Lebanon deal reached

The deal announced in one immediate change in Beirut: government protesters dismantled their tents in the middle of the city. This protest all but crippled parts of Beirut’s downtown, and no one thought it could go on this long. Gunfire on the streets of Beirut were ultimately the real cause for change, says this man. The agreement is more or less what the Hezbollah opposition wanted eighteen months ago: they got a unity government with veto power and an electoral law which will divide Lebanon into smaller sized voting districts to allow for better representation of the various sects, and they put off any discussion of putting down their weapons. This government official says Hezbollah, Lebanon and the world need to move forward. That may be easier said than done. The US endorsed the deal but will continue to shun Hezbollah, but many say this kind of black and white mentality and favor by the West may be hindering development in the country. another wild card in the situation is the indirect talks between Israel and Syria�a possible peace deal between those two countries would put Hezbollah in an interesting position since its whole reason for being is to fight Israel.