Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., January 02, 2008 Tevet 24, 5768 | | Israel Time: 10:10 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File Magazine

del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 10:59 31/12/2007 Lebanon policy / France's lost honor By Daniel Ben Simon Tags: Nicolas Sarkozy Poor Bernard Kouchner. What hasn't France's charismatic, hyperactive foreign minister done to demonstrate his country's influence over Lebanon? The moment he was appointed to his post by President Nicolas Sarkozy, Kouchner made Lebanon the touchstone of France's foreign policy. He went to Beirut seven times to improve bilateral relations and prepare the ground for the election of a successor to the pro-French president, Emile Lahoud. Some Foreign Ministry officials did not hide their resentment of the enormous investment Kouchner has made in Lebanon. "I estimate that he spends 50 percent of his time and energy on the issue of Lebanon," said a French journalist who joined the foreign minister's recent trips. When Kouchner judged that the situation called for a presidential push, he urged Sarkozy to call his Syrian counterpart, President Bashar Assad, for a heart-to-heart. The first conversation between the two presidents took place exactly one month ago - a frank, pretense-free talk, associates reported. "Don't interfere in Lebanon's selection of a president," Sarkozy told Assad. "You have nothing to worry about," the Syrian president assured him. Advertisement The talk was not a simple matter. Sarkozy's predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was so incensed with Syria after the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri that he suspended relations with Assad. Chirac, who wept at Hariri's funeral, viewed Syria as the main perpetrator of all of Lebanon's troubles. As if the tete-a-tete were insufficient, Sarkozy sent his chief of staff, Claude Gueant, to Damascus for talks with senior Syrian officials to ensure a smooth presidential transition in Lebanon. On Saturday another attempt to choose a new president failed - Michel Suleiman. The election was postponed for the 11th time since Lahoud ended his term on November 23. This is the background for Sarkozy's seething anger. While the French media were beside themselves - whether out of rage or sympathy - at the sight of the president and his supermodel girlfriend strolling the golden-sand beach of Sharm el-Sheikh and other resorts, Sarkozy planted his bomb. After promising that his support for Israel would not affect France's relations with Arab states, Sarkozy announced the suspension of talks with Syria. To a large extent, Sarkozy was expressing frustration over his country's enormous diplomatic investment, which failed to bear fruit, and he was announcing a new tack regarding Syria. As if to say - you want force, we'll give you force. He was left with no other way to save the lost honor of his country in the eyes of its many supporters in Lebanon. Bookmark to del.icio.us Muslims study Holocaust For Dutch educators, Islamophobia can be a teaching aid for Holocaust studies. White House race Edwards is the angry candidate; Obama prefers conciliation.   1.   Lebanon policy 11:12  |  Natallie Durson 31/12/07   2.   Durson 11:25  |  Daniel 31/12/07   3.   FRANCE has always regarded Lebanon as a client state,"family" 11:37  |  PETER SM 31/12/07   4.   The French - all mouth and trousers 11:41  |  Clickfool 31/12/07   5.   HE THINK EVERYBODY AFRAID OF HIM 12:16  |  indrajaya 31/12/07   6.   Happy New Year, Click-here-to-meet-a-fool! 12:28  |  A Jew 31/12/07   7.   For "A Jew" # 6 12:41  |  Clickfool 31/12/07   8.   Sarkozy 12:57  |  Scott G 31/12/07   9.   Sarkozy & Honor? 13:31  |  Cynical 31/12/07   10.   The british, no mouth no throusers 14:02  |  julien 31/12/07   11.   SARKOZY IS GREAT! 14:05  |  Ernest Graefenberg 31/12/07   12.   Sarkozy is a ruffion 14:35  |  Serenity 31/12/07   13.   Clickfool 14:52  |  Albert Seligman 31/12/07   14.   #1 Nut a lee in Los angeles a real EXPERT on nothing 15:04  |  Petra 31/12/07   15.   Napoleon is venting his frustration 15:05  |  Tosefta 31/12/07   16.   the french created lebanon in 1926 from the 15:17  |  victor hardman 31/12/07   17.   UNFORTUNATELY, FRANCE HAS NO 15:24  |  Robert 31/12/07   18.   SARKOZY JUST ANOTHER ANGRY ZIONIST 15:27  |  YIKES 31/12/07   19.   # 1 Durson.....most Lebanese do not hate or blame 15:59  |  Lynn 31/12/07   20.   Foreign meddling in the region: EU & US 16:20  |  UN MAN 31/12/07   21.   Happpy New Year! 2008 years since the birth of Jesus! 16:21  |  American 31/12/07   22.   Albert 16:47  |  Andy 31/12/07   23.   Clickfool forgets doesnt care about the five UK civilians in Iran 16:49  |  Iz Ray Leigh 31/12/07   24.   Brushed aside by history 16:59  |  Leb 31/12/07   25.   Praised Sarkozy 17:03  |  Ismaeel abu Amar 31/12/07   26.   Good job Sarkozy 17:04  |  Abu Yusuf 31/12/07   27.   the French, even more irrelevant today 17:08  |  French Arab 31/12/07   28.   tosefta your knowledge of lebanon is non-existent 17:39  |  trevelyan 31/12/07   29.   Clickfool and Village people 17:45  |  H 31/12/07   30.   Clicky- you are one ignorant fool 17:47  |  Ben 31/12/07   31.   The Right to Interfere in Lebanon 18:07  |  Mark of Lewiston 31/12/07   32.   Had Sarkozy been president in 1975... 18:10  |  Walter 31/12/07   33.   Emile Lahoud 18:16  |  Lebanese Citizen 31/12/07   34.   From this article and a previous one, I don`t understand it 18:27  |  S 31/12/07   35.   #19 Say Cupcake Lynn 20:13  |  ballistic 31/12/07   36.   lebanon Policy 20:55  |  A jew 31/12/07   37.   # 21 The Julian calendar you mean? 14:24  |  Petra 01/01/08   38.   # 33 And Lebonon LOVES SYRIA, fool 14:32  |  Petra 01/01/08   39.   Lebanon 18:46  |  P. J. Casey 01/01/08   40.   sarkozy is a sha y an 03:26  |  Obvious Implant 02/01/08   41.   Poor France 04:25  |  Colin Wright 02/01/08   42.   Lebanon loves Syria???? In what Universe? 08:39  |  Amal 02/01/08

Today Online Uzi Benziman: Sooner or later, Olmert will have to quit Responses: 10 No moving Jewish lips in prayer on Temple Mount, says Dichter Responses: 57 Ely Karmon: Israel must keep up its effort against Hamas Responses: 2 IDF kills six armed Gaza militants in land and air strikes Responses: 45 More Headlines 09:34 IDF kills six armed Gaza militants from land and air 08:59 Nasrallah set to go on TV to discuss kidnapped IDF soldiers 09:36 PA says it prevented Hamas-planned suicide attack in Israel 09:38 Olmert, Bush and Abbas to hold three-way summit in Jerusalem 08:29 No moving Jewish lips in prayer on Temple Mount, says Dichter 08:39 Psalms teacher gets 23 years for sexually assaulting children 09:44 Memorial held for Druze commando killed in training accident 08:41 Court rules to evict eight Jewish families from E. Jerusalem house 09:10 Barak: West Bank roadblocks are effective, will remain in place Previous Editions Select Day 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 28 dec 27 dec 26 dec 25 dec 24 dec 23 dec 21 dec 20 dec 19 dec

Special Offers Advertisement Inbal Jerusalem Hotel Unbeatable rates at the Finest hotel in Jerusalem Invest in Macedonia New Business Heaven in Europe Long-term Israel programs MASA is your gateway. More programs. More grants. Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Dead Sea Salt Beauty and skin care from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 10% off! Holiday Inn and Crown Plaza Israel Lowest internet rate Guaranteed at ichotelsgroup.com ! AMERICANS ONE MONTH LEFT US citizen in Israel beat online Democrats-Abroad Presidential Primary deadline.

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved