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Article: Don't sacrifice fragile Lebanon to curry favor with Syria
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- December 5, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2006 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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Once again Syria is a prime suspect in the murder of a Lebanese
leader, this time Pierre Gemayel, the Lebanese cabinet member and an
outspoken critic of Syria's meddling in Lebanon who was assassinated
last month in broad daylight. The motive? Syria's continued effort
to destabilize and control Lebanon while transforming itself into a
regional and global power broker.
On a regional level, Syria views Lebanon as a natural extension
of its territory. With a stagnant economy embodied in archaic
socialist policies and rampant corruption, Syria sees Lebanon as an
economic free zone and an employer for tens of thousands of
unemployed Syrians. For almost 29 years Syria was dependent on
Lebanon ...