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“It is possible that Kahwaji is privy to information that the average citizen is not. Perhaps
he knows, for example, that leading politicians have learned from their wicked ways and
now have a solid understanding that limits their dangerous capacity to destroy any semb-
lance of stability by seeking confrontation in a manner that inspires their respective follow-
ers to see violence as an acceptable course of action. Or better yet, maybe the army com-
mander has been secretly empowered to enforce national reconciliation and to round up
unruly members of parliament and/or gag factional leaders who step out of line. The fact is
that in the absence of such extraordinary measures, Lebanese are unlikely to feel genuinely
secure.”
“This does not mean that Kahwaji's words offer the Lebanese no reassurance whatsoever.
On the contrary, the general can inspire confidence precisely because he heads an institu-
tion that has withstood tremendous pressures without suffering a breakdown in its internal
cohesion. It is the politicians who have strained the LAF's unity, however, so it is they who
owe its commander - and all Lebanese - more responsible behaviour.”
Our Say … Targeting Syria - Amman (29 Sep-12 Oct):
“No sooner were the worshipers heading back at dawn to their homes after having celeb-
rated the most sacred night - Lailat al-Qadr - in mosques throughout the Muslim world,
than news started filtering of a massive explosion at the Airport Road on the outskirts of
Damascus. A car containing an estimated 200kg of explosives detonated killing 17 passers-
by and wounding 14, according to Syrian reports.”
“This bombing occurred despite the stringent security measures that Syria has adopted es-
pecially since two incidents in February and August killed Lebanese Hezbollah military
commander Imad Mughniyeh and Syrian General Muhammad Sulaiman who was respons-
ible for security at the Centre for Studies and Scientific Research in Syria.”
“Syria blamed Israel directly for the first and hinted at its involvement in the second. In
both cases, Israel had an interest in seeing both men dead: Mughniyeh for his role in ex-
acting defeat on Israel in its 2006 war against Lebanon, and Sulaiman whom Israeli intelli-
gence suspected of supplying long range rockets to Hezbollah.”
“This third terrorist act appears to be a random attempt to sow insecurity and instability
especially that finally Syria was getting over the Lebanese fiasco which had soured its rela-
tions with many countries in the world. After Syria's historic announcement of its ambas-
sador to Lebanon - the first in its history - the European countries, led by France, took a
step closer to Damascus. French President Nicolas Sarkozy not only invited Syrian Presid-
