Words For Amr Moussa
The Arab League’s Secretary (and the Lebanese) could do worse than reading this article on Koffie Annan’s efforts to solve the Kenyan Crisis.
Here’s Mr. Annan’s take on why he had to be swift:
We have to make sure there’s just one mediation process. Otherwise you have the protagonists trying to bottom shop, looking elsewhere if they don’t like what you’re offering. You get diplomatic tourism and that’s no good.
Read this bit and just replace Kenya with Lebanon, and the two parties with their counterparts.
Kibaki’s team kept saying, ”We won it fair and square,” as Odinga’s countered, ”You stole it fair and square.” Kibaki, a Kikuyu, talked of ”accommodating” the opposition; Odinga, a Luo, bridled. If pushed, he would form ”an alternative government.””It took a while to convince them that there was no way either side could run the country without the other, that it was a perfect political gridlock,” Annan told me.
He got a German official to explain grand coalitions. He got [..] the Tanzanian leader, to talk about how presidents and prime ministers work together. He was helped by President George W. Bush declaring during his recent African visit that ”there ought to be a power sharing agreement.”Kibaki’s foreign minister retorted that Kenya would not be ”given conditions by foreign states” — the old anti-imperialist thing
But this was international intervention of another kind. The pressure cornered Kibaki. He ceded, empowering Odinga as a prime minister with authority anchored by constitutional change.
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Hello, my name is Mustapha and I blog in The Beirut Spring about Lebanese society and politics. I started in February 2005 after the killing of P.M. Rafik Hariri.
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If only it were that easy, but there are too many reasons why Lebanon can’t be substituted for Kenya. Probably the most important one is that Lebanon is being torn apart by outside forces. I don’t think that’s a factor in Kenya. Secondly, Kenya was a functioning State with a very good economic base before it spiraled into anarchy and chaos. Lebanon has a lot of water under the bridge since it was the Paris/Switzerland of the Middle East. Thirdly, the neighborhood appears to be a lot quieter (for the moment) in Kenya than in Lebanon. I’m sure there are more differences.
At the end of it all maybe the Kenyans are just luckier. They’ve got Koffie Annan. Who would be his equal for Lebanon? The article did raise the possibility that hope still lives, though. Maybe I’m pessimistic but I haven’t yet accepted despair.
Good post Mus. They’re certainly suffering from a flurry of diplomatic tourism. Words of wisdom for Mr.Moussa
Mustapha,
Once again, you seem to be equating M14 and M8 here when you compare them to the Kenyan protagonists. The truth here is, M8 did not win or lose and election (fair and square). They just decided to sabotage the state. That’s not at all the same think.
The only thing M8 and M14 are “equal” about is their complete incompetence and disregard for the people of Lebanon.
But I must once again, resent the implication of articles like this, where you put the 2 sides on equal footing, and make it seem like it’s just a matter of finding middle ground and ruling the country together (as is the case in your Kenya example). That is not what is at stake in Lebanon. This is not a dispute over power sharing. Nor is it a dispute about electoral results. This is one party deciding to sabotage the state, at any cost. I don’t understand how you can even put that on the same footing.
And has anyone seen today’s headlines? I just about fell out of my chair when I read the following two:
“Suleiman Orders Army to Prevent Israel from Occupying Lebanon or Attacking Syria From Lebanon.”
I don’t even know where to start here. Is Suleiman joining Saturday Night Live or somesuch comedy ensemble? Cause this is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard. Not as ridiculous, however, as the following headline:
“Citizens Urged to Refrain from Opening Fire to Celebrate Politicians’ TV Appearances.”
You’ve got to be kidding me! The fact that authorities even have to “urge citizens” from refraining to open fire to celebrate TV APPEARANCES is beyond laughable.
Mind you, these are the same “authorities” that, in the first headline, are talking about preventing Israel from invading Lebanon. I got news for you, chumps, if you can’t prevent idiotic citizens from firing RPGs and hurling grenades everytime some idiot appears on TV, you REALLY think you can stop Israeli tanks and planes?
Well BV, I really expected that you would see how brilliant and solid is the authorities defense plan.
It’s really simple: if the “evil zionist entity” dares to invade, all tv stations will start a emergency 24hrs broadcast of it’s respective zaim speeches/interviews/etc, and everybody will start shooting!
Besides, which person (non leb, for sure) would stand an nas/aoun/hariri/geagea/walid combo speech ? If even that would not be enough (who they think they are ? rambo ?), we have a secret weapon: unleash a few roula/nancy/haifa/dana songs…
;)
Amr who ?
.
Vive Le Zaim, I think you’ve just uncovered Nassrallah’s vaunted “National Defense Strategy” !!!
To repel Zionist invaders, get on TV and let your supporters go wild with the weapons!
…and this was the disciplined party. The interior minister should revoke all firearm licences…that oughta teach them !!
Between the army and the ISF they can be the new act on SNL…
…and Mus,
No corelation between the Kenyan and Lebanese situation…
We have Amr Mousa though…Go Amr GO!!!
By the way, did you see this other Divine Victory in Gaza?
The katyoushas didn’t stop falling on Israel. Another divine victory.
Lots of divinity lately. Allah seems to be beating God.
Allah and God (and whoever else is up there) is probably sitting back, knocking a few beers, and laughing at how stupid mankind can be.
There’s an old joke, that while not about the Lebanon, somewhat fits the current situation, so here it goes:
When Allah was building the world, He assigned to Lebanon fertile lands, greats beaches, snow mountains, good climate, all of the best. Then, one angel got puzzled and asked: “ya Rab, isn’t it unfair to the other countries ? Isn’t supposed to have some sort of balance ?”
Allah, in is infinite wisdom, turned to the angel and said: “Patience, wait to see the people I’ll put there - and it’s neighboring countries”
‘Allah seems to be beating God’.
what is this some type of crusade or holy war for you mr happy ayrab?
No, it is Hezbollah’s holy wars and divine victories. Why are you asking me? Check with your buddies in the Hezb. They love the wars… crescent wars. At the first occasion they jump and start beating their drums.
They haven’t learned, after 60 years, that wars with Israel are pointless. And so they keep throwing katyoushas across the fence. They enjoy seeing their neighbors house being blown out by a missile.
And here’s where it gets funnier: Michel Aoun yesterday sent an advice to Israel: war and aggression don’t work.
Ha ha. But he forgot to tell that same advice to his allies Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas!