History - Does It Have To Be So, Well "Historical"?

One of the big problems plaguing the West's approach to the Middle East is our routine refusal to consider the history of trouble spots. When Israel attacked Lebanon this summer, Harper acted as though the history of that conflict began with the kidnapping of three Israeli soldiers. His self-inflicted myopia made it easy for him to take sides but impossible for him to really weigh what it all meant.

Today in Lebanon we have a Christian minister assassinated, presumably at the hands of Syria or some Syrian-backed elements such as Hezbollah. It's very hard to understand what's going on in Lebanon unless you take a look at its troubled history. Fortunately a summary of that history appeared in today's International Herald Tribune:

"Following is a timeline of Syrian power in Lebanon, with reporting from The New York Times and Reuters.

APRIL 1975 -- Clashes that are later seen as the start of Lebanon's 15-year civil war erupt in Beirut.

JUNE 1976 -- Syrian troops enter Lebanon to restore peace.

OCTOBER 1976 -- Arab conferences establish a predominantly Syrian peacekeeping force.

JUNE 1982 -- After repeated Palestinian incursions from southern Lebanon, Israel begins a full-scale invasion. The Syrian Army is ousted from Beirut.

SEPTEMBER 1982 -- President-elect Bashir Gemayel was killed when a bomb shattered the headquarters of his Lebanese Christian Phalangist Party in east Beirut.

MAY 1983 -- Israel and Lebanon sign a peace accord detailing the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

MARCH 1984 -- Under intense pressure from Syria, the Lebanese government cancels its peace agreement with Israel.

MARCH 1989 -- The Maronite Christian leader in Lebanon, Gen. Michel Aoun, declares a "war of liberation" against the Syrian presence.

OCTOBER 1989 -- The Lebanese National Assembly takes a step toward ending the civil war by endorsing the so-called Taif Accord, which calls for Syria to pull its troops back to the eastern Bekaa region but does not set a date for a full pullout.

OCTOBER 1990 -- In one of the last moves of the civil war, Syria's Air Force attacks the Lebanese presidential palace, and General Aoun takes refuge in the French Embassy. Through the early 90's, Syrian dominance in the country becomes less overt.

OCTOBER 1998 -- Emile Lahoud, a general who is backed by Syria, is elected president by Parliament.

MAY 2000 -- Israel ends its occupation of southern Lebanon.

DECEMBER 2000 -- In a surprise move, hundreds of Syrian soldiers leave Beirut and settle in the Bekaa region near the border, though thousands still remain in the country.

2003 -- Syria carries out two partial troop withdrawals, in February and July, bringing its force in Lebanon to about 16,000 soldiers, down from about 30,000 troops in mid-2000.

SEPTEMBER 2004 -- Despite criticism from the U.N. Security Council, Parliament bows to Syrian pressure and extends Mr. Lahoud's presidential term by three years.

OCTOBER 2004 -- Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his cabinet resign in protest over Syria's dominant role in Lebanese government.

DECEMBER 2004 -- A united Lebanese opposition denounces the Syrian presence and calls for a new government. Later, Syria for the first time admits the presence of its secret service in Lebanon and says it will dismantle the operation.

FEBRUARY 2005 -- Mr. Hariri and 14 others are killed in a car bombing in Beirut.

JUNE 2 -- Samir Kassir, journalist opposed to Syria's role in Lebanon, is killed in Beirut by bomb in his car.

JUNE 21 -- George Hawi, a former Communist Party leader and critic of Syria, is killed in Beirut by bomb in his car.

DECEMBER 12 -- Gebran Tueni, a staunchly anti-Syrian member of parliament and Lebanese newspaper magnate, is killed by a car bomb in Beirut.

NOVEMBER 21 -- Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel is killed by gunmen as his convoy drives through the Christian Sin el-Fil neighbourhood of Beirut."

Of course, this timeline only deals with Syrian involvement in Lebanon. The overall problem is greater than that and naturally extends to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and other factors. If nothing else, this shows what a confusing mess is represented in today's Lebanon and how much it needs international help to achieve its promise that is impossible without stability.