As Lebanese President Michel Sleiman arrives in Washington for his first official meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama, the White House should provide him some concrete support for his goals of rebuilding state institutions, securing Israeli withdrawal from disputed territories and bridging differences among Lebanese groups. These goals are vital for U.S. interest in Lebanon, and for ensuring the country's stability amidst increasing signs of conflict in the Middle East. Sleiman, who is heading a delegation that includes Defense Minister Elias Murr –a key ally of the U.S. in the new government for his role in rebuilding the military, and Foreign Minister Ali Al-Shami-close to the opposition that includes Hizballah, is slated to meet President Obama, Vice President Joseph Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Although Mr. Sleiman visited Washington for an abrupt one day stop in September of 2008, this is his highest visit and the most prominent for a Lebanese head of state since 1984 and the freeze on such visits afterwards during the Lebanese civil war then later the Syrian dominance over Lebanon throughout the nineties. The visit itself reasserts in a symbolic sense Sleiman's role and the prominence of the Presidency seat, which under the Lebanese confessional system is held by the Maronites , a Christian minority in the Middle East. President Obama in his Cairo speech addressed that minority, by emphasizing that “the richness of religious diversity must be upheld -- whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt”, and the visit stands as a strong signal in that direction. On the political level, and although Sleiman's agenda diverges with the administration on the issues of disarming Hizballah, and relations with Syria, the U.S. administration should be realistic in its expectations and nature of investment in Lebanon. The U.S. interest in Lebanon, as it joggles between the two most pressing issues in the Middle East - the Peace Process and the Iranian nuclear stalemate- is in maintaining stability and strengthening rule of state in the country. These are the two pillars that can hold off Lebanon from slipping back into conflict, or from being exploited by either Iran or Israel in any possible regional confrontation. Mr. Sleiman stands as Washington's strongest potential partner in pushing in that direction. Very much like President Obama, Lebanon's head of state résumé is that of a consensus builder, and a national leader whose role was crucial in breaking the deadlock of the cabinet formation, and lately in bringing former political foes to reconcile in his office in Baabda. His record as a former head of the Army, and choice of Murr as defense minister, and Ziad Baroud, another independent figure, to head security forces, reflects a commitment to strengthening security forces and Lebanese armed forces, which stand as the only guarantee against the ambitious military agenda of Hizballah. Washington's support for the Lebanese army since 2006 (more than 500 million dollars) is a key on Sleiman's agenda, and as important will be Sleiman's request for additional pressure from the U.S. on Israel to withdraw from Ghajar and Shebaa, the two disputed territories that Hizballah holds as major justifications to keep its arms. The Lebanese delegation will also request some guarantees that the U.S. won't agree for settling more than 400 thousand Palestinian refugees in Lebanon in its efforts to achieve Middle East Peace, and out of fear that it will tip the sectarian balance in that country. The Obama administration has been clear in stating that it won't accept a Peace deal at the expense of Lebanon, and it has reiterated its commitment for supporting the army. Indicating a concrete plan regarding the military aid, as well as a pledge from Washington to use its diplomatic leverage on Israel to pull out of disputed areas, however, will be keys to stabilizing Lebanon in the long term and essential for the broader U.S. interest in the region.
