Na'am?

"I am confident that Lebanon has chosen a leader committed to protecting its sovereignty, extending the Government's authority over all of Lebanon, and upholding Lebanon's international obligations under UN Security Council Resolutions," he [President George Bush] said.

"We look forward to working with President Suleiman in pursuit of our common values of freedom and independence."

I don't get it. Lebanon elects a president, yipppii, but Hezbollah clearly has gotten a huge political boost with the recent Doha agreement, Lebanon has fallen squarely into the Iranian axis, and the United States is sending us birthday cards and chocolate boxes? Where's the escalatory cowboy rhetoric about Iranian nucular weapons? Where's the "Hezbollah needs to give up its arms" shtick? Is the US admitting defeat and giving in to Nabih Berri's statement that "Lebanon is not the appropriate place for its New Middle East plan"? In yesterday's Parliamentary tennis match to elect Suleiman, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michelle Sison was not on the court, but on the sidelines playing the role of honorary ball boy.

Thanks, America. We didn't want you to bring the USS Cole to the Lebanese shore neither once nor twice, but if you were going to bring it, bring it. Unfortunately, this American sheep has cried wolf too many times in Lebanon and the region, and sold out on too many friends.

Middle East analysts have commented on the current undesirable positioning of the US as being neither liked, feared nor respected in the region. Now kindly add to the list that no one gives a shit anymore.