Does Hizbullah get to stay "special"?

The Syrian army was invited by the Lebanese government to maintain security in Lebanon in 1976. But Syria has considered this an open invitation. It has overstayed its protective mission for 13 years now.

The question remains, will Syria's departure convey spontaneous recovery to the Lebanese?

Not by a long shot. The Lebanese will have to work hard to rebuild unity and democracy after a long phase of civil war, and years of multiple occupations. Realizing the importance of total unity, the growing opposition movement is actively seeking dialogue with Hizbullahand Amal . The goal is to unite the nation in order to negotiate an honorable and face-saving withdrawal for the Syrian army. Most Lebanese want to maintain a friendly relationship with the Syrian people and a reformed Syrian regime.

If Hizbullah were to join the opposition movement, I believe Syria would leave Lebanon immediately.

Hizbullah retains tremendous power and prestige in . In a bloody and long civil war, Hezbollah did not participate in any Lebanese sectarian massacre. Despite its religious name, Party of God, its record in the Lebanese civil war was the least sectarian of the militias. For example, when the Israeli army withdrew from south Lebanon, Hezbollah was prudent in its treatment of the Christian minority there.

A civic transformation of Hizbullah - re-integrate the militia into the Lebanesearmy -- would be a positive development for this Shiite political party and a victory for Lebanese unity. The withdrawal of Syria from Lebanon will automatically lead to increased pressure on Hizbullah to disband its armed forces.

But regrettably, for Hizbullah such a transformation likely would be considered a submission to external, "imperialistic" designs on the future of Lebanon. Early signs are that Hizbullah may not choose to re-integrate its military force without some prodding from Iran, the country most responsible for its creation and development. A culturally sensitive approach from the US to Hezbollah and to Iran may help the face-saving adaptation process of this movement. The US should deal gently with Hizbullah, as this organization has earned respect in Lebanon and the region.

It is interesting to observe that the key to influencing Hezbollah's future in Lebanon has now shifted from Syria to Iran. Syria is exhausted economically, morally and politically, while Iran is gaining political strength from Iraq's new Shiite power.

Iran might be willing to trade Hezbollah's unruliness in Lebanon for a more tolerant international response to its nuclear development program. With much hesitation and after consultation with European leaders, the US is trying a new approach with Iran on the nuclear issue. This positive, international approach may help the Lebanese better negotiate peace domestically and allow Syria to exit Lebanon with some grace.

Page: 1 | 2