The Company We Keep

While the US refuses to allow moderate Iranian dissidents to visit the United States (see Scott's post below) the Bush administration is rolling out the red carpet for Lebanese politicians with murky pasts and uncertain commitments to peace and democracy.

Walid Jumblatt, the leader of Lebanon's Druze Muslims, was in Washington this week to meet with the President, Condoleeza Rice, and just about everyone else. He got big cheers on the neo-conservative lecture circuit, especially at the American Enterprise Institute, the great minds that brought us the War in Iraq and perhaps other future fiascos. The next unsavory Lebanese politician on the guest list, according to the local press, will probably be Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces. The LF, which is now a political party, used to be one of the country's most dangerous Christian militias. They are still easy to spot at demonstrations. They're the guys wearing aviator sunglasses and doing Nazi-esque one armed salutes.

If a war crimes tribunal or truth and reconciliation commission ever took a deep look into Lebanon's past, let's just say that these two man would have a lot of explaining to do. And not everyone is as willing to let bygones be bygones as the Bush administration. A website run in honor of the Marine veterans of America's expeditionary force in Lebanon during the 1980's accuses Jumblatt of helping kill American solders.

So why are these former warlords the flavor of the month in Washington, while Iranian academics get the cold shoulder? Because Jumblatt and Gagea are now advocates of greater US pressure against Iran and Syria. Indeed, Jumblatt, who has called for regime change in Syria, is in Washington to ask for more American help against Syria and Iranian interests in Lebanon. Perhaps a PR strategy is at work: bring in the saber-rattlers and muffle the voices of moderation. It smells like 2003 all over again.

--Andrew Lee Butters/Beirut