Would Basil have made a difference?
Reader comment on item: Lebanon's Liberation Approaches

Submitted by Elias Khoury (Canada), Feb 23, 2005 at 08:42

Dear Sir:

Your article connects everything to the killing of Basil. My contention is:

1. There is no guarantee that Basil would have done better, though I reckon he could have hardly done worse.
2. You do not question Syria's involvement, so, at least, we can put this obvious issue to rest....
3.... However, you put this under the label of stupidity. I do think stupidiy was part of it. Yet I have been mulling for a while, that Syria is playing the survival of its own regime in Lebanon, and not only that of it's presence there, and that therefore they will be viscious and criminal and destructive to the edge of their capabilities (and they have some). I am therefore bracing that it will get worse before it gets better, for us Lebanese.
4. Walid Jumblatt, the only other (besides slain Hariri) opponent to Syria, of Statesman stature, is voicing disappointment that international pressure (and indeed American) is nonexistant, or at least ineffective so far, to derail Syria's plans for the Lebanon.

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