"All Syrian military forces and intelligence personnel must withdraw before the Lebanese elections, for those elections to be free and fair," George W. Bush said to an applauding audience at Fort McNair on Tuesday. He continued: "The Lebanese people have the right to determine their future, free from domination by a foreign power." Is it just Syrian occupation that taints an election, or any foreign occupation? No doubt Europeans, Arabs, and other non-Americans hearing Bush's words asked themselves that question.

It's difficult to envision last month's Iraqi election happening without U.S. occupation. It's equally difficult to envision a credible election in Lebanon with Syrian occupation. One can debate the effects, but the intents of Syrian and American occupation differ: the former seeks to dominate, the latter seeks to liberate. That said: given that we currently occupy two Muslim countries and have military outposts in several more, will President Bush's words have the effect of shaming Syria into vacating their neighbor or of solidifying Arab perceptions of U.S. hypocrisy?

and American perceptions of hypocrisy

I believe it will finally forge a lasting relationship between the Palestinians (who make up 10% of the population) and Hezbollah. And with the lines being drawn now, it looks like the civil war is set to begin all over again. Except this time, the only ones with any real firepower is Hezbollah, who will soon control the country completely. I don't guess this is what we are trying to foster in Lebanon, but anyone with eyes can see that this is what will happen. These guys are ready for a fight, and make no mistake: We'll end up in it if it comes to that, because we'll feel responsible. To quote Han Solo: "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"I believe it will finally forge a lasting relationship between the Palestinians (who make up 10% of the population) and Hezbollah."

I believe there's been a relationship between the two for quite a while.

I really think that the middle east and its neighbors need to put pressure on Syria.

Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia should speak out against the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, since they all seem to be encouraging forms of democracy in their own countries.

For once Bush, stay out of this, and let it stay a regional issue!

Hezbollah's only alliance with the Palestinians is that it conducts attacks on Israel on their behalf. The refugee population in Lebanaon is all over the place politically.

And Egypt's violent supression of the "enough" movement is hardly an encouragment of democracy. Saudi democracy? huh?

I think Saudi Arabia and Egypt have already made it clear that they're heading towards democratic reform. Saudi Arabia has already made it adamantly clear that Syrian forces must vacate Lebanon... and the Saudis aren't happy about what Syria is doing. They're are genuinely opposed.

I think Pres. Bush's words will in some ways shame Syria yet the Syrians are gonna retreat, mobilize, and then aggressively try to engage the U.S. Syrian will not backdown quietly... the President is correct that the Lebanese have a right to determine the course of their country free of Syrian influence and free of American influence although we may have indirectly influenced Lebanese through the success of Iraqi elections.

We may have? I have little doubt that the actions of the Bush administration in refusing to negotiate with dictators and following a policy of preemptive war are directly responsible for the democratic upheavels we are seeing in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and throughout the middle east.

I fancied seeing the masses in Lebanon protesting Americas' empirialism. We need to m.o.o.b and fund alternative energy resources here at home. We have not exhausted every potential energy source in the known universe by any means. The US dep. of energy discourages this research. Why?? Free energy= no profit= no control. Google one Dr. Eugene Mallove

I fancied seeing Truth, a mental power so greatly beyond ours, a man who can see the truth of the shadow world while the rest of us are blind, mispell the word "Imperialism."

Oh, resulting to the old grammatical attacks huh? Good stuff. My deepest apologies for not "proof reading"

"Do Unto Others Before They Have Done to You"
-the book of Bush, 9:11