Lebanese presidential elections have been delayed for the 11th time since President ?mile Lahoud stepped down in late November 2007. The delays reflect a power struggle between the imperialist-backed March 14 Alliance and opposition forces.
French president Nicolas Sarkozy has since suspended diplomatic ties with Syria claiming it is obstructing Lebanese elections, less than two weeks after Bush declared his patience with Syrian president Bashar Assad “ran out a long time ago.”
In reality, French and U.S. officials see Syrian ties to the Lebanese opposition as an obstacle to their own meddling in Lebanon. Imperialist pressure forced Syrian troops out of Lebanon in 2005, paving the way for a U.S.-backed Israeli attack the following year. Hezbollah, a key force in the current Lebanese opposition, played the chief role in defeating the invasion.
