Politics & Policies: French-U.S. ties closer?

Politics & Policies: French-U.S. ties closer?
By Claude Salhani
UPI International Editor

Published 5/4/2005 8:57 AM

WASHINGTON, May 4 (UPI) -- The recent crisis in Lebanon has brought Paris and Washington closer than the two capitals have been since the outbreak of the Iraq war in March 2003 widened the gap between the Atlantic partners.

The Feb. 14 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a close and personal friend of French President Jacques Chirac, and the ensuing crisis, narrowed the trans-Atlantic schism that had previously developed. No one on this side of the ocean is pouring Bordeaux wine or fine champagne into the gutters any more. At the same time, the attitude of the French toward the Bush administration, while far from being a love affair, has greatly improved.

Paris and Washington co-sponsored United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559, calling on Syria to remove its military forces and intelligence units from Lebanon, and for Beirut to reclaim sovereignty over all its territory.

As Jean Francois-Poncet, a French senator and former foreign minister told United Press International at a recent lunch, the time for disputes is over. The French and the Americans had their differences, Poncet said, but that is "all in the past."

The two governments must now work together, stressed the French senator. And working together, Paris and Washington have been doing on a number of hot issues. France and the United States have cooperated on working to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, and they have been working particularly close on the situation in Lebanon.

Yet, despite the renewed rapprochement -- highlighted by the release of a joint French-U.S. statement Monday -- diverging views remain between France and the United States regarding the pace over which the follow-up to the Syrian pullout from Lebanon needs to be implemented.

Being more traditionalists, Europeans are used to slower-moving diplomatic initiatives. They tend to be somewhat more realistic when it comes to long negotiations and time constraints, principally when dealing in the Levant, where Europeans have centuries more experience than their U.S. allies.

"The Americans want to move at a faster pace," said a French diplomatic source, speaking to United Press International, on condition his name not be mentioned.

The joint statement on Lebanon delivered by U.S. Department of State spokesman Richard Boucher demonstrated that Washington and Paris see eye-to-eye, officially at least. In essence, both the French government and the U.S. administration agree, "Lebanon is a sovereign, independent state that aspires to freedom and democracy." Indeed. One rather wonders why this even needs to be stated.

Both countries, together with the "with the rest of the international community," pledged their support for Lebanon by drafting and passing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, calling on Syria to quit Lebanon, where its military and intelligence units have been stationed since 1976.

Complying with international pressures, Syria said it removed all its forces by April 30, and a U.N. team is now in Lebanon to verify the completion of the withdrawal.

The joint U.S.-French statement supports "the extension of the sole and exclusive control of the Government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory." It further states the two countries "stand ready to assist in this." The statement did not detail what form this assistance would entail.

What is particularly interesting in the joint statement, however, is what it does not say. The report makes no mention of anything relating to the Lebanese Shiite paramilitary organization, Hezbollah, or of disarming the Palestinian and other militias in Lebanon.

"No one forgot Hezbollah," the French diplomatic source told UPI. "They are just not a priority at the moment. The question of militias is mentioned in the political accords."

Matthew Levitt, an analyst with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, agrees. "There is no question of not dealing with Hezbollah," he told UPI. The statement makes no mention of the armed militias, because, said Levitt, "It's a recognition that 1559 has to get all (foreign) forces out of Lebanon."

If implementing the first part of 1559 -- calling on Syria to withdraw -- appeared relatively easy, addressing the issue of Hezbollah and its weapons will take much more astute political maneuvering. It is what the British would call a "sticky wicket."

The general consensus is that the issue has to be addressed but needs to be done intelligently and carefully, so as not to re-re-ignite the violence. The issue cannot be forced. A close aide of the former Lebanese prime minister told UPI Tuesday that the situation in Lebanon remained precarious.

"The intent is to have Hezbollah become more of a 'hizb' and less of a militia," said Levitt. (Hezb is Arabic for party, Hezbollah means party of God.)

"It has to be done politically," Levitt said. "No one believes you can disarm Hezbollah," (by force) added the Washington analyst.

France and the United States also expect the establishment of an international commission of inquiry to investigate the assassination of former prime minister Hariri "and the other murdered Lebanese citizens."

"The international community is ready to assist" Lebanon in organizing free elections. "France and the United States stand ready to respond to requests for assistance by a sovereign and democratic Lebanese government formed as a result of the forthcoming elections."

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(Comments may be sent to Claude@upi.com.)

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