US Naval Presence Under Fire

The pro-government magazine Black and White has blamed Lebanese politicians Saad al-Hariri and Amin Gemayel for the United States decision to deploy a warship off the Lebanese coast.



In an editorial, the magazine accused Hariri and Gemayel of “turning over the leadership of their drowning ship to the captain of the USS Cole because they were unable to win their political game.”



In this week’s issue, Black and White carried a picture of the US warship on its cover and said that certain Arab states were likely to have colluded with the US, an indirect reference to Saudi Arabia, which has a difficult relationship with Syria. The magazine said such countries were aware of “the probable American-Israeli aggressive plan for Lebanon, which could grow to include Syria and the Palestinians”.



Agence France Press reported that the USS Cole was replaced by two other warships on March 6.



[Editor’s note: Lebanon’s western- and Saudi-backed government, including Hariri and Gemayel, is deadlocked with the Syrian- and Iranian-backed opposition. The country has not had a president since November.]