[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 17 (Monday, February 4, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

               REMEMBERING FORMER PRESIDENT RAFIQ HARIRI

 Mr. OBAMA. Madam President, the continued deadlock over 
Lebanon's Presidency brings further instability to an important country 
in the Middle East. We cannot idly stand by as an emerging democracy 
whose people have long ties to the United States teeters on the verge 
of collapse. The United States must turn the page on the Bush 
administration's failed Lebanon policy and replace hollow rhetoric with 
sustained diplomatic engagement. We must work with our European and 
Arab allies to foster a new Lebanese consensus around a stable and 
democratic Lebanon.
  With the approach of the third anniversary of the assassination of 
former Prime Minister Hariri, our thoughts are with the Lebanese people 
as they struggle against extremist forces and continued intervention in 
their national affairs by Syria and Iran. Across the broader Middle 
East, the failures of the Bush administration are everywhere manifest. 
Instead of defeating extremists and elevating the cause of freedom, the 
administration's Middle East record includes an unfinished war in 
Afghanistan; a war in Iraq that should have never been authorized that 
has cost us precious lives, trillions of dollars, the readiness of our 
military, and our standing in the world; a too-long neglected Israeli-
Palestinian peace process; and an emboldened Iran taking advantage of 
waning American influence throughout the region, and our refusal to use 
direct diplomacy to advance our interests.
  Add to this string of failures the state of affairs in deeply divided 
Lebanon, once heralded by the President as a stepping stone in his 
``forward march of freedom.'' During its first term, the Bush 
administration largely ignored the country. It took the brutal 
assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in February of 2005 to 
wake it from its stupor. At that time, the administration acted 
appropriately and pressed the Syrians to end their oppressive presence 
in Lebanon and called for an international effort to identify and 
punish those responsible for the assassination.
  But, as with many parts of the world, the administration trumpeted 
the Cedar Revolution as its own success when the real credit should 
have gone to the people of Lebanon. And, as is often the case, there 
was no follow-through by the administration to consolidate democratic 
gains, and momentum was lost.
  As a result, the hope and opportunity for change that characterized 
Lebanon 2 years ago has been replaced by cynicism and renewed civil 
strife. In that time, Lebanon has witnessed a string of political 
assassinations aimed at critics of Syrian influence that threaten to 
undermine the very foundations of its democracy; a devastating war 
between Israel and Hizbullah; a deepening political standoff between 
the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the opposition; and 
a long and bloody confrontation between Lebanon's army and an al-Qaida-
inspired group of extremists.
  It is time to engage in diplomatic efforts to help build a new 
Lebanese consensus. These efforts should focus on the need for 
electoral reform, an end to the current corrupt patronage system, and 
the development of the economy so as to provide for a fair distribution 
of services, opportunities, and employment.
  The United States can play a positive role in helping achieve this 
consensus. We should support the efforts of our Arab allies and work 
with them to promote compromise among Lebanon's disparate groups. We 
should support the implementation of all U.N. reforms including the 
tribunal established to try those accused of assassinating former Prime 
Minister Hariri. We should work with our European allies and the 
Sarkozy government in France in calling for an all-party intra-Lebanese 
dialogue. Finally, we must make clear that part of any national compact 
must be the disarmament of all militias.
  Moreover, we must support the implementation of U.N. Security Council 
resolutions that reinforce Lebanon's sovereignty, especially resolution 
1701 banning the provision of arms to Hizbullah, which is violated by 
Iran and Syria. As we push for national consensus, we should continue 
to support the democratically elected government of Prime Minister 
Siniora, strengthen the Lebanese army, and insist on the disarming of 
Hizbullah, before it drags Lebanon into another unnecessary war. And it 
is vital that we work with the international community and private 
sector to rebuild Lebanon and get its economy back on its feet.
  As the tragic events of the past few years make clear, what happens 
in Lebanon affects other American priorities in the region, including 
the fight against al-Qaida and other extremists, as well as 
opportunities for regional stability and peace. To neglect Lebanon 
would not only serve our interests badly, it would fail a nation whose 
people have suffered too much for too long a nation that could now be 
on the edge of a new precipice.

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