Pierre Gemayel, scion of Lebanon's most prominent Christian family and a leading opponent of Syria, was gunned down Tuesday in a brazen daytime hit. The assassination threatened to intensify Lebanon's power struggle between the U.S.-allied government and the Syrian-backed Hezbollah.
We suspect Syrian and Iranian involvement.
Clearly, the Syrians are determined to emerge victorious in Lebanon. Despite the UN's attention and their military's withdrawal back in 2005, Syria continues to fight to control Lebanon.
As I wrote in the summer of 2005 when we were all taken with the Lebanese "protest babes":
Syria get political leverage in its conflict with Israel and lots of cash from skimming from the Lebanon economy and from Syrians working in Lebanon. I find it hard to believe that the hard gentlemen from Damascus will let that go because we and the French looked cross at them.
We shall see how badly the Lebanese want to defend their freedom when their revolt moves beyond the "protest babe" phase.
Syria may be a despicable thug state, but they understand that when you face a setback, you don't curl up in a fetal position and beg your enemies to be nice to you. You absorb the blow, assess your resources, and work the problem.
You fight to win until you lose. Or you should, anyway.
I just wish we Americans could be as determined to win as the Syrian thug regime is determined to win.
