Friday, April 15, 2005

The (very low) standards of the right-wing opposition in Lebanon: What a joke. Now the Lebanese right-wing opposition is satisfied. They nominated Najib Miqati to form the next Lebanese government, and the silent Lebanese president Lahhud officially nominated him. The US administration, I predict, will not criticize this selection, and will not label him (as they did with `Umar Karami) as "Syrian puppet." This only confirms my earlier warnings about the corrupt nature of the Lebanese opposition. It is of the same lousy caliber of previous Lebanese governments. On being a puppet of the Syrian regime, Miqati has been one of the loyal clients of the Syrian mukhabarat in Lebanon. He has been one of the most loyal proteges of Syrian intelligence people in Damascus, who pushed him on the Lebanese scene when nobody knew who he was, and who took orders from them without asking questions. And for that he was rewarded by them. On corruption, he built a fortune from very corrupt and shady deals in the field of telecommunication, especially cellphones, and his deals involved (and benefited) people in the Syrian government and mukhabarat. This nomination promises of things to come. We know the trend, and we can see the future path. The same lousy corrupt people of the Lebanese political elite, will remain on top, but they will merely replace one master by another, and they will only have to adjust their tunes. Those who sang the praises of the Syrian regime will now sing the praises of Hariri and of "international legitimacy", as if there is really such a thing. I wonder how the flag-waving demonstrators of the Hummus Revolution feel now? They claimed (I never believed them) that they wanted a new Lebanon. Miqati is part of the problem of the old Lebanon, and the old Lebanon will be the new Lebanon. It will only change slogans. OK, now. Wave your flags. Do it. US media and Hassan Fattah are watching you.