Review of the Arab press

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Lebanon`s al-Anwar daily said Thursday the failure of the Rome conference on Lebanon was no surprise since those who are directing the Israeli war on the country, in reference to the United States, had determined the agenda of the meeting in Italy.

The paper commented that 'what failed in the conference, an immediate cease-fire, is what was intended to fail until further notice,' adding that what succeeded is the defining of the political framework for a solution, regardless of differences over details. It argued that the differences between the United States on the one hand, and the European and Arabs, on the other, over the timing for a cease-fire, are not over ending the violence by resolving its causes or its repercussions. It said all parties see the confrontations as defining the future of the region in terms of a new Middle East for Washington and a plan for deterrence by the resistance.

The paper, which describes itself as independent, added the United States wants this war to be the last one in Lebanon, while the resistance sees confronting the Israeli war on Lebanon as a long one that should end with defeating the occupation and its supporters. It stressed the Rome meeting confirmed that the war is Israeli and the solution an international one, 'but the real lasting and durable solution will be only Lebanese and nothing else.'

The London-based al-Quds al-Arabi said the United States chose to hold the Rome conference on the Lebanon-Israel war two weeks after the Israeli military offensive started because it thought the Shiite Hezbollah group`s infrastructure would have been destroyed by then.

The independent Palestinian-owned daily said Tel Aviv and Washington had believed two weeks of military operations was enough time to destroy Hezbollah to pave the way for implementing Security Council Resolution 1559, which called on the disarming of Lebanon`s militias, and to deploy international troops on the Lebanese-Israeli frontiers. The failure of the Rome meeting, it argued, means the war will continue for more weeks, expecting it to expand towards other regional countries like Syria and Iran. But the past two weeks of hostilities, the paper insisted, showed that Hezbollah managed to minimize its losses and results are starting to favor the organization, saying that the longer 'the Israeli aggression, the more advantages for the resistance.'

The paper, distributed in many Arab capitals, said the United States gave Israel another week or more to continue its offensive in the hope of achieving 'some sort of a face-saving victory in order to accept a cease-fire.' But, it opined, 'such a victory seems far-fetched if we take into consideration the steadfastness of the resistance,' adding the war started with underestimating the capabilities of Hezbollah, and will end with catastrophic results for America and its Arab allies.

Another London-based daily, ash-Sharq al-Awsat, remarked that Hezbollah is so far winning the battle, but accused it of 'preferring its weapons over its prisoners (held in Israel) and its people.'

The Saudi-owned paper claimed that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice came to Beirut to tell the government it will meet all the demands made by Hezbollah in terms of releasing Lebanese prisoners in Israel and to give the Shebaa Farms back to Lebanon from Israeli occupation, as well as deploying international forces on the borders. This was 'an opportunity of a lifetime for the Lebanese, to build a secure state for the next 100 years,' it said, complaining that it was 'shocking for any leader to brush aside such an offer to save his country.' It insisted that if the Lebanese people were asked, the majority would have approved such a solution, which it claimed would have been their 'salvation and happy ending to a series of sad crises.'

The Oman daily commented the steadfastness of the Lebanese resistance against the Israeli aggression and inflicting big losses on the Israeli military 'provide a significant lesson that resistance and faith in a national cause are very important.'

The pro-government paper said in its editorial that Arab solidarity with Lebanon was equally important. Despite the failure of the Rome conference, it added, Arab political efforts must continue to pressure Israel for a cease-fire.

The Arabic-language daily insisted the international community must not succumb to the American position that rejects a cease-fire with Israeli conditions. 'Israel and the stupidity of its aggression on Lebanon have put the entire region in a state of danger that could expand this war' across the region, it warned. The paper said the continued armed confrontations between Israeli forces and the Lebanese resistance will have 'important results, and it seems the resistance has given Israel, despite its military might, a big lesson on Lebanese steadfastness and defense' of their country.

Bahrain`s Akhbar al-Khaleej complained the United States and Britain don`t care about the children and widows of Lebanon and that Washington does not believe Lebanon is facing mass destruction. 'Everyone was seeking a cease-fire in Lebanon, except (President George W.) Bush and his follower (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair,' the pro-government daily said, adding such a position was a 'scandal.' Addressing the leaders in Washington and London, the commentary said: 'No sane person will respect you after today if you talk about a just international community.'

It opined their understanding of justice is 'twisted, and no one will buy your corrupt products any more... because you use an unstable scale, where you don`t distinguish between the occupier and the victim.' It also blasted the Arab reaction to the Israeli war on Lebanon, saying all the Arab people can do is donate goods, write poetry and sing nationalist songs. The Arabs, it protested, 'have sadly put (our fate) in the hands of Bush and Blair.'

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