Ahmadinejad’s visit to Beirut draws criticism

BEIRUT – Iran’s president made a bold show of strength in Lebanon on Wednesday, vowing before thousands of Hezbollah supporters that U.S. and Israeli power in the Middle East will soon be eclipsed.

The visit by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, welcomed by crowds of cheering Shiites, underscored the eroding position of pro-Western factions in Lebanon. More broadly, it suggested that the competition over influence in Lebanon may be tipping toward Iran and its ally Syria, away from the United States and its Arab allies, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

“We seek a unified, modern Lebanon,” said Ahmadinejad, whose country is the main patron of the Shiite Hezbollah militant group, the most powerful military force in Lebanon. “We will stand with the people and government of Lebanon – and with all elements in the Lebanese nation – until they achieve all their goals.”

Ahmadinejad sought to depict his country as an ally of the entire nation, not just Hezbollah. Iran, whose ties to the group date back nearly 30 years, funds Hezbollah to the tune of millions of dollars a year and is believed to supply much of its arsenal. Hezbollah boasts widespread support among Shiites and virtually runs a state-within-a-state in Shiite areas.

But Ahmadinejad’s dramatic arrival only exacerbated fears among many Lebanese – particularly Sunnis and Christians – that Iran and Hezbollah are seeking to impose their will on the country and possibly pull Lebanon into a conflict with Israel.

The United States and Israel criticized the visit, with White House spokesman Robert Gibbs saying Ahmadinejad is continuing his “provocative ways.”

After meeting Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and signing a series of economic and commercial cooperation agreements, Ahmadinejad went to Hezbollah’s stronghold in the Shiite district of south Beirut. Before a crowd of Hezbollah supporters, he gave a passionate speech denouncing the United States and Israel.

He blamed Washington for the heated sectarian divisions in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Mideast, saying the United States sought to create strife “between people from different religions who coexisted for hundreds of years.” He warned that the only way for Washington to keep its position in the region was to “end the domination of the Zionist regime.”

“The Zionist regime is sliding towards collapse, and no power is capable of saving it,” he said.

Allies of Lebanon’s Western-backed, mainly Sunni coalition, which is led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, showed their worry over Ahmadinejad’s visit.

A group of 250 politicians, lawyers and activists wrote an open letter to Ahmadinejad, criticizing his support of Hezbollah.