Not Seeing Is Believing

InstantReplay will believe Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's recycled promises to withdraw troops from coastal Lebanon when we don't see any Syrians there. The kleptocratic Syrians are fifteen years late in pulling back to the Beqaa Valley, where the Lebanese government exerts little influence.

The assassination of Rafik Hariri, probably by Syrian-backed assassins, has touched off a wave of protest among Christian Lebanese. The upcoming parliamentary elections will extend the anger. However, any real Syrian pullout will depend on continued anger even beyond the elections. We'll believe it when we don't see them.