Last Tango In Paris

I always thought that it was possible for March 14 to find common ground with Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement. By this point, Aoun must realize that Amal and Hezbollah aren't going to stand up for his Presidential campaign. With his Presidential hopes dashed, March 14 might be able to find a way to drive a wedge between Aoun and the rest of the opposition. It won't be a deal where anyone gets everything they want, but it could be enough to get both sides on board. With the conclusion of two meetings between Aoun and Hariri, and a third occurring as I type, we'll soon see whether the two sides can reach a resolution.

But, of course, both sides are saying that they neglected to discuss the names of Presidential candidates. I'm starting to believe that they're just lying. What is there to agree on, other than the names of potential candidates? It's some combination of amusing and maddening to read the newspaper articles on the meetings, written by journalists who clearly have no idea what is going on, describe how the meeting "narrowed the gap separating their viewpoints" or some other sort of vague drivel.

Meanwhile: The United Nations, a little late to the game, discovers that Hezbollah is rearming. Good to see that someone over there is awake. They could have just listened to one of Hassan Nasrallah's speeches over the past year.