Celebration in Lebanese president's hometown - 25 May 08

[Armynian]

Mabrouk, General Michel Sleiman , Now Commander in Chief of Lebanon. May God be with you all the time. And always stay strong and always Resist against those Coward Zionist Jews and Turks And all Black Devils. That alway try to sneak in middle of things, to mess things up. Love Always !

God Bless Libnan! From Los Angeles!

[abarzilai664]

Good luck Mr. President, your'e gonna need it.

[Soldior]

LONG LIVE LEBANON !

Now of to Palestine for a basic solution!!

[lastnymleft]

I'm expressing no opinion on the Lebanese government itself, but I am rather disturbed by the celebratory tone with which they note that the Lebanese army has been independent, and hasn't picked sides between the government and Hezbollah. But isn't it an army's job to be the military arm of the *government*? If they are acting independently, then they are a force unto themselves, without control via the democratic leadership. A good independent leader can in turn become a bad independent leader.

[Soldior]

The Army is not supposed to protect an illegal government cling to power but its mandate at such a time is to protect the constitution and institution and continuity and finaly also protect itself and do whats best to solve the crisis.

[lastnymleft]

All you cite is thus open to interpretation by whomever is in charge of the army at that particular time. This general was apparently a good guy but who's to say the next guy isn't going to want to interpret things a different way? This applies to ALL military forces not just Lebanon. It's a scary precedent.

The military must be controlled by the public, and that can only be done through the public's representatives: the government. If the government is bad the people must hold them accountable

[gibrangibran]

imagine that the army does what you say... namely taking a side of the government and fight demonstrators.. what will you have is hizbulla fighting the army. Which is a huge loss for the both sides. It will be a matter of time before the army itself devided because many officers in the army and much more soldiers have sympathy with hizbulla and consider it a resistance group. Therefore,it was a wise decision not to engage in the political conflict. To be strong doesnt mean to use force!

[lastnymleft]

There are complications in any particular conflict but you have to think of it in terms of principle in order to cover for any contingencies. What's to stop a Musharef coming to the top of the army? Or a Saddam Hussein, or an Edi Amen? You are expecting the person in charge of the army to effectively be a benevolent dictator, and that is not always going to be the case

If there are ancillary problems (like with Hezbollah, government, and civilians), those problems must be sorted. Don't shortcut

[gibrangibran]

If you wanna talk about principles.. according to you it seems that the army is the army of the government. but according to me it is the army of people. When the government is too weak and its decisions can destroy the country, i believe that it is more important to protect the country rather than just follow those orders by corrupt politicians. Chief of army should be wise and have his say of what should be done and what can be done. And not just a pupet controled by politicans.

[lastnymleft]

"but according to me it is the army of people"

It's about CONTROL. Who should determine what is right for the people? One unelected person, or a body of democratically elected representatives?

"When the government is too weak and its decisions can destroy the country,..."

THERE'S your problem. Fix that, rather than creating the even bigger problem of military dictatorship, which is essentially what you are promoting: "government can continue, so long as it does what the military leader wants"

[Soldior]

I agree the Army saved lives by standing back and diffusing the fighting by agreeing to take over areas to soften the un avoidable blow.

[Soldior]

They did for a year peaceful protests sit ins etc.

Please put you attention at the fight in Nahr al Barid and you will understand that the army is capable of handling major issues but it is at the moment a very neutral run by all religions and groups but neutral and that can only be seen as a uniting point in the nation.

[lastnymleft]

Soldior: That is a VERY tenuous position subject to change at any moment. What you are suggesting is that a "benign" military dictatorship is the way to go: the government can continue, so long as it does what the military wants. That is only the PERCEPTION of democracy

Who should run a country: one unelected person, or a group of democratically elected representatives? That's what it boils down to

The fact that the Army leadership has been good to date is no guarantee it will be good tomorrow

[Soldior]

Lebanon has a long troubled past.

Lebanon has gone trough an evil civil war absolutely everyone killing each other.

Now the Army was involved but today is seen as the only hope against another civil war and as you might have sensed no one really wants that to happen..

[lastnymleft]

I understand your desire for the situation to continue, given the record of the previous head of the army, and the presumed benevolence of the incoming head, and the circumstances of Lebanon, but I am nonetheless very wary of such.

In the US there are three arms of government: Executive, Representatives, Judiciary. Each offers checks and balances for the other. Bad as it is now, how would it be if there was a fourth arm, with the military being controlled by an unelected dictator...say, Cheney?

[Soldior]

I agree and i too am wary but i support what was done that time.

But yes it can be abused but its not unchecked the real power in Lebanon is armed groups since they form the army and are intensely loyal to their faction the army is only really a symbol in lebanon.

[Soldior]

About Cheney becoming a dictator in due to a trick ...

Thank God you have the right to bear arms ;)

Thats what it was for btw.

[Soldior]

The current Lebanese government was agreed under the Taif accord deal and that meant that no group should be unrepresented and that special posts shall be reserved to groups based on their religion to preserve this now this is strange but it worked.

President: Christian

PM : Muslim Sunni

Parl. Speaker : Muslim Shia

And the government was split in general but when the opposition left in protest the government under that system agreed nul and void unless it makes an election which they refused.

[DesertSnake3245]

Truly a great outcome.

[Inkan1969]

I wish the best of luck to President Suleiman.  I hope that he truly is magnificent.

[MementoExpose]

Congrats Lebanon!

[Inkan1969]

Yes, congrats. I played the video at GrH31DcEMsU in the hopes for a better future.

[PauloGVieira]

Yet another example of how Lebanon just glosses over the cracks of its horrible foundations without solving any of its problems.