April 4, 2010 - Al Ahram - New bottles, old wine?

Syria's president appears to be setting a new course for relations with Lebanon. But is it so, and would it work, asks Omayma Abdel-Latif in Beirut

When Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad was recently asked to comment on Lebanese developments, his answer -- in an Al-Manar TV interview on Wednesday, 24 March -- was a plea "to keep Syria out of the small details of Lebanese politics". He added that Syrian intervention in Lebanon's domestic scene was "undermining Syrian interests".

Al-Assad was commenting on the "campaign" against the Lebanese presidency led by one of Syria's staunch allies in Lebanon. The Syrian president's statements made headlines in Lebanese papers the morning after and triggered questions over whether or not this heralded a shift in Syrian policy towards Lebanon. Al-Assad also spoke about "building personal relations with Al-Hariri" as a way to push institutional ties. He reiterated his country's support for President Suleiman and the Islamic resistance movement, Hizbullah.

A chorus of Lebanese politicians from across the spectrum were keen to register their comments on Al-Assad's statements. The March 14 camp -- or what remains of it -- pointed out, in the words of Fares Said, head of the March 14 secretariat, that "Al-Assad used an old approach in dealing with Lebanese national issues." Ibrahim Najjar, justice minister who is with the rightwing Lebanese Forces, echoed the same view, saying that Syria "has not changed its policy towards Lebanon," accusing it of being "clearly biased towards the resistance and making choices similar to that of Iran."

The opposition camp, on the other hand, spoke about "turning a new page with Syria and establishing normal relations". Hizbullah issued a statement on Thursday, 25 March, praising Al-Assad. It said that he was "clear on the future of Lebanese-Syrian relations". Meanwhile, Druze Leader MP Walid Jumblatt, who is expected to visit Damascus next week ending five years of political animosity, said in an interview with the daily As-Safir on Sunday that he and Al-Assad "turned a new page, each in his own way". Jumblatt added that Lebanese-Syrian relations should be based on "trust and honesty".

For his part, Prime Minister Al-Hariri described Al-Assad's statements as positive. Al-Hariri is due to visit Damascus on 14 April with an official delegation to review bilateral agreements between the two countries.

The strongest support, however, came from the Lebanese president, who appeared keen to stress "the special relations with Syria" in an attempt to put an end to speculations about "deteriorating relations with Syria". Suleiman, in an interview with As-Safir on Tuesday, described Lebanese-Syrian relations as "perfect and strategic". He commended his Syrian counterpart for "his credibility, honesty and sense of ethics".

Suleiman further added that he was "in constant communication with Al-Assad" and that both were "seeing eye to eye on most of the issues". "We consult a lot about different issues and I listen to his views and he offers advice when need be," Suleiman said. Suleiman said he adopts the Syrian president's clear positions with regards to unifying Arab stances and supporting the Palestinian cause as well as the resistance.

Al-Assad appears also keen to address an issue that has proved a point of contention during the past five years -- the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). "If anyone in Lebanon has proof that Syria was implicated in any crime, let him follow the legal measures in this regard," Al-Assad said. According to the Syrian president, there is "a bazaar of international tribunals" with lost significance -- a clear allusion to the STL.

But while the Syrian president seemed confident, there are growing fears in Lebanon that international efforts backed by March 14 to implicate Syria in the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri might now be turning on Hizbullah. The resistance movement's secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, is due to give a TV interview on Wednesday on Al-Manar to address leaks that have been making the rounds about summoning members of Hizbullah before the STL's Investigation Committee.

Khaled Saghyia, a political analyst of daily Al-Akhbar, said that neither the Lebanese political class nor the Syrians seem intent on changing "the rules of the old game" -- that neither seeks a different dynamic than that which prevailed since the 1990s. "They are going back to the same old game while seeking to convince each other that they are turning a new page," wrote Saghyia in Al-Akhbar Tuesday.

Another Lebanese analyst, Nasri Al-Saygh, suggested that Lebanon's self-appointed spokespersons for Syria should not be allowed a role in shaping the relationship. Al-Saygh said Syria had a responsibility to restrict the damaging interventions of its allies. "Only when institutions -- and not individuals -- are able to shape the relationship and set its parameters, then we can talk about healthy relations."