US Vice President Joe Biden is in Beirut today to meet with government leaders just two weeks before the Lebanese parliamentary elections. Biden will be meeting with the three heads of government: President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, and Speaker Nabbih Berri.
His visit is expected to last for a few hours, just long enough to express his support for the Saad Hariri-led March 14 Coaltion, made up of mostly Christian and Sunni MP’s.
The June 7 elections are shaping up as a battle between pro-Western March 14 and the Iran & Syria backed March 6 coalition, which is made up of mostly Shia and some Christian MP’s.
The elections’ margins are expected to be razor thin and the Obama administration is remaining tight lipped over its course of action in the event of a Hizballah victory.
With the results expected to be so close this is understandable, as there is little to gain from overly denouncing Hizballah before the vote. If the Hizballah wins, Washington will be forced to reconsider its position on the group, which would be made much more difficult if the administration had been harsh. And if Hizballah loses, it doesn’t matter anyway because Washington was already backing March 14.
Biden’s visit marks the second high profile visit to Lebanon by a US politician in less than a month, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visiting in April. It seems Washington is watching this one very closely.
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