Syria And France. A Breakup Gone Messy

Do the Lebanese really care about who broke up with whom first?

In today’s pro-March14 Almustaqbal newspaper, the main headline read: “Paris confirms breaking all contacts with Damascus”. Later in the same day during a press conference, the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid El Mouallem blurted out: “Syria will stop cooperating with France over Lebanon”. Syria hasn’t lost its sense of humor it seems.

If matters on the ground weren’t so serious, one would be laughing at the spectacle of our last two colonial masters duelling over us. But the fight — originally the outcome of failed negotiations over the Lebanese political impasse — is having a bizarre silliness streak.

Yesterday, Mr. Mouallem, in an effort to contradict Mr. Sarkozy’s statements in Egypt, asserted that the French called him twice after the French President vowed to break all contact with Syria. Not so fast Monsieur! Interjected a Sarkozy aid. We only called you once, and we called you to tell you that we’re not calling you anymore. 

It’s like watching a couple squabble childlishly after a breakup. Am I the only one who’s finding this give-and-take between France and Syria extremely silly?