Ghaleb Kandil
17th March, 2014
The illusions of some parties of their ability to alter the balance of power in Lebanon, and realize their dreams to target the Resistance and its legitimacy, have filed on the rock of reality. They thought to change the balance of power with the help of the Americans, the West and the Arab Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, but they have once again failed.
At the expiry of the period which would have transformed Tammam Salam government to a caretaker Cabinet, white smoke finally cleared, and the protagonists agreed on a ministerial statement recognizing “the right of Lebanon and Lebanese citizens to resist the Israeli occupation.” An inalienable right recognized by the United Nations Charter, but some Lebanese were willing to sell out, for free, to serve the interests of Israel, abandoning the only factor that makes the strength of Lebanon. March-14, helped by the President of the Republic, have still failed. Just hours after the oratory Carnival of March-14, the Future Movement has resigned to accept his defeat. The intervention of diplomats based in Beirut and major capitals concerned by the Lebanese situation convince that coalition of the inability to change the balance of power.
The escalation initiated by March-14 in denying the right of the Lebanese to resist occupation illustrates the internal dissensions which blow in the ranks of that coalition, the weakness of its external support, and reflects an unparalleled political amateurism. In this context, we can highlight the following factors:
Saudi Arabia sees its sphere of influence gradually reducing and witnesses the dismemberment of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The West, led by the United States, is lost and does not know how to act after the offensive against Russia in the Ukrainian case. Moscow has prevented Westerners to capitalize on Ukrainian crisis. Germany launches signals on his disagreement with its NATO allies and seems tempted by a Eurasian partnership with Russia.
According to the most optimistic estimates, it is clear that the enemies of the Resistance are unable to launch a global offensive, as had been believed for a moment, by those who have analyzed too simply and too quickly events in Ukraine.
The Israeli attempts to change the rules of the game were met with strong ground realities and responses, some of which remained unknown to the general public and deeply mysterious.
The determination of the Lebanese political forces, allies of the Resistance, and their intelligent management of the confrontation, were due to the stubbornness of the Future and 14 Mars. These political forces have brandished the possibility of binding parliamentary consultations in if the government of Tammam Salam falls. They sent messages to the appointment of a new personality to form a government from which March-14 would be excluded. Unable to stay longer out of the government, the leaders of this coalition are resigned to accept the reference to the Resistance in the Ministerial statement. They felt that the Salam government is the most they can hope for in the current circumstances, where the organization of the presidential election seems very difficult.
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