What's Next In Lebanon?

Naharnet asks who is likely the next Lebanese Prime Minister.

Berri and Hizbullah's leader Sayyed Hassan Nasralllah appear likely to go along with the opposition demands and both sides had no serious objections to observe the constitutional process that President Lahoud conduct consultations with parliament block leaders to designate a new prime minister.

Lahoud has accepted Karami's resignation and asked him to care-take until a new government is formed. Jumblat and Gen. Aoun have warned against a military government. But sources close to the presidential palace were quoted by the local media Tuesday as saying Lahoud was not inclined to the idea of a military junta.

They also said Lahoud favored a 10-member government of non-partisan technocrats under ex-Premier Salim Hoss to navigate the nation through the transition, but that the president was also open to such names of Bahia Hariri or Fouad Siniora.

Both Hariri and Siniora have said, "no thanks" so far. It looks like the interim PM is likely to be Hoss.

Take a look at this:

I am not taken to overflowing hope and the general goodness of man and all that. But it is becoming difficult for me to see pictures like this and not start to believe that there is something fundamentally different in the way the world is dealing with itself.

Now, it would be really great if someday, somebody thinks of adding a Star of David and someone else takes a picture. I'm not going to place any bets on that side.

But still, it's a step.

Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir has accepted an invitation to visit the White House on March 16. The Cardinal is the patriarch of the Maronite Church and is a leader of the opposition.

Martyr's Square has been renamed Freedom Square. A story in the Washington Times says that the protests are a Christian-Muslim joint venture although there are differing reports that suggest that this was primarily a Christian endeavor.

The Daily Star has a day-by-day rundown of the last two weeks since Rafik Hariri's assassination.

Farid Abboud, Lebanese Ambassador to the US is on Fox saying that Syria will indeed get out "in an orderly fashion." He doesn't say that Lahoud will resign, but he can hardly be expected to call for his president's ouster. They are still under Syria's thumb.

But anything can happen, I suppose, and it is being reported that the protesters are staying until Lahoud is gone. We'll see.