Silence Isn't Golden in Foreign Relations

Remember Lebanon, where in the past summer there was a war in which our country refused to work for a ceasefire? Recall that Israeli bombardment killed innocents, while Secretary of State Rice blantantly favored the hostilities over working with Hezbollah and making any concessions to their local forces. Well, surprise, surprise, the anti-Western element there has closed down Beirut with rioting today in an attempt to throw out the Western-backed government.

Our peculiar diplomacy, that will not acknowledge and work with the valid representatives, often elected by popular vote,is not doing much of a job. I recall the "heckuva job, brownie" statement - the minions of this administration are not chosen for any ability to do the job. It looks like the Middle East is swinging toward its extremes in a large part due to that bumbling.

The hideous violence in the Lebanese war caused the UN finally to seek to work out a peace. In this summer's war, a proposal advanced by France and the U.S. was introduced at the U.N. and rejected, because Israel's troops would be allowed to stay in Lebanon.

Fouad Siniora , the Lebanese Prime Minister, telephoned Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, and President Chirac of France to plead for changes, but was rebuffed.

The negotiations by invitation only are now resulting in a standstill while Hezbollah seems to represent the popular will, aroused by the irrationally biased actions of our government. Our image is of bullheaded ignorance, and it arouses disdain. It inspires nationalist elements that can show how little their country's interest is regarded by this country.

The strike came two days before Saniora and his economic team seek financial aid for Lebanon at an international donors' conference in Paris. The opposition has also said the grants and loans -- which local analysts set at around US$5 billion (euro3.1 billion) -- would only increase the national debt and further weaken the economy, hard hit by the summer war between Hezbollah guerrillas and Israel.

The cynical use of a country's needs to involve it in financial obligations is an old familiar theme, and Third World Debt is infamous for a stranglehold by the prosperous on a developing country such as Lebanon. Violence is one result. Terrorist tactics is another.

We need diplomats in offices that deal with the world at large. The staffing of our international functions under the concept of cronyisms is doing lasting harm.