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If Lebanese Chief of Staff Michel Suleiman becomes president of Lebanon, Syria will be a winner as a result of Annapolis. Lebanon as well.<\/p>\nIf Lebanese Chief of Staff Michel Suleiman becomes president of Lebanon, Syria will be a winner as a result of Annapolis. Lebanon as well.<\/p>\n
Hariri's people announced today that they have reversed their decision to reject Lebanon's Army chief of Staff as president. The Future Movement is now backing Michel Suleiman for president. Here is the story: Lebanese majority backs army commander as president<\/a>, in the Jerusalem Post.<\/p>\n This decision must be connected to Syria's decision to go to Annapolis. How? We don't yet know. Did Saudi Arabia broker it? Did France? Both? It is hard to tell. It is the right choice for Lebanon, given the circumstances. <\/p>\n Here is Amal Saad-Ghorayeb's analysis in the Daily Star<\/a>:<\/p>\n Electing Suleiman "would signal a victory of sorts for the opposition, but a blow to Aoun," said Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, visiting scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center. "Part of the rationale behind this was to get him to withdraw his candidacy and put him in a corner. One motive behind this is to prevent Aoun from becoming president, and the other is to find a solution."<\/p>\n US-Syrian relations will be the key geopolitical dynamic affecting Suleiman's chances, and the two sides seem to be smiling on his candidacy, Saad-Ghorayeb said. <\/p>\n "It appears very much to be a Syrian-American agreement," she said. "It's not because of Annapolis. We were witnessing some Syrian-American rapprochement before Annapolis. I think that the [rapprochement] process will continue for some time, as long as the Americans and Syrians are engaged in talks." <\/p>\n March 14 touting Suleiman represents a victory for the opposition, which had raised Suleiman's name as a compromise solution before declaring Aoun the opposition's presidential nominee, Saad-Ghorayeb said. <\/p>\n "It's basically everything the opposition wanted," she said. "This is the exact same initiative the opposition was proposing. <\/p>\n "It appears the US has backpedaled, as has March 14. It's a reversal of policy. Anyone who goes back a few weeks will see that."<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Here is Alex's summary of an article by Randa Tekkidine in Al-hayat. <\/a> She strikes a very different tone than her usual Syria bashing heckle.<\/p>\n She is saying that although the original plan was that Syria would pay in advance (help Lebanon elect a pro west president) before France rewards Syria<\/a> with improved relations, the Syrians managed to get what they wanted without paying in advance and without paying anything at all. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n ?????? ??????? ???????? – ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ????? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ?????????. ???? ???????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ?????? ?? ????????? ?? ?????? ???? ??????? ????????? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????????? ??? ??? ???????? ?? ?????? ???????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ????. ??? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???????? ??? ???? ?????? ?? «??? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ?????? ???? ??????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ????». ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? – ?????? ???????? ????? ????????? ????????? – ??????? ?? ????????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ?????????? ??????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ????. ??? ???? ????? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ???????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???????? ?????? ????? ??????? ???????? ???? ????.<\/p>\n ?????? ???????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????? ????? ??? ?? ??????? ??????? ?? ???? ???????? ???????? ??????? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??? ?????? ????? ??????? ?? ?????? ?????. ???? ??? ?????? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? 30 ????? ?? ??????? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ??????? «??? ????» ? «???? ???». ????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ??? «??? ????» ???? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ???? ?????.<\/p>\n ???? ?? ??? ??????. ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ???? ??????? ??????? ???? ????? ??? ???????? ??? ?? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? «??? ????»? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??? ???????? ?????????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ?????????? ????????. ????? ??? ??? ????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????? ??????? ????? ???.<\/p>\n ???? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ???????.????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ????????? ????????? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ?????.<\/p>\n ??? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ?? «??? ????» ??? ??????? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ?? ?????<\/p>\n ????? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? «??? ????» ????????? ??? ???? ??????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???? ??????. ??? ?? ??????? ??????? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?? ????? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ????? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ?????? ?????????. ??????? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????. ???? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ??????? ?? ?????: ?? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??????????. ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ??????? ????.<\/p>\n ????? ????? ?? ?????????? ??????? ?? ?? ????? ???????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ??????? ????: ?? ?? ?????? ??????? ???????? – ??????? ?? ???? ???? ?????? <\/p>\n The Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper<\/a> trumpets that Syria has gained other concessions. Idaf gives a summary in the comment section as follows:<\/p>\n France gave an official invitation to Syrian foreign minister Walid Al-Muallem to visit Paris and finalize the Lebanese president issue.<\/p>\n In addition, Paris said that a follow-up conference to Annapolis in Paris will take place on Dec 17 and another one in Moscow to discuss the Golan in early 2008. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n As for the Palestinians and Israelis, how did they do?<\/p>\n Here are the two controdictory versions. I think Uri Avnery is more pursuasive, although I would like to believe Ignatius. Avneri actually makes a convincing argument; whereas, Ignatius gives us a "keep-hope-alive" pep-talk. Here are the two articles:<\/p>\n The Joke in Annapolis: How to Get Out?<\/a> by Uri Avnery<\/p>\n How Annapolis Helps<\/a> By David Ignatius<\/a>, November 28, 2007; Page A23 <\/p>\n Hugh Macleod interviews Palestinians in Lebanese camps to remind us that refugees in the camps continue to live a life of missery. They are keeping hope alive – but it is a different sort of hope.<\/p>\n Right of return – an unbending faith<\/a> Even though Palestinian and Israeli leaders agreed Tuesday to work toward a peace settlement by the end of next year, they will still have to confront an intractable issue – the right of Palestinian refugees to return…<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Syria says it will normalize ties to Israel only after full withdrawal<\/a> "The establishment of normal ties with Israel … must be the fruit of comprehensive peace and not precede it," Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal al-Mekdad told a closed session of the conference in Annapolis, Maryland, attended by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.<\/p>\n "To phrase it clearly and decisively that this (normalization) comes after the total Israeli withdrawal from the 1967 Arab land," he said in a speech obtained by Reuters.<\/p>\n "We are sincere in seeking a comprehensive and just peace and posses the political will to achieve it."<\/p>\n Talks between Israel and Syria collapsed in 2000 after Damascus declined an Israeli offer to withdraw from most of the Golan Heights but not what Syria described as the full occupied territory.<\/p>\n Syria had made it clear that it would only attend the talks in Annapolis if the Golan was on the agenda. The demand was met by Washington which accuses Damascus of supporting militant Palestinian and Lebanese groups.<\/p>\n Mekdad reiterated the Syrian position that Israeli occupation of Arab land was the root of instability in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n
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???? ??? ????? ?????? – 28\/11\/07\/\/<\/p>\n\n
Palestinian refugees hold a key piece to Middle East puzzle
Hugh Macleod, Chronicle Foreign Service <\/p>\n\n
Wed Nov 28, 2007 8:23am IST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Syria told a U.S. peace conference on Tuesday that Israel should pull out of occupied land before Arab countries would normalize ties with the Jewish state.<\/p>\n