I was pretty ecstatic this morning when I read the news that the parliament of Lebanon chose to dissolve, facing popular protest against Syrian occupation/influence. Good article today in the Wall Street Journal (subscription only, so no link) about the history of the Syrian occupation. It somehow manages to avoid mention of the Israeli invasion, so maybe it’s not that good an article. Still, it helps explain a lot of the current dynamic among the politico-religious factions in Lebanon. I hope that Syria follows Israel’s lead and withdraws its troops (along with its secret service) from the country.
I’m not quite as sanguine about the news out of Egypt, where Mubarak is pledging to institute democratic reforms for a multiparty election. Still, to hear him even pay lip service to this concept is amazing.
Wonder what prompted the change of heart?