Sarkozy cuts Assad, US senators embrace him

On Sunday, Nicolas Sarkozy announced that he is ending his disastrous flirtation with Bashar Assad "until we have proof of Syrian willingness to let Lebanon appoint a president by consensus".

Before you shed tears over wasted time, and the use of the expression "appointed a president by consensus", remember the saying: God never closes a door without opening a window somewhere. This holiday season, two US Senators opened that window for Assad. Arlen Specter and Patrick Kennedy paid a visit to Bashar on Saturday to help ease his newfound isolation. They found him "ready for peace".

And here's how Syria read it:

A Syrian government newspaper urged Sunday the United States to work seriously for peace in the region.

"What is the problem of the U.S. Administration with Syria so long as U.S. delegations, Republicans and Democrats, have not stopped visiting Damascus and confirming the importance of its role in solving the region's problems?" Al-Baath, the ruling party newspaper, said in an editorial.

"Where is the courage and daring that Bush urged all parties to display to achieve peace in the Middle East?" it added. (Naharnet)

But what do we, the fools who think murderers shouldn't be rewarded with undeserved recognition, know anyway? Damascus, after all, will be the "cultural capital" of the Arab world in 2008. On January 28th, our own Fairuz will celebrate Syrian culture, for the first time in 20 years. 

American linguist and leftist intellectual Noam Chomsky, Czech writer Milan Kundera and Lebanon's famed songstress Fairuz are among the personalities coming to Syria as Damascus assumes the cultural mantle from Algiers.

But not everyone welcomes the planned events, with Syrian writer Ibrahim Haj Abdi calling them "ephemeral cultural festivities."

"Syrian intellectuals might have believed these promises (by the organizers) if only they had been accompanied by efforts to free one of the country's most important intellectuals, Michel Kilo," he wrote in Sunday's pan-Arab daily newspaper Al-Hayat, published in London.

Another Syrian novelist writing in Al-Hayat also slammed the organizers of the year's festivities. "My experience with the organizers quickly dismissed any hope... of seeing it revive the role of culture that has been destroyed over decades" in Syrian society, wrote Samar Yazbek. (Naharnet)

Happy new year.

Comments

[Jeha]

Happy new year, y'all.

As long as there are such useful idiots (The species is well described by Tony) who are willing to listen to his point of view, Bashar will feel safe. And while his New Year's party may well extend beyond Dec. 31st, Bashar better remember; today drunken joy is tomorrow hangover.

[naja]

Emile Khoury today wrote an absorbing piece in An-Nahar, one that pretty much sums up the reasons behind the opposition's obstructionism: in a few words, he reckons that the opposition is banking on early parliamentary elections as a way out of the impasse. The feeling in opposition circles is that M8 would win these relatively comfortably and would switch to Aoun or Franjieh as presidential candidates. Furthermore, the implication from Nasrallah's speech some time ago, that new elections would produce an "untainted" majority, is that there will be no need for any "guaranteeing third" in the new government. I think this has got "watch this space" writ large over it.

On this (alarming, but hey) note, happy new year to all. And once again AK, thanks for keeping such a rich conversation going on this blog. Best wishes.

[Jeha]

An early election with the same crappy law?

Those guys must really be on the happy weed; under this crappy law, only Aoun's MP seats will be in play.

- Amal and Hezbo are rather secure, but Hezbo can maybe grow its share against Amal.

- Under this law, the North is decided by Tripoli and Akkar, so Hariri keeps them.

- Aoun's loss among Christians is such that his only hope is a screw-up by March 14 on the scale of June '05. And even then, he only has some hope in Baabda-Aley and Zahleh, and he needs Murr more than ever for the Metn.

So bring it on, it will not change much, except for Aoun's spurious claim of being the "Christian representative".

[JoseyWales]

With all due respect to Fairuz, our national diva, she has forever indirectly given cover to the murderers in Damascus who use every event of any kind to prop up the regime.

The timing of this particular appearance is particularly egregious.

Then again, her political stance was always murky and I understand commercial interests but could not she get a cold for a couple of days?.

Happy New Year All.

[Charlie]

The Rahbani’s have been known to be members of the SSNP with Ziad either a full commie or a totally stoned rich dude who is a wanna be social revolutionary. Regardless of their talents, they should be boycotted and not supported, for supporting their art will only lead to more money in their pockets that will be used to help an SSNP cause.

[LebExile]

Come now Charlie,

Say what you will about the Baathist regime, but, this is more a cultural exchange between the two countries. I see it more as Arab support for the people of Syria rather than support for the regime.

The people in Syria living under the boot have no choice in the matter, they would kill thousands of them in the blink of an eye, should we further their misery by cutting of any and all cultural ties, economic interests etc...

If anything, I think fairuz singing at Damuscus culture capital event - or whatever it's called is probably a prime opportunity for her to try an spread a message of resistance to oppression through her songs - I dont remember details, but, do recall back during the dark days in Leb when poets, and singers would attack politicians through poetry and song... It was actually very uplifting to hear it at the time and was very much appreciated... not sure if it's the same thing... but, I dont think we should be adding to their misery!!!

This holiday season, two US Senators opened that window for Assad. Arlen Specter and Patrick Kennedy paid a visit to Bashar on Saturday to help ease his newfound isolation. They found him "ready for peace".

Ah, right. Didn't they say he was "ready for peace" about 5 years ago?

[Charlie]

LebExile I see your point about the Syrian people. They do deserve some cultural treats
that can help them see and hear different things than what the Baath mafia allows them, but this is not it. These activities are organized by the Baath regime and will be used by
Syria’s Al-Assad to glorify the leadership and praise their ‘accomplishments”. To me this is no different than when the Nazis hosted the Olympics in Germany. The Olympics as an event is a good treat for the people, But unfortunately the Nazis used it, as was expected, as a platform for international acceptance of their presence and racist view towards the rest of the world. The world should have learned from the events of the past on what works and doesn’t work with a fascist regime like the one in Syria.

I agree, during the dark days intellectuals and artists can play a role in providing a voice of descent for the people, but I am not sure Fairuz or any of the other participants will do that. I challenge Fairuz to perform few songs glorifying Lebanon as an independent and free nation, not the usual one people in two countries stuff, in full view of Assad. Or perhaps deliver notes on the miserable conditions of the imprisoned intellectuals, like Michel Kilo and others who are rotting in the Syrian dungeons.

My memory is not serving me well, but did Fairuz perform to the masses protesting the Syrian occupation in downtown Beirut?

[Bad Vilbel]

Oops. That was me back there. Forgot to enter my name.

[fubar]

As a new year dawns and before the incumbent fleeting irrational sense of hope it brings fades...

Some New Year wishes...

Hope all Christians on the Gregorian calendar had a peaceful and happy Christmas...

Hope all Christians on the Julian calendar have a peaceful and happy Christmas as well...

Hope everyone experiencing the New Year can hang on to the fleeting sense of hope a while longer this year...

And in the spirit of the Epiphany, hope Lebanon has an epiphany of it own soon...

Finally, to AK and la diosa, hoping your impending miracle fills your home with endless joy and hoping your little men will inherit a more peaceful world than the one they have been born into.

It's a tall order, I know, but then it is New Year's Day, a time for hope...

[Fawzan]

Folks I just want to say at the start of 2008, a big thank you to AK for bringing us together. I have to say that this blog has given me a chance to be with like-minded good folks in the middle of this crazy world we live in.

My wish for the new year for Lebanon, is a civil war in Syria and a collaps of the Baass party. That is the only way we will see peace in our beloved Lebaonon.

[Umm K.]

Thanks everyone, for the New Year wishes. I can only hope that Lebanon has a better 2008, than 2007. And let's hope that #2 will not be born on March 8th.

[Andre]

As long as Lebanon is a (big) pawn on the regional chessboard we will not have peace and all solutions will be tied to whatever agreements are decided among the different powers that are holding the country hostage. It has been our curse that we have endured since 1943 and until we liberate ourselves from such factors...we will continue to suffer the consequences. On a lighter note happy new year to everyone.

[Jeha]

UmmK,

Well, mabrouk Salaf... And if #2 is born on March 8, he will be redeeming the date.

Dear Bloggers,

my name´s Christoph, I am a 24-year old Germany Student who has lived in Lebanon for some time and engaged in research in Lebanon. At the beginning of this year two colleagues and I went to Lebanon to do survey among 1500 lebanese at more than 20 faculties about political and religious values.

For a class at university I am these days preparing a fictional Memorandum of Understanding between Hizbollah and Mustaqbal as the two most powerful actors of the opposing camps in order to overcome the current crisis in Lebanon. I´d be grateful for critics and remarks wether the approach is realistic, about the inaccuracies, main misconceptions etc.
Before stating the fictional Memorandum I am going to list the main interests of the respective movement and the main accusations towards the other.

You can forward this email to friends.

Here´s the blog: alsharq.blogspot.com
Thank you for contributing!!! Best Wishes!

Christoph

Dear Bloggers,

my name´s Christoph, I am a 24-year old Germany Student who has lived in Lebanon for some time and engaged in research in Lebanon. At the beginning of this year two colleagues and I went to Lebanon to do survey among 1500 lebanese at more than 20 faculties about political and religious values.

For a class at university I am these days preparing a fictional Memorandum of Understanding between Hizbollah and Mustaqbal as the two most powerful actors of the opposing camps in order to overcome the current crisis in Lebanon. I´d be grateful for critics and remarks wether the approach is realistic, about the inaccuracies, main misconceptions etc.
Before stating the fictional Memorandum I am going to list the main interests of the respective movement and the main accusations towards the other.

You can forward this email to friends.

Here´s the blog: alsharq.blogspot.com
Thank you for contributing!!! Best Wishes!

Christoph