Thursday, September 02, 2004

Syria under diplomatic assault

Who wrote the following (excerpted)?



Lebanon's Lost Sovereignty



When it comes to occupied Arab territory, Syria applies a brazen double standard and does not even have the decency to be discreet about it: In Iraq, the Golan Heights, the West Bank and Gaza, every additional day of foreign occupation is viewed as intolerable, and immediate, unimpeded sovereignty is considered imperative. For Lebanon, under the thumb of Syrian troops for the past 28 years, Damascus never uses the word occupation and never hesitates to abuse Lebanese sovereignty.



....



Lebanon, the most democratically minded country in the Arab Middle East, deserves the immediate withdrawal of Syrian occupation troops.




Would you believe the New York Times editorial page? I'm still rubbing my eyes.



With the US and France jointly proposing that the Security Council reassert its call for Syria to pull out of Lebanon, can anyone continue to talk about American unilateralism? Quiet diplomacy (including, presumably, by Israel) may be bearing fruit here.



Agreement among the US, France, and even the New York Times! Will wonders never cease?

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