The fact is Lebanon is based on a system of patronage, and the Druze depend on their leaders, the Christians on their own, and the Sunnis on their own to get what they need… and this has ALWAYS been the case.

Iran took advantage of the situation in Lebanon and provided social services and helped the Shiites in a way, also fooling them into accepting the weapons that come along with the deal (think about it this way, they get paid for every son that dies at war with Israel… maybe even every son that died in the Hezbollah occupation of Beirut too).

Truth is, Obama is right. Lebanon will always exist with its ever-increasing Shiite population. We won’t be able to and [I stress] don’t want get rid of them. What would we be if we weren’t as diverse? It definitely wouldn’t be Lebanon, where my best friends are Maronites, Shiites, Druze, Sunnis, Greek Orthodox… Who else can claim to have that many kinds of people living side by side? [besides the US and Canada and other countries built on immigration]
Since we can’t do that, we must engage them, but FIRST, the rest of the political leaders as well as the Lebanese people must grow the balls to tell the Shiites that they will feed the people but the weapons are NOT (no questions asked) welcome in Lebanon.

Truly, it is disappointing that even after this, people are still too cowardly to make definitive statements refusing Hezbollah the right to have weapons.
I still cling onto some hope that Saad Hariri and Walid Jumblatt handing in weapons is a step towards telling Hezbos “we gave ours, it’s time for you to do the same.” And let’s sit on this table and talk about what rights you feel you don’t have…

If The US wants to fight its war with Iran, let them do it amoung themselves.

You are about as important as Rhode Island. Accept your insignificance and shut the hell up.

Both could do a little checking on all the NGO’s and the Sinior Government efforts to “reach” the Shiites. Everything goes through Hezbollah – even conversation, ask any journalist who has ever been to Lebanon.

If Obama is elected US President – look for worse than the Carter years. As far as Foreign Policy is concerned – Obama will only see Africa and the rest of the world can pretty much do as it pleases. I don’t say this because he is Black but because this is actually the “ideology” he (and his wife) follow. Politicians say/do what they need to get elected. After that – we are stuck with them and it does not matter what they “said”. They follow their own rules and make up new ones.