Lebanese-Syrian Relations Unchanged, Mistakes Recurring
In an interview with Kuwaiti daily al-Awan published on Monday, Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said that he expected the new US administration to be more biased toward Israel than that of President George Bush. Najjar said that the US had supported the Cedar Revolution to force Syria out of Lebanon in 2005, but that Bush’s “dishonesty” made the American support void of meaning.
Najjar said he was worried that Lebanese-Syrian relations had not really changed and that the same mistakes would be made as those during the 30-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon. He called for clarification of what some politicians meant by “turning a new page with Damascus.” Najjar said that this relationship should be defined by establishing embassies and exchanging ambassadors, adding that the choice of ambassadors would be crucial. He said Lebanon could not ignore that its Arab roots were tied with Syria.
Najjar told the paper that the fate of the Cedar Revolution may or may not be sealed during the current period, which was decisive, he said, because it preceded 2009 parliamentary elections. He said that the major issue in the elections was the Lebanese voter’s position with regard to Syria and Hezbollah’s arms.
When asked about his visit to Damascus, Najjar said that once the agenda was set, it would be his duty as a justice minister to visit Syria or any other country. He said that if he visited Damascus, it would be upon the cabinet’s request with a set agenda and mission.