(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Blog) Jacques Neriah - Out of the 30 members in Lebanon's new cabinet, the Hizbullah coalition now holds 18 seats, 8 more than in the previous Hariri cabinet. This lineup dramatically underlines the unprecedented dominance of Hizbullah in Lebanon, giving its Syrian and Iranian patrons greater sway. In particular, the government lineup represents a glorious comeback for Syria to the Lebanese scene after having had to shamefully withdraw its troops following the mass demonstrations in the aftermath of the Hariri assassination. The ascendancy of Hizbullah is a setback for the U.S. which has provided Lebanon with $720 million in military aid since 2006. Lebanon has made a dramatic, radical step. Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah was formerly Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Deputy Head for Assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence.
2011-06-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive