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Their Worst Nightmare: Itamar Rabinovich on the Crisis in Lebanon

(Yediot Ahronot) Roi Nachmias - * The dramatic events in Lebanon are sure to resonate throughout the Middle East and accelerate democratization processes, says noted Syria expert Itamar Rabinovich. "The pressures for democratization exist in other places and I have no doubt they would erupt, in one way or another, in the future....There is almost no Arab state where such pressures don't exist." * The Syrians are unlikely to renounce their dominance in Lebanon without a fight, he says, though pressure on Syria to pull out of Lebanon will intensify, and a precedent of a non-violent popular protest bringing down a puppet regime has been set. * For Syria, he adds, this is no longer a war for Lebanon, but a struggle to protect their home turf because the Lebanese example could stimulate internal Syrian opposition forces, dormant for a long time.
2005-03-01 00:00:00
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