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When Americans consider the most critical "fronts" in the war on terror, the top four are almost always Iraq, Afghanistan, the ongoing conflict in Israel's Palestinian territories and the various unknown theaters where U.S. special forces and intelligence collectors operate.Few, however, consider Lebanon a critical front. Sure, the Middle East nation has Hezbollah, but it also has Starbucks, resort hotels, trendy restaurants and a fashion industry that in many ways competes with Manhattan and Milan.But Lebanon is a front in which the enemy-the Iranian-Syrian axis and its proxy army, Hezbollah-has the upper hand, because it appreciates the country's geostrategic value and has capitalized on the fact that the West seems not to.Tom Harb, secretary general of the pro-democracy World Council of the Cedars Revolution, says the danger of losing Lebanon is imminent."Hezbollah will try to take over the Lebanese government by summer unless the pro-democracy majority proceeds and elects a president with a simple majority," Harb says. "If Hezbollah takes over they will move south, fully supporting Hamas in Gaza for a move on the West Bank."Ahmad al Assad, a Lebanese Shiia political leader whose father, Kamal, served as the country's speaker of Parliament, says the war against the "axis," particularly the Iranian regime, is actually being fought on three major fronts: Iraq, the West Bank and Gaza, and Lebanon."It is essential to win in Lebanon because Lebanon has all the ingredients to become a democracy and an open society with a blossoming economy," says Assad.Or, he says, it will continue its descent into the darkness of Islamic fundamentalism."If we lose Lebanon, we lose the entire Middle East," Assad says.As in the days of Noah....
