Pressespiegel Dezember 2009 1. Saad al-Hariris„historischer“ Besuch in Damaskus Mit seinem Besuch in Damaskus am 12. und 13. Dezember bezeugte der libanesische Ministerpräsident Saad al ‐ Hariri die Verbesserung der syrisch ‐ libanesischen Beziehungen. „Die Himmel zwischen Syrien und Libanon sind blau“, sagte Hariri auf einer Pressekonferenz in der libanesischen Botschaft in Damaskus und versprach eine neue Phase der Kooperation zwischen den beiden Ländern. Hariri betonte, er habe mit Bashar al ‐ Assad weder über die von der UN geführ ‐ te Untersuchung der Ermordung seines Vaters noch über das Sondertribunal für Libanon gesprochen.„Das Tribunal macht seine Arbeit, und das ist, was alle wünschen“, so Hariri(Teshreen 13.12.2009). Die staatliche Tageszeitung al ‐ Baath titelte“Drei positive, ehrliche, freundliche Stunden … brechen das Eis und beenden die negative Phase der Ver ‐ gangenheit“.(al ‐ Baath 13.12.2009) Hariri's Syria visit sets Lebanon on track “ Hariri tried to put an end to the debate about his visit, saying that it should not be seen as one party scoring a point over the other,‘otherwise, we will never move forward’. Many in the Lebanese press said he has made a grand concession by coming to Syria, given accusa ‐ tions in Beirut that the Syrians were responsible for the murder of his father, Rafik, in February 2005. The Syri ‐ ans, however, see things very differently. They are convinced that they had nothing to do with the Hariri murder, meaning it is only natural for Hariri to come to Syria since they had done nothing to make him upset in the first place. Every Lebanese prime minister since the 1940s, after all, has made the trip to Syria, even Hariri ʹ s predecessor and protégé, Fouad al ‐ Siniora, who came during the lowest points in Syrian Lebanese relations, in 2005. If Hariri wants to rule Lebanon ‐ and succeed ‐ he needs to have good relations with Syria. Syria after all, according to what he said shortly before heading to Damascus, is Lebanon ʹ s‘only neighbor’.” Sami Moubayed, Asia Times, 23.12.2009 More assessment of the Hariri visit “To secure Damascus’ support, Hariri will have to commit to some core values that are key to Syria: Re ‐ affirming Lebanon’s Arab identity, securing an unam ‐ biguous position vis ‐ à ‐ vis the conflict with Israel, sup ‐ porting the resistance(i.e. Hezbollah) and committing to a distinguished relationship with Syria. From Syria’s perspective, all other issues may be negotiated. On the Syrian side, after a period of critical evaluation of its pre ‐ 2005 management of the‘Lebanese portfolio’, there seems to be a genuine interest, among the leadership in Damascus, in adopting a new, more institutional ap ‐ proach to managing the relationship with Lebanon, which could present an opportunity for Hariri. Personally and politically, the visit represented a diffi ‐ cult climb ‐ down for Saad Hariri. However, the visit could serve as the beginning of a personal reconcilia ‐ tion between Hariri and Assad, and consequently, of a political reconciliation between Syria and Lebanon’s Sunni community. Most importantly, harvested well, the visit could be a harbinger for a new type of rela ‐ tionship between the two countries. Regardless of how things play out, one thing was clear: After the acri ‐ mony of the last 5 years, in form and substance, Hariri’s visit to Damascus symbolized the return of Syria’s preeminence in Lebanon.” Firas Azmah, Syria Comment 25.12.2009 (www.joshualandis.com)