Short, Simple Words

My Arabic, regrettably, is far from perfect, and that is something that I would like to apologize to my readership for. There are certain nuances that I am unable to unravel, various arguments that appear to be outside my ability to understand. This was my reaction after reading the translated statements of Hizbollah and the FPM's leaders regarding the assassination of Walid Eido. Perhaps it is easier to obfuscate in Arabic than it is in English. I do not know.

What is Hezbollah MP Fadlallah's response to the killing? "[W]e told them (the majority) let us not just condemn it... let us adopt serious steps" to resolve the deadlock. In other words -- give us our unity government, and your MPs won't be blown up. In English, we have a simple word for that sort of argument: blackmail. Fadlallah made his comments at a funeral. Where other people see coffins, he apparently sees bargaining chips.

But at least Hezbollah is consistent. They want to seize power by any means necessary, and they are not particularly shy in announcing it. In comparison, the Aounist response was not so much evil as it was intellectual incoherent.

"Another opposition group, the Free Patriotic Movement of prominent Christian leader Michel Aoun, said on Sunday it did not oppose by-elections -- as long as Lahoud signs the decree.

'We are all for by-elections, but we want to protect the constitution and we do not accept that any harm be done to the prerogatives of the president of the republic,' spokesman Antoine Nasrallah told AFP."

I am sympathetic to the argument that the rule of law must be respected, even if one disagrees with it. There is some truth to the FPM's position, and they should be praised for it. But their statement is only half of an argument. The FPM is mum on whether they want Lahoud to approve of the by-elections. Will they do anything to pressure him to sign off? Surely, Michel Aoun must have at least some influence left in March 8th. Lahoud's decision to validate the by-elections must set just as important a precedent as respecting the president's perogatives.

Please, let the problem be in the translation.