E-mail from an American in Beirut

When the Lebanese "war" broke out I e-mailed a number of contacts I had made during my recent visit to Beirut as well as to some Lebanon-based people I had come to meet over the years during international conferences. Some replied while some others did not. Their fate remains unknown to me as I write this article.

Before the war drew to a formal end, I received an e-mail from an American who worked from Beirut as the Middle East and North Africa country officer of a leading global financial services corporation. For convenience's sake I will refer to this person as X.

X's reply ran as follows:

"I have just evacuated to London and am still in a state of shock. I have been given two weeks administrative leave and do not know what to do with myself now. I arrived with one carry-on bag, and really feel like a refugee. I am told I need to go to a beach somewhere and in the words of my boss 'get some distance'. But how is that possible?

"Central Beirut has not yet been hit but I am worried about it. The nearest bomb was in Ashrafieh - you may have been taken to one of the lovely Lebanese restaurants there - Abdel Wahad or Al Mijana. It is the most exclusive part of town. A water truck was hit that the Israelis claimed was actually carrying weapons. Patent nonsense.

"The 'birth pangs of the Middle East' comment terrifies me. The Middle East is not waiting to be born. It was born long ago, and comments like this just confuse me and scare me that America - my country - can after all this time have so little an idea of reality.

"Is it really true that people call this government (in Lebanon) pro-Syrian? Good God! This government is so anti-Syrian, but it operates within the realms of what is possible, and had to include a few figures in it or we would have had no government at all since the President kept vetoing until some pro-Syrians were in there. Same for Hizbollah. I, like many, had hopes that including them in the government itself would lead to a mellowing of their stance - it is always harder to lead than it is to be in opposition.

"It was a gamble, and it seems we were wrong.

"They had plans all along to continue with the government only until it suited them and they had no qualms about breaking the commitments they had made to the rest of the people to restrain themselves. The same mistake that Chamberlain made with Hitler but surely it is always worth a try!

"Such a terrible situation, such a ferocity of force, and such a terrible misunderstanding of the reality of the situation by America yet again.

"However in many ways everyone feels that perhaps there is no other way to rid ourselves of Hizbollah.

"This bombing won't be enough, of course. It won't stop things. The root is Iran and Syria and yet again poor Lebanon is blamed and made to suffer for issues beyond their ability to control.

"The idea that Israel holds the government responsible for this sickens me.

"This is a militia, uncontrollable, with resources and support of some very wealthy nations.

"I know many of the members of this government personally, and I know that they too are sickened by Hizbollah but have long accepted that they cannot win against them, so they have had to live with them as best they can.

"My heart goes out to the good, good people in our government who are now held responsible for things they cannot control.

"When will America understand that they are the key to, if not lasting peace, at least a temporary cessation of hostilities in the Middle East? When will we begin to understand the danger that our policies put us all in?

"We have all sat this week saying this time last week we were... Remember this time last week when we had homes and lives and jobs to go to? Remember when we had lives? I left Beirut with the deeds to my house in my bag, just like the Palestinians did more than 50 years ago. They too hoped they would be gone for only a few weeks. We're all Palestinians now..."

Not even Robert Fisk could have put it better in one of his incisive dispatches from Beirut.

I give you my word that I have reproduced this e-mail in toto. Without any editing or adding any "colour" to it for sentimental shock or impact.

Since then the issue on whether, how or by whom Hizbollah should be disarmed has almost overshadowed the recent UN resolution on Lebanon.

On the positive side the resolution imposed a ceasefire, and facilitates the voluntary withdrawal of Israeli troops from South Lebanon by authorising a 15,000 strong multinational force to deploy in the area alongside a Lebanese army contingent of equal size. Even further, the multinational force will have robust rules of engagement but the resolution does not establish a clear framework for political negotiation. To stabilise Lebanon, a large-scale diplomatic mobilisation is required, and key world and regional powers must take the initiative on their own.

While I fully support the Swedish government's call on at least 60 different nations to participate actively in the international donors' conference it plans to hold at the end of the month, we cannot ignore the social dimension of the strong push Hizbollah have underway to help in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Lebanon itself.

Assistance from Arab countries is also solicited.

But Italian Foreign Minister Massimo d'Alema made it clear that one cannot simply write Hizbollah off the map. During the war they have been able to portray themselves as heroes in a holy war against Zionism. Having made Lebanon seem like Vietnam (which many people believe they did) they will have bought themselves years of political prestige and vitality.

Now is the time to sit and talk with their main backers. If Henry Kissinger did it in the past, why cannot the present administration do the same?

Then perhaps X can hopefully return safely to Lebanon to continue where one had left off.

Mr Brincat is shadow minister for foreign affairs and IT.