Syria and Lebanon must look to the future while accepting the past. And Arab diplomacy may be key, writes Ibrahim Nafie After the UN Security Council issued Resolution 1644, extending the mandate of the international commission of investigation into the assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri, Damascus promised to cooperate with the new head of the commission, which is a good start. For the next six months, the commission will be trying to put the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together, to reveal the truth about what happened. It is hoped that the commission proceeds in its work with caution. Leaks by the commission in the past have hindered rather than helped the investigation. Meanwhile, we have to do something about the growing tension in Syrian- Lebanese relations, especially following recent statements by former Syrian vice- president Abdul-Halim Khaddam. The Arab League and major Arab countries could assist in this respect. There are already signs that some effort is underway. Over the past few weeks, Lebanon's Saad Al-Hariri came to Cairo. Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad also held talks in Cairo with President Hosni Mubarak. Saudi King Abdullah met Lebanese writer and politician Ghassan Tueni, father of slain journalist Gibran Tueni. President Mubarak visited Saudi Arabia for talks with King Abdullah. Arab countries are in touch with various Lebanese parties in an effort to keep the crisis from escalating. I believe that mediation efforts, with some cooperation from Syrian and Lebanese leaders, stand a good chance of success. The Lebanese scene is tricky and cannot possibly be sorted out overnight. The political baggage in Lebanon is such that Arab countries and organisations that try to intercede often run into a wall of prejudice. Those who want to mediate in Lebanon should therefore have a very clear vision of what they want to achieve and who to talk to. The Arab League has already tried to defuse tensions in Syrian-Lebanese relations, and although some parties welcomed the effort others blocked it with all their might. We cannot afford to let the tensions escalate, not when the media is blowing the whole thing out of proportion. The Lebanese government says it's open to Arab mediation. But the Lebanese want to know the full truth about the murder of Al-Hariri, Tueni, and others. Bury the grudges but not the truth, Ghassan Tueni recently said. Egypt has good ties with various Lebanese parties as well as with Damascus. This is why the efforts Cairo is undertaking, in coordination with Riyadh, to defuse the crisis are so vital. The shuttle visits that General Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman is expected to pay to Beirut and Damascus in the coming few days may succeed in calming things down. The first thing to do would be to stop the war of rhetoric from getting worse. Then it would be time to heal the political divisions in Lebanon and address thorny issues in Syrian-Lebanese relations. This is the task Egyptian diplomacy is assuming, but success depends on the willingness of the Syrians and Lebanese to cooperate. Should Arab efforts succeed in defusing the current crisis, this would take a lot of the pressure off Syria's back. And Lebanon would be in a better position as well, for current divisions on the Lebanese scene do not augur well for the stability of that country. It is time for Syria and Lebanon to have a fresh and healthy start.
