The “Cedar” Revolution
and U.S. Policy in the Middle East
No sooner had
tens of thousands of Lebanese demonstrators gathered in Beirut’s Martyr’s
Square to protest the murder of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and demand Syrian
withdrawal from Lebanon than the spin doctors of the Bush administration began
to claim credit.
Scott McClellan, the White
House spokesperson, told a news conference the Bush administration would “hold
Syria’s feet to the fire” if they did not immediately withdraw troops from Lebanon,
while Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, speaking to reporters in London, said
the administration would provide support to Lebanon so it could hold free and
fair elections.“Events in Lebanon are
moving in a very important direction,” Rice said.“The Lebanese people are starting to express
their aspirations for democracy.This is
something that we support very much.”
Both Rice and McClellan
described the protests as a “cedar revolution” and linked them to the elections
held in January in occupied Palestinian and Iraq. They claimed this is all
evidence of a growing wave of democratization in the Middle
East – a wave brought about by the policies of the Bush
administration.Even the term “cedar
revolution” was made in America.It was coined on February 28 by the
Undersecretary of State Paula Dobriansky, who told reporters: “In Lebanon, we
see growing momentum for a Cedar Revolution that is unifying the citizens of
that nation to the cause of true democracy and freedom from foreign influence.Hopeful signs span the globe and there should
be no doubt that the years ahead will be great ones for the cause of freedom.”
However, sadly for the Bush
administration, they all spoke too soon.Within hours of Rice’s comments in London,
the largest demonstration in Lebanese history was taking place with over half a
million demonstrators spilling out of Martyr’s Square.This demonstration was organized by
Hezbollah, and while protestors waved Lebanese flags, they also chanted
anti-American slogans and called for a Lebanon
free of U.S.
and Israeli interference.
Characterized by a frankly
unprepared Western media as a pro-Syrian demonstration, in fact, this was
something much more complex.Hezbollah’s
leader, Hasan Nasrallah, gave the main speech and
began by reminding the hundreds of thousands gathered that they were standing
in the middle of a city that had been reduced to rubble by Israeli bombing in
1982.He said Lebanon could never again allow
Israeli interference or dominance; and he spoke directly to George Bush, saying
nobody but the Lebanese people would determine their own future.He also drew a link with Iraq, but said sham democracy and sham
independence were not for Lebanon.Nasrallah gave his
support to the Syrian plan for the withdrawal of its troops from Lebanon, but
rejected any attempts to speed up the withdrawal.
Hezbollah emerged as a
guerilla resistance group in southern Lebanon following Israeli invasions
in 1972, 1978 and 1982.During the chaos
of the Lebanese civil war, Hezbollah won over the hearts of the majority Shiite
population with its work both to provide food, shelter and education and its
armed struggle against Israel.More than any other armed group in the
region, however, Hezbollah has been able to transform itself into a political
movement, and today it is the largest political party in Lebanon.
The demonstration in Beirut,
which left White House spokesperson Scott McClellan speechless, was a
declaration of political strength by an organization both the U.S. and Israel
have tried to dismiss as a terrorist group.Nasrallah’s speech at the demonstration was a clear warning to the Bush
administration as well to keep its hands off Lebanon.