March 13, 2004
BEIRUT
I mentioned Lebanon in that last post, and it continues to chap my ass. Lebanon was basically a Christian nation from 1920 until 1978. Syria moved troops in to help "quell" civil war, a war begun by displaced Palestinians from the 1973 war, then the Syrians assassinated Christian President Bashir Gameyel in 1982, and consolidated power. Syria has controlled Lebanon ever since, and Beirut, once the Paris of the Mediterranean, has been reduced to rubble.
Bush could make Syria evacuate Lebanon with a phone call. Syria is a tiny paper tiger compared to Iraq. Lebanon could be a viable democracy, with a government consisting of Muslims and Christians working together, just as they once did.
That's what Iraq was all about, right? WMD was bullshit. We wanted a launching pad in the heart of the Middle East. Now we have it. Lebanon would be the second domino.
If we can spend $87 billion on Iraq, we can spend $10 billion on rebuilding Beirut. Personally, I hear the beaches are bitching. How about a Hedonism resort in old Phoenicia?