Cracks in the echelons of the Lebanese government are beginning to show, and mounting pressure on Syria is likely to widen the divisions, reports Hicham Safieddine Following the death of Rafik Al-Hariri, a mantra of all Lebanese political factions has been their support of national unity and the pursuit of the truth surrounding the crime. After the April withdrawal of Syrian troops and the spring parliamentary elections in its wake, a coalition of pro- and anti-Syrian forces constituted the new Lebanese government. The coalition was formed in the hope of preserving this frail sense of solidarity and reflecting the new balance of power emerging from the polling process. But in light of escalating pressure on Syria, the delicate balance of forces that has kept this coalition afloat is becoming increasingly untenable. In an unprecedented move last week, five members of the government representing the Shia parties of Hizbullah and Amal withdrew from a ministers meeting. The bone of contention was the official reaction the Lebanese government planned to adopt in response to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's speech. Al-Assad had warned against turning Lebanon into "a passage way to conspire against Syria" and suggested that Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Al-Siniora was merely a puppet following the orders of higher powers. Al-Siniora's Al-Hariri block and his allies inside the government were quick to express disapproval of the speech. But Amal and Hizbullah officials declared that statements issued by the government reflect only the opinions of those convened at the meeting. In a phone interview from Damascus, Hizbullah's foreign relations director Nawwaf Al-Musawi did not wish to comment on the specifics of Al-Assad's speech, but said his party's position vis-à-vis the Lebanese government reaction to the speech is not about the details of what Al-Assad did or did not say. He said it is rather based on the strategic choice of standing behind Syria in the face of international pressure. "We have repeatedly said that targeting Syria is indirectly targeting Lebanon and we [Hizbullah] are not going to allow it," Al-Musawi told Al-Ahram Weekly. Al-Musawi said there is still plenty of room for dialogue and cooperation between the different arms of government but he did not rule out the possibility of Hizbullah pulling out if things come to a head. "If we feel that our participation is making us partners in something we don't approve of, then we will consider leaving," he said. In a further sign of things to come, head of Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc Mohamed Raad has promised to question the government in the house over Al-Siniora's position regarding Resolution 1559 as stated in the Terry Roed Larsen's recently released report. One of the sticky points that has triggered government infighting and is expected to sharpen the row is the same one standing in the way of Syria's cooperation with the UN investigative team into the killing of Al-Hariri led by Detlev Mehlis. Upon his return to Beirut to resume his probe armed with new Security Council Resolution 1636, Mehlis is demanding to interrogate six high-ranking Syrian officials at his team's headquarters in Beirut. Syria maintains such a move is a clear violation of its sovereignty and has offered to hold these interrogations on Syrian soil under UN flag or in a third country. No breakthrough has been achieved yet, with Mehlis so far insisting on his demand, citing the sweeping mandate he was granted by the Security Council. The voices of dissent rising in the halls of Lebanese parliament surrounding these latest developments come amid further speculation of the fate of the president. Emile Lahoud had met Mehlis for more than five hours in what was seen by some observers as an informal session of testimony Lahoud has constantly tried to avoid. In his Sunday Sermon, influential Maronite patriarch Nasrallah Sfier said the president has to "weigh out whether his stay in power is beneficial or harmful". Meanwhile, Christian opposition leader Michael Aoun, who reportedly held an unannounced meeting in the past couple of weeks with the president -- something his office strongly denied, is on an official visit to Washington expected to tackle the presidential file. Aoun's visit is taking place with the backdrop of contacts between his party and Hizbullah officials over economic measures concerning the price of petrol Aoun has been calling for. It remains unclear how this cautious rapprochement will translate in terms of applying further pressure on the government's leading Al-Hariri coalition. In a telling gesture of efforts to overcome the sense of uncertainty prevailing in the country, close to 17,000 contestants from 71 countries filled the streets of Beirut on Sunday. They were taking part in the third annual Beirut marathon timely titled "Regaining trust in Lebanon to take off anew". The marathon that was 195km may have been completed in a matter of hours and amid cheers of its organisers, but the political marathon to bring the Lebanese crisis to end seems far from over.
