Sarkozy warns Assad to stop obstructing Lebanese presidential vote

French president Nicolas Sarkozy told Arab correspondents in Paris Wednesday, Dec. 19, that if Syrian ruler BasharBashar AssadAssad fails to use his influence to facilitate the 9th attempt to hold a presidential election on Saturday, Dec. 22, he would reveal “my analysis of what has happened.” Sarkozy said this was the last chance to avoid confrontations that could lead to two competing governments in Beirut, a recipe for civil war. Amid rumors that Secretary Rice was on the way, US official DavidDavid WelchWelch, on his second visit to Beirut in four days, was told the chances were slim for Lebanese legislators to choose a president Saturday. He demanded that the pro-Syrian Speaker Nabih Berri act without further delay to call the house into session and have Emile Lahoud who stepped down Nov. 23 finally replaced. DEBKAfile: Since the US and France bowed to the sole candidacy of pro-Syrian chief of staff Michel Suleiman as president, the Hizballah-led opposition, actuated from Damascus and Tehran, has piled on new demands to expand their control of government.
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=4868

As in the days of Noah.....