Will French President Nicolas Sarkozy raise the issue of Lebanon, Syria, Iran and the peace process when he meets with President Barack Obama in the White House on Monday? Naturally, there are various topics of concern to the French president, led by management of the economic crisis, which continues to ravage Europe and the West in particular, especially that he chairs the Group of 20 and the G-8 industrial countries. Sarkozy is very much concerned with seeing the success of his presidency of both groups, in view of gaining momentum for his expected candidacy in 2012 for a second term as president of France. Sarkozy is headed to Washington to convince Obama about the need for reforms to the global economic order, which will be a priority at this meeting. However, Sarkozy is also relying on a role for France in the Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations, as well as on the Israeli-Palestinian track. Paris has declared its disappointment with America's failure to push forward peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Sarkozy has said several times that all of the foundations of peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis are well-known, but that the problem lies in the current approach. The French president wants to convene a wide-scale conference in which leading great powers will take part, and follow up the peace process on a constant basis, by pressuring the concerned sides. The two presidents have many things to discuss. The crisis in the Ivory Coast will occupy them, but the Middle East, Syria, Iran and Lebanon, and the repercussions of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, might be one of the topics raised at this summit. Indeed, the White House is unsatisfied with President Sarkozy's policy of receiving Lebanese opposition leaders, such as General Michel Aoun. The American administration also differs with its French ally over the policy of engaging Syria. While it is true that President Obama appointed his ambassador to Damascus by getting around Congress, as part of his decision to engage Damascus, his administration believes that Paris moved too quickly by opening up too widely to Syria and having good relations with the country, before receiving an affirmation from the Syrians about the stability of Lebanon, and Syria's allies not blocking the work of the Cabinet. Paris believes there is no coordination with the American administration over Lebanon and Syria, because the United States and France have different policies with regard to these two countries, although they are agreed on the need to see the STL continue, and to prevent the murderers of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri from escaping punishment, despite the pressures exerted by the Lebanese opposition. The repercussions of the STL for the situation in Lebanon and the impact of Iran on Hezbollah and Hamas will be among the topics raised by the two presidents when they tackle the Middle East. Paris wants to see Lebanon avoid a security flare-up or a crisis in the situation when the STL indictment is issued, possibly in February or March. French efforts in this regard began with the receiving of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Paris, when Sarkozy affirmed that he has opted for stability, and not unrest in the region. However, there is another player on the Lebanese scene, and it enjoys considerable importance in terms of being able to obstruct things. This is Iran, whose supreme leader has declared that the STL is null and void, and unacceptable. Although no one can interfere in the work of international prosecutor Daniel Bellemare, Monday's discussions in the White House between Obama and Sarkozy will be important for the Middle East but not decisive on any topic, in view of the difference in policies and approaches of the two countries.
