Beirut's Berlin Wall is Falling

Washington Post ^ | 2/23/05 | David Ignatius

[JarheadFromFlorida]

Beirut's Berlin By David Ignatius

Wednesday, February 23, 2005; Page A19

The leader of this Lebanese intifada is Walid Jumblatt, the patriarch of the Druze Muslim community and, until recently, a man who accommodated Syria's occupation. But something snapped for Jumblatt last year, when the Syrians overruled the Lebanese constitution and forced the reelection of their front man in Lebanon, President Emile Lahoud. The old slogans about Arab nationalism turned to ashes in Jumblatt's mouth, and he and Hariri openly began to defy Damascus.

"It's strange for me to say it, but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq," explains Jumblatt. "I was cynical about Iraq. But when I saw the Iraqi people voting three weeks ago, 8 million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world." Jumblatt says this spark of democratic revolt is spreading. "The Syrian people, the Egyptian people, all say that something is changing. The Berlin Wall has fallen. We can see it."

[JarheadFromFlorida]

I heard about this on Foxnews last night with Bret Hume. I'm surprised more people aren't talking about it. The people of the middle east are catching the democracy bug. Freemdom is coming to a neighborhood near you thanks to George W Bush.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Surprised to see this in the Compost.

[Bigh4u2]

That quote should be spread across every news media there is.

Of course, it will probably never happen.

It makes the President look 'too good' and RIGHT!

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this. The left wing mediots who are in bed with the Islamofascists will ignore what is happening in Beirut. This statement is incredible:

"It's strange for me to say it, but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq," explains Jumblatt. "I was cynical about Iraq. But when I saw the Iraqi people voting three weeks ago, 8 million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world." Jumblatt says this spark of democratic revolt is spreading. "The Syrian people, the Egyptian people, all say that something is changing. The Berlin Wall has fallen. We can see it."