Kouchner Makes Startling Discovery: Lebanon Is A Treacherous Place

We thank France for trying, but did Kouchner really think Lebanon was a cake walk?

Welcome to the Lebanese jungle…

After paying Mr. Hariri a visit, the French minister taught us today what a diplomatic hair-pulling looks like:

“Everybody was agreed. Everybody said they had agreed. Now I’m amazed, France is amazed, that something is stuck, something is blocked, something is derailed, and I would like everyone to assume their responsibilities,”

Yes, Lebanon tends to do that to you monsieur Kouchner.. But wait, there’s more:

“I would like to know who is not in agreement. I would like to know who has an interest in chaos, who has an interest in the elections not taking place, who has an interest in making it even more complicated for the life of all the Lebanese,”

Mr. Kouchner is not to blame. He just made the grave mistake of assuming that Lebanese politicians care about the general good before their own. What if America was right all the way? What if there is no such thing as compromise in Lebanon?

Also read:

Lebanon Plays Mission Impossible

Related Beirut Spring posts:

• Last August, I argued against France’s promise of a “spectacular opening gesture” towards Syria • A few days later I realized that France and the US were beginning to differ in diagnosing the Lebanese situation • In March, I wrote a post endorsing Nicolas Sarkozy for the French presidency.