A Silent Crisis

While everyone is keeping their eyes on Syria, due to the UN report of the assassination of Hariri, we are forgetting the brave people of Lebanon. They stood up to Syria, and they demanded their freedom. They won their freedom...or did they?

Foreign Policy has very good insight into this dilemna with Hizbollah.

The U.N. investigation into the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has put Syria on the hot seat. Meanwhile, a quieter but no less important drama has been unfolding next door in Lebanon. As Syria’s government teeters, the Lebanese are wondering whether Hezbollah—the powerful Shiite militia and political party—will outlast its patrons in Damascus.

The problem here is Hizbollah refuses to disarm, and there is no one in Lebanon with enough clout and arms to disarm them.

Hizbollah is very closely tied to Syria and Iran, and they are determined not to allow democracy to flourish. They may allow a quasi-government, but do not be fooled. The Lebanese people are very uneasy. This is not why they risked their lives, nor is it something we should ignore.

"We stand by Syria … in the face of targeting by the Americans and Zionists and attempts to punish it politically for standing by Lebanon and its resistance.” Nasrallah's stubborn support for Damascus cuts against a broad political consensus, particularly amongst Lebanon's Sunnis and Christians, that the country should become fully independent. But with a deep cache of weaponry and no intention of disarming, Hezbollah's fate isn't tied to its approval rating. It is determined to keep Lebanon a quasi-independent client state, and it has openly rejected U.N. resolutions designed to bolster a fragile Lebanese democracy. Until Hezbollah is disarmed, Lebanon's future will be uncertain at best.

There are some men who are hoping to replace Emile Lahoud as Prime Minister, but PM Lahoud has vowed not to leave office until 2008. (Is he hoping for a weak American president?) He is also a Syrian lacky.

He is in office only because of an extraconstitutional double-step worked out with Syria and Hizbollah. We must continue to support the true people of Lebanon. They deserve a free and democratic society. This is what they stood up to achieve.

No, they do not want to follow the USA, but so what? They are human beings which entitles them to the same rights as you and I enjoy. If you would like to read the entire article, here is the link.

Technorati tags: Lebanon, Cedar Revolution, Hizbollah, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, and the UN.