Conservatives are going to love this one...

As mentioned before, the pressure on Syria to pull out of Lebanon started after public outrage after the killing of the ex-prime minister, Rafik Hariri. And the fact that a half million demonstrated in favor of Hezbollah and Syria in the streets of Beirut yesterday is a sober warning too.

Also, as I said before, hats off to Bush for supporting this people power in action (not the pro-Syria people power, obviously). But who would have known from all the hoopla that the nature of that support is backing a UN Resolution proposed by France?! Let's see - diplomatic pressure, UN, working with European allies: these all sound more like liberal tactics to me than the normal neocon strongarm strategies!

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GC08Ak02.html

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=9293

"Events in Lebanon are moving in a very important direction. The Lebanese people are starting to express their aspirations for democracy ... This is something that we support very much," Rice told reporters at a London conference on the Middle East.
"We will focus very much ... on what we can help the Lebanese do. That means support for free and fair elections, that means election observers if necessary, monitoring if necessary," she added, alluding to general elections in May.
Barnier echoed Rice's demand that Syria comply with U.S.- and French-sponsored U.N. Security Council resolution 1559 demanding an end to foreign interference in Lebanon.
"There cannot be any pretexts, any excuses, not to carry it out," Barnier said. "It demands the sovereignty of Lebanon, the retreat of foreign troops and (intelligence) services."
The United States and France later issued a joint statement to underscore the demand and Rice said the "political directors" of the two countries would meet to discuss ways to help Lebanon.
http://www.aina.org/news/20050301103603.htm