Is the Syrian regime really serious about its announcement that it will execute a large-scale redeployment of its troops in Lebanon, perhaps in preparation for a complete withdrawal at a later date?
Hard to say. But if experience with this regime taught me anything, if precedents are taken into account, then the only thing I can do at this stage is to remain skeptical, skeptical until such time that the action promised actually takes place. Then, I still reserve the right to remain skeptical for a little while longer just in case our leaders took a counter-action that makes their first action meaningless.
With this regime “Never Trust and Verify Everything All the Time” should be the standard motto and operating procedure.
Our leaders say that they are confused, that they don’t really understand what the Americans really want from all these pressures they are exerting against them. Well, I don’ think I can be put it any more eloquently than the new UAE ruler did: “change or be changed.” That’s what the Americans want, their real intentions and reasons are beside the point.
In other words: auto-debaathification might indeed be preferable to exo-debaathification, seeing that debaathification is indeed a must.
