The formation of the Lebanese cabinet headed by Saad Hariri on the eve of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's arrival in Paris is being talked about in Lebanese circles. Everyone has been saying that the government would be formed prior to al-Assad's visit, as if it was a desire to show the French that it had exerted positive pressure in Lebanon to see this government formed. This might actually be what happened, especially after Minister Sleiman Franjieh undertook praiseworthy efforts with General Michel Aoun to get the impasse solved. But in fact, Franco-Syrian relations did not require such a positive initiative in order to improve. There is a relationship of friendship between Presidents Sarkozy and al-Assad and this channel was opened by the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem, and the secretary general of the French Presidency, Claude Gueant. Despite the friendly message sent by President Sarkozy, congratulating Saad Hariri and calling on him to visit France, Franco-Syrian relations have become much more important than the topic of Lebanon. Sarkozy realized that as a result of his attempts with President Michel Sleiman, the decision of war and peace with Israel was not in the Lebanese arena, as the allies of Syria in Lebanon would stave off these intentions, since Damascus rejected this. These Lebanese allies, such as Hizbullah, sometimes ask about Syria's intentions when it negotiates with Israel without prior consultation. However, in the end, they know that the decision on peace is Syria's. In fact, France's highest authorities are angry at the weakness of the Lebanese leadership and are bored with the domestic disputes. France now sees Syria as an important key to the region, so Sarkozy has forged a friendship with al-Assad, just like his relationship with the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak. Sarkozy even began by tasking al-Assad and his ally, Palestinian Khaled Meshaal, to try and release the Israeli soldier, Gilad Schalit, who holds French citizenship. This angered the Egyptians, who were dealing with this. Certainly, despite the friendliness in Lebanon's relations with the majority of French politicians, due to the two countries' historical ties, President Sarkozy is concerned now with playing a role in the peace process with Israel and he realizes that Syria alone can give him this role. Lebanon is not a key to the region. It was the bastion of Francophonie and the Christians there had a historical relationship with France. However, this changed with the Sarkozy administration's neglect of the Maronite patriarch, Nasrallah Sfeir. The French president visited Lebanon twice and did not find time to visit the patriarch. The same goes for the French prime minister, Francois Fillon, and the foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner. Sarkozy's France has changed its relationship with the Maronite patriarch, who was a key player during the terms of Presidents Francois Mitterand and Jacques Chirac. Sarkozy wants results from his relationships in the region. Syria is a key to this. It holds the Hamas card, and splits the Hizbullah card with Iran. Syria is also useful in its alliance with Iran, as it showed when it helped gain the release of the French hostage, Clotilde Reiss, from an Iranian prison to the French Embassy in Tehran, where she remains. Sarkozy mistakenly believes that his friendship with Syria is going to separate Damascus from Tehran. During al-Assad's visit to Paris on Friday, when Sarkozy receives him, he can thank Syria for its help in forming the Lebanese government, as he did for the return of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Sarkozy believes that everything he has asked of Syria has been carried out until now. France has not embarrassed Syria and has never asked it to stop supplying Hizbullah with weapons. Sarkozy will ignore this as long as he is trying to play a role in peace. However, his Israeli friend, Benjamin Netanyahu, who he will receive today, on his way back from Washington, refuses to make any compromise. He does not want to compromise on the Golan Heights, or stop settlements, or want a Palestinian state. He prefers instability in the region to peace. However, Sarkozy will try to push the peace process forward with his new friend, Bashar al-Assad. The hope is that he succeeds, even if it is a mission impossible, with Netanyahu. Peace between Syria and Israel is the best for Lebanon and the region, no matter how weak Lebanon is.
