Reports from Amman Jordan
by Samah Sabawi
| Part XXIII - Lebanon's Blind March into the Abyss | |||
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March 15, 2005 Despite the early arrival of spring, there is something chilling in Amman’s air. You can sense it in the way the people walk and talk and even yell at their car radios and TV screens. No one here seems to have any illusions about the dangers that loom as they watch helplessly the beginning of yet another regional war, this time in Syria/Lebanon. Resisting the urge to watch the Lebanese opposition march on TV, I stood outside on the balcony hoping to catch some fresh air. I reflected on how we seem to relive the same patterns over and over and over again. This region has gone from one occupation into the arms of the next and from one oppressive regime to the next. Every time we fall into the same mistake, we place our faith in the hands of foreigners and we expect the reward to be grand. My thoughts were interrupted by the blare of a TV in the apartment next door, the chanting of the Lebanese opposition, a crowd of several hundred thousands, calling for Syria’s withdrawal. Then a manly voice screamed in Arabic, “You idiots…” and the TV went silent. I enjoyed the quiet for a few minutes until the T.V. was switched on again, and the loud chanting of the opposition, punctuated by my neighbour’s angry retorts, continued. To hell with this, I said to myself. Fighting the urge to watch the Lebanese spectacle I announced to the kids that we were going to walk over to Zalatimo Cafe for some fresh knafeh*. At Zalatimo service for the first time was slow as all the waiters were standing in front of the hanging TV monitor watching the Lebanese march with stunned expressions. “This is so stupid," said one waiter to the next. “How can they be so blind?” Indeed I thought. How can they be so blind? This cedar revolution didn’t begin with Hariri’s assassination. No, it began years ago, in fact in 1996 when, led by Richard Perle, James Colbert, Charles Fairbanks, Douglas Feith and some other prominent opinion makers in Washington, a strategy was drafted with the sole objective of securing Israel’s borders. The strategy, entitled “A Clean Break”, stated that “Israel can shape its strategic environment… by weakening, containing, and even rolling back Syria.” It is worth noting that the strategy called for removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq as “an important Israeli strategic objective in its own right” and as “a means of foiling Syria’s regional ambitions.” Need I say more? The use of the Lebanese opposition as pawns in this game came up clearly in this report. Agents working for Israel will divert “Syria’s attention by using Lebanese opposition elements to destabilize Syrian control of Lebanon”. American sympathy and support can be gained by reminding “the world of the nature of the Syrian regime” and how Syria “has betrayed the United States by continuing to occupy Lebanon in violation of the Taef agreement in 1989.” It all seems so clear, but then again, so were the reasons for invading Iraq. No one has been held accountable for the lies that cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis; no one will pay a price. Decades after Israel’s inception, Palestinians are still in refugee camps in subhuman conditions. Daily ethnic cleansing takes place in Palestine and daily violence occurs against Arabs in Palestine and Iraq, yet still… we know things will get worse. Let’s face it, Arab lives are cheap. The Lebanese are so taken over by the euphoria of getting rid of Syria, they haven’t stopped to ponder the price or to notice the enemy that sleeps at their gates. The Iraqis were happy to be rid of Saddam but they now tell me the price was not worth it. Dear Lebanon, I am sad to say the price will not be worth it. My children were oblivious to the politics as they dove into their delicious knafeh. I watched them with an aching heart. What legacy do we leave them? This tattered world we live in? How can we be so blind? *Knafeh: Baked shredded dough with cheese and syrup Related: Lebanese opposition massive demonstration in Beirut Samah Sabawi, originally from Gaza and whose permanent residence is now Ottawa, is a writer, playwright and well-known activist. Her articles appear in several popular online journals. Her Palestinian Diary is exclusive to YayaCanada. YayaCanada Boycott Israeli Apartheid
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