Lebanese politics have a way of turning even the most starry-eyed participant into a pragmatist. The recent statements by the Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri are something all together different, even by the standards of his country’s politics.
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It was the culmination of months of diplomacy that began with a surprising visit by Mr Hariri to Damascus last December.
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By pre-empting the conclusions of the tribunal, Mr Hariri has attempted to establish himself as neutral party prior the court's indictments ... [and] promote short-term stability in Lebanon, [however,] its longer term consequences are far less certain, and even less optimistic.
Mr Hariri's about-face must be framed in the context of Saudi Arabia's efforts to mend fences with the mercurial leadership in Damascus and promote regional quiet as tensions with Iran simmer.
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Syria has simply leveraged its ability to be a spoiler for its own gain as others in the region attempt to confront Iran's nuclear ambitions. Once again, it seems, Lebanon has fallen victim to forces and problems far away.
The
Daily Star noted Nabil Qaouk, Hizbullah’s official in south Lebanon, comments,
"All parties seem to agree false witnesses misled investigations and led to an internal crisis and harmed Lebanese-Syrian ties during the past five years, ... Thus it is our national and moral responsibility to put on trial those false witnesses, those who stand behind them and their operators as a step to resolve the Lebanese crisis because some still insist on protecting false witnesses to protect higher security, political and judicial officials behind them.
as well as those of Hizbullah's Loyalty to Resistance bloc MP Qassem Hashem , who said that Hariri's stances,
"enforced demands to probe false witnesses as a national and legal duty to uncover the truth in former Premier Rafik Hariri's murder."
while Talal Arslan, leader of the predominantly Druze Lebanese Democratic Party,
... also demanded Hariri declare Hizbullah innocent of involvement in his father’s murder.
"Which will lead to abolishing Israeli attempts to instigate internal strife."
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat ... has said that Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's stances stress the importance of the Saudi-Syrian umbrella and the Taef accord.
Hariri is convinced of his personal ties with Syrian President Bashar Assad and the political relationship with Damascus, Jumblat told al-Akhbar newspaper in remarks published Tuesday.
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In his weekly editorial to al-Anbaa, Jumblat said political and media calm are imperative to protect Hizbullah and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
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Jumblat called on the various political parties to stick to soft rhetoric "because the alternative is devastating and will bring the country to where no one wants."
NOWLebanon quoted comments by Lebanese Forces MP Joseph Maalouf to the Akhbar Al-Yawm news agency indicating that
... Saad Hariri ... did not say that Syria was innocent in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
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PM [Saad] Hariri spoke about politically accusing Damascus [only],
Reporting on Lebanon First bloc MP Oqab Saqr's comments regarding Hariri's statements,
Naharnet writes,
[Saqr] noted ... that whenever attempts are made to improve ties with Syria, there are some sides that try to thwart these efforts.
He told LBC that once the relationship between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad improved, the premier apologized for mistakes made against Syria after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
"Syria will make an apology of its own once the indictment is announced," he stressed.
"Assad himself said that Syria had committed errors in Lebanon and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem recognized the existence of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon," the MP continued.
Saqr called for putting an end to debates over false witnesses in the case.
In addition, the MP urged Hizbullah to take Hariri's recent positions into consideration, saying that the lack of an indictment does not favor the party because the indictment itself will only prove that the party was not involved in the assassination.
"Why didn't the reevaluation of positions start in 2006? What led to Hariri's visit to Syria and the shift in accusations against it? Was a political price paid?"
While
Al Sharq Al Awsat followed up on its Hariri interview with the following quotes and observations,
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Western-backed Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has shuttled to Damascus five times in the last nine months to try to repair relations that frayed after the 2005 Syrian withdrawal. For many in Lebanon, the trips harken back to times of Syrian dominance when Lebanese leaders used to travel frequently to Damascus to get marching orders.
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Although officials have not said it openly, analysts say the current rapprochement appears to be an acknowledgment that Hariri is too weak to govern Lebanon without the support of his larger, more powerful neighbor.
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"Syria had been placed in the docket for the murder of (Hariri's) father ... and for him to look the world in the eye and say 'I was wrong' — it's an extraordinary about-face," said Joshua Landis, an American professor and Syria expert who runs a blog called Syria Comment.
"We understand that the Cedar Revolution was a mirage," he added. "And so we have returned to the much more cynical but perhaps more realistic world of cutting deals and keeping all the local powers happy."
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Dory Chamoun, a March 14 politician, said Hariri's comments did not absolve Syria but were meant to emphasize that the tribunal must have the final word.
"If such statements ensure a calm situation in Lebanon, then I'm all for it," he said.
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In Syria, state-run newspapers ran Hariri's comments on their front pages and political analysts close to the Syrian leadership said Syria considered Hariri's statements to be an apology.
"Such an apology is a courageous move by Hariri and we as Syrians regard his statements as restoring some esteem for Syria after years of slandering it," said analyst Imad Shueibi. "What happened is in fact a positive thing," he added.
Though Hariri has not explained his dramatic shift, analysts say he appears to be putting aside his deeply personal feud with Syria for the good of his own country as his Western-backed bloc struggles to maintain control.
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