Washington Post: Lebanon’s plunge into political crisis raises specter of war with Israel
BEIRUT — Even for a country long used as a battleground by regional powers and their proxies, the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri has opened a new period of political uncertainty and fear in Lebanon.
The tiny nation has often been caught between the political agendas of more powerful countries. But it now appears more vulnerable to conflict as Israel and Saudi Arabia try to isolate their shared enemy, the Iran-backed movement Hezbollah.
Hariri, a Sunni politician who is backed by the Saudis, cited Iranian meddling in Lebanese politics as the reason for his decision to step down.
But the fact that he made his announcement in televised speech from Saudi Arabia left little doubt that his regional patron must have played a role in a move that caught even his aides off guard.
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More News On The Political Crisis In Lebanon
Saudi Arabia Says Lebanon Declares War, Deepening Crisis -- U.S. News & World Report
Saudi upheavals spill over into Lebanon, raising stakes against Iran -- RFI
Hariri Exit and Fallout Worry Lebanon, Signal Bolder Saudi Arabia -- Voice of America
Is Lebanon caught in a Saudi-Iran regional power play? -- Aljazeera.
EU, U.S. Affirm Lebanon Support, Diverging From Saudi Arabia -- US News and World Report/Reuters
Some blame Saudis as Lebanon PM resigns; others accuse Iran -- Deutsche Welle
Where's Saad Hariri? Lebanon Wants to Know -- New York Times
2 comments:
So far, everyone in Lebanon is "staying calm" and "chiving on". The Parliament didn't even accept his resignation, saying basically, he has to return to Lebanon, explain his resignation to the Legislators, before they will "accept" his resignation.
Between the implosion of Oger Telecom and Harirri's seemingly "house arrest" in Saudi,
It's looking more and more like a failed Saudi Coup like in Yemen.
BTW:
"The Lebanese president and chief of parliament were said to have tried to get Hariri “ex-filtrated” with Egyptian and Jordanian help, whereas other officials, allies of the West, asked for an intervention from the French and British ambassadors. Hariri’s departure to Abu Dhabi brings no real answers: is Riyadh subcontracting the jailer’s job to the Emirates? Or is Hariri now free to go back home?
One thing is certain. The Saudi initiative was part of a larger plan to send a strong message to both Saudi and regional audiences: Hariri’s resignation, the arrest of dozens of princes and ministers, and the blockade on Yemen were coordinated to give the world a clear image of Saudi Arabia’s new posture.
In Lebanon however, things are already backfiring. The Saudi move had an unexpected result. Whereas Sunnis and Shias in Lebanon have seemed for the last 10 years incapable of sharing common ground on regional alliances, the “kidnapping” of their prime minister at the hands of his own Saudi boss managed to infuriate Hariri’s own community. On Sunday, Hariri’s party even praised Hassan Nasrallah, calling him a “responsible man” who placed above all the country’s “national interest,” a first in more than 10 years.
The entire country is now waiting for the return of the man whom the country’s officials still insist on calling “His Excellency the Prime Minister.” But if the resignation is to stand, the indignation triggered by Saudi Arabia’s demonstration of force, exceptionally shared by the Sunnis, would make it clear that Hezbollah will not have to go through much trouble to block a replacement that would overtly support the Saudis. If Riyadh’s plan of forcing Hariri to resign was to compel Lebanon to get tough on Hezbollah and push the country away from Iran’s influence, the kingdom has, at best, ejected itself from the Lebanese political game. In Tehran, officials are most likely busy opening a fine bottle of non-alcoholic champagne."
http://lobelog.com/saad-hariris-saudi-resignation-good-news-for-iran-and-hezbollah/
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