Hello your excellency. I’m a Lebanese Christian leader and I’m here to offer you my services.
The simultaneity is almost comedic. As the Lebanese President hugged and kissed the king of Saudi Arabia, M.P Michel Aoun swiftly set off to cuddle the prince of Persia. Not to be outdone, the Egyptian president promptly summoned the L.F Leader Samir Geagea for his own share of the hug-a-Christian-Lebanese-Leader day.
You could almost hear the Syrian and Jordanian leaders scratching their heads and grumbling that “all the good ones are taken”, wondering whether to settle for second class leaders Like Mr. Frangieh or not.
It boggles your mind to think of who is playing whom. Since an outward conflict between Lebanese Sunnis and Shiaas became taboo (it leads to regional instability, we are told) Lebanese Christians became de-facto proxies, and by extension prized king-makers. Regional leaders have become so transparent you can read right into their heads as they back their horses: “If we tip Lebanese Christians to our side, we control the entire country”.
Of course, arch-rivals Aoun and Geagea are not complaining. A bone-crushing election is right around the corner and polls say Christian areas are very competitive. Campaign money (or worst, weapons as Mr. Aoun’s surrogates have suggested) could come in handy to both sides at this junction.
March 14 will protest that Mr. Suleimen, the ‘unity President’, should not be lumped with the rest of the players in this narrative. They say that Saudi Money is going straight to the coffers of the Lebanese State, not into the pockets of shady politicians. They may have a point, but they are unlikely to convince the opposition whose essential complain, remember, was that Mr. Hariri has a l’état c’est moi mentality…
Hello, my name is Mustapha and I've been blogging about Lebanese society, business and politics since February 2005.
sorry for the technical glitch, comments are now enabled..
Saudi money might not be going to the pockets of shady politicians?
The Saudis might (just might) be good for Lebanon by boosting investment and, by extension, employment. Sure, the downside is, who winds up with most of the money.
It probably isn’t a bad idea to keep on good terms with Egypt. It’s big, that’s for sure, and might offer a potential market. On the downside they have a lot of their own problems.
As for Ahmadinijad and Aoun, Lebanon’s future can be expected to be as promising as a region engulfed by a runaway Ebola epidemic.
Welcome back Mustapha. I loved the expression “hug a christian lebanese leader-day”! Faced with the wisdom on behalf of the Saudis to address the(christian) head of state, the iranian self serving pragmatism to host the(self hating christian)new political patriarch of the orient and wannabe mollah, Husni Mubarak really invited Samir Geagea to Egypt. While the purpose of the visits for the former 2 leaders can be detected, I wonder what benefit is there for LF or the christians in general?
First comment. Again
the LF, ya dania, are just a LauF.
liked ur website,
i added to my list,
t.c
Wonder what they will do when they have to meet Barack H O?