Daily Archives: August 15, 2007

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On Michel Suleiman

A reader made a comment on a previous post about the Lebanese Army’s head that I think deserves a bit more exposure. Here’s a personal story from Ralf, a reader:

Michel Sleiman came to a restaurant one Sunday in his civilian cloth with a couple of people, I was having lunch there with my family and directly recognized him, but not the waiter who has been seating people.

The small group asked for a small table to have lunch, and the waiter replied rudely: ” Can’t you see it’s full!” and turned his back to go back to work. I thought that the waiter is going to find himself liking Sleiman boots in less than five seconds, to my surprise, Sleiman (head of the Leb Army) smiled to his friends and told them “Let’s just go somewhere else”.

Which one of your leaders wheither from M8 or M14 wouldn’t have made a scene and made himself acknowledged and got the best table. A governmental planton would have pulled rank the lebanese way “mannak 3arif ma3 min 3am te7ke!!!” (don’t you know who you’re talking with?)

Even a a beggar would have tried to insist and get a table. but no, Sleiman wearing his civilian cloth left without any publicity whatsoever which for me and my family witnessing the scene was very good publicity.

If Sleiman was a syrian puppet he would have totally messed up your fake cedar revolution. His orders were clear since day 1 of the protests and that date is not March 14 but feb 15-16-17… Do your job as soldiers, protect the civilian right to protest. The army was exemplary those days and for the first time in my life, I felt that this army is really lebanese (the syrians were still there I remind you).
Sleiman comes from a family from Amchit (Jbeil)and the town of Amchit respect that man even if some don’t like him. His positions during the crisis prooved that he is a patriot and that he follows his conscious and the patriarch advices who as well prooved that he is on the same distance from all.

Does being humble and civil matter in our choice of president?

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Why Nassrallah's Speech Was Good

The controversial nature of the anniversary and the speech should not overshadow its strategic importance.

By all measures, it was an annoyance to March 14 and many Lebanese who just want to lead a normal life. Hundreds of thousands of people celebrating “victory” for a war many saw as a disaster, shouting “Death to America” and listening to their archrival uttering on huge screens those three dreadful words: “The Next War”.

It even got worse. After the event ended, the same people got out on the streets of Beirut and had “celebratory gun shots” in the air that ended up wounding many people.

Government “sources” muffled protests about whether or not Nassrallah will take anyone’s permission before launching another war. But was that the adequate response? Alas it was not.

If the Government really wanted to prevent another war, it should have played along. After all, Nassrallah never said anything about starting the next war. He just said that he would respond with great force and a “colossal surprise“ If  Israel attacks. He even said he supported an internal political settlement.

Seniora should have responded with a speech of his own: “If the Israelis dare attack us, the entire Lebanese people will resist them as one body.” By doing so, Seniora would achieve two objectives:

1- He would confuse those trying to discredit him as a Zionist and perhaps initiate a political breakthrough.

2- He would help prevent another war; Nassrallah’s credibility among the Israelis, if coupled with a Seniora’s vow of unity, would make it politically impossible for Israel to launch another war on Lebanon.

We can be angry with Nassrallah and we can dislike him as much as we want. But we should never forget this very important strategic principle: If you want peace, prepare for war.