Memo To Sheikh Saad

Here's what the "Sunni street" is saying. From the LAT:

"'We are prepared to fight for a few hours but not more,' said one of the Sunni fighters in the waning moments of the battle. 'Where do we get ammunition and weapons from? We are blocked. The roads are blocked. Even Saad Hariri has left us to face our fate alone.'"

And this, from yesterday's New York Times:

"'Saad Hariri let us down,' said one young man in Tarik Jadideh, where the streets were still littered with broken glass on Friday, and blackened building facades bore witness to fierce battles the night before with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. 'We don't want the Future Movement any more, or the whole Hariri family.' The man refused to give his name, because Mr. Hariri is such an important figure in the area."

The army neglected to confront Hezbollah's militiamen, with the idea that letting one side run roughshod would limit casualties. This might have been true in the short term, but it is only going to ensure the recurrence of violence in the future.

There is no community in the world that will roll over meekly when its government or political leaders are unable to protect them. Since it seems to be a fantasy that the Lebanese army is going to do anything positive, Saad Hariri is going to be under intense pressure from his supporters to (re)build a stronger, larger, and better-trained militia. If he does not, he will no longer be the leader of Lebanese Sunnis. Simple as that.