(New York Times) Michael Young - Hizballah gains nothing by tarnishing its credibility with other Lebanese communities because of Syrian priorities. To defend its regional ambitions, Hizballah must preserve a Syrian-dominated Lebanese order, even if doing so alienates the clear majority of Lebanese who believe Syria must go; or it can side with that majority, which means abandoning Syria and its own regional objectives. The party can undeniably bring out many supporters, as it did Tuesday, but it has also discredited itself by so effectively defending Syrian hegemony over Lebanon. Hizballah must now decide whether to take its chances as a national party in a Lebanon free of Syrian domination, or risk losing all that it has built up by becoming Syria's unwelcome enforcer. The writer is the opinion editor of The Daily Star in Lebanon.
2005-03-09 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive