Sleiman On The Lebanese-Syrian Relationship

Does the presumptive Lebanese president really believe that the solution with Syria is “mutual trust building”?

Mr. Michel Sleiman, the man who until further notice is our next president, said yesterday that the way to solve the Lebanese Syrian “problem” is by more “Mutual trust building” (Via today’s Albalad).

Mr. Sleiman could be pandering to the pro-Syrians, but is he serious?

 Mr. future President, how can you build mutual trust with a regime that perceives any form of opening up as weakness? Why is the burden on us to start building this trust? Aren’t the Syrians supposed to start by opening an embassy in Beirut, making official the status of the Shebaa farms and helping us draw our mutual borders? Shouldn’t they finally make that paradigm shift and understand that Lebanon is a sovereign country?

What we need Mr. Sleiman is more leverage, not more pointless brotherly initiatives.