Why worry when Assad and Abdullah agree?

Dubious agents of foreign powers in Lebanon dubbed it historic the trip taken by both Assad and Abdullah to Beirut. But real Lebanese patriots and Syrian activists are too skeptical of its purpose and meaning for Lebanon. When two Arab leaders meet first in one location to discuss an issue and then appear publicly in another location almost immediately after, one should worry. And what those two bad con artists have up their sleeves for Lebanon should be worrisome for the Lebanese who, no matter the circumstances, seem never to find peace tucked between a military giant and a terror giant while their prime minister is also a citizen of an oil giant. Lebanon, in short, is a geography we love and hate simultaneously because it has managed to combine, in one small country, everything we wish for in the Middle East (Democracy and co-existence of religions) and everything we should avoid in the Middle East (Terror, interference, and a State within a State controlled by Iran, a foreign entity). Is it a wonder that Lebanon will always remain the centerpiece of our attention for merely existing? So what did Abdullah and Assad baked in their ovens of intolerance and terror that would elevate it to this copious cupid visit to Lebanon? Knowing how fearful Saudi Arabia is of Iran, it would not surprise me that Abdullah would yield to Assad on one of the most contentious issue Assad has been battling ever since he killed Rafiq Hariri on Valentine’s Day in 2005: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon. All Saudi Arabia has to do is stop its funding to stop its outcome. What a shameful and cowardly act by Abdullah if this is true!! Israel never relinquishes on its own citizens no matter how significant or insignificant yet their contributions to their own society. But Saudi Arabia is willing to quit on one of its own sons whose history compels the publishing of more books than the combined history of all of al-Saud. It goes to show the difference between Islam and Judaic beliefs. Jews believe everyone is precious but Muslims believe everyone is expandable; even their best. Hezbollah has been sending a potent message of late to protect itself, as well as Assad of Syria, in any indictments the justice STL is under obligation to carry through with. Members of Hezbollah’s terrorist organization, dressed in Lebanon’s Parliamentary cloak and carrying a dagger, claim that any indictment against them (and Assad indirectly) would add to Lebanon’s strife. For those attuned to “reading between the lines”, what Hezbollah is suggesting is quite the horse manure we have been accustomed to hearing from Nasrallah: We will kill those who stand in our way but if you indict us, this may add to the killing. Any wonder why Hezbollah has become everything that is wrong in Lebanon? Justice for Nasrallah and his top aides à la Milosevic is quite an injustice. Incidentally, Assad’s killing of Rafik Hariri on Valentine’s was his way of showing love for the family that stood for Lebanon’s sovereignty and tolerance in spite of being shadowed by his family of terror and intolerance. Remember the Valentine’s Day massacre in Chicago when Al Capone dispensed of his enemies during Prohibition? Well, this is Al Assad dispensing of his, except that Rafik Hariri was no Bugs Moran, which makes Assad the coward he is for killing unarmed and non-violent prime ministers of a neighboring country. Did Abdullah and Assad agree to embrace Hezbollah together? Or did Assad, in return for Saudi drying all funding for the STL, promise to control Hezbollah’s actions in Lebanon? If so, does Abdullah really believe that Assad will simply relinquish a card that keeps him in power? Once the STL goes unfunded, what are the guarantees Assad will maintain his end of the bargain? What about Iran? Will Khameini, his thuggish IRGC, and Ahmadinejad’s trip to force erect the Twelver be placed on hold for Assad’s? In my most optimistic opinion, I believe this trip by Abdullah and Assad will not fare well for the region. Its purpose resembles a seamstress using needles to finish a dress and those needles will end-up prickling the people of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel again. What about that side-trip to Lebanon the Extraordinaire Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani is undertaking at the same time to steal some of the limelight? In every theatrical piece, there is always a clown and there is no better fit for one than Hamad. Molière would have written at least 10 plays to flatter his authenticity. If you want your children to grow to be contributors to their society, just make sure that not too much Mansaf in their belly, money in their pocket, and air in their head is part of their upbringing. Just look at Hamad once in a while to see how your child would look like if you do not follow these important rules. How could we save the region when these clowns cling to power like bloodsucking conenose? Seriously, when Arab leaders who have no business in Lebanese internal affairs, or for that matters Syrian or Saudi internal affairs having forced themselves to become leaders, praise another country, while meeting in that country and getting more attention than its president, we should all worry.  The praise being heaped by both heads of families and slave owners upon this trip makes me even more skeptical of its outcome and the price Syrians, Lebanese, Israelis, and possibly Jordanians will end-up paying.