-Syria forces," he said. "We stand on a middle ground and are thus supported by the majority of the Lebanese people," Fneish said.

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http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/733/re1.htm