"Fareed Zakaria GPS," Sundays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET on CNN
On this week's show, Fareed hears from Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati about Syria policy during a panel of Arab leaders at the World Economic Forum’s Davos meeting.
“We are disassociating ourselves from what's going on in Syria by all means. We are disassociating because we have a kind of historical, geographical relations with Syria. And now, today, if we take any position, really, we would be more boosting the division in our Lebanese society and between Lebanese citizens. For this reason, we had the position as the Lebanese government to disassociate ourselves. But this doesn’t mean that we disassociate ourselves from humanitarian issues.
“Today, we are helping and receiving Syrians without any limit. And why fully we are ensuring for them shelter, medical care, schooling, food – everything.”
Watch the full panel here.
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Most of the Arab leaders are American educators. Are they going to lead their People, under American-way, or else...?
I'm in full support of that decision of not politically getting involved into Syrian internal affairs. Who knows the initiator? How convinced are we that the end result which is ousting The Syrian Leader will definitely bring peace an justice to Syrians? Obviously we can use Irak as a mere example. Statistics in Irak today show they prefer Sadam's era than the daily ordeals they are going through now.
I am watching GPS the great program, and now your guests are the Arabs... Pathetic to say the least. They can hardly say something of value. The Lebanese (disociating) disassociating his country from Syria, the stupid Egyptian talking nonsense and lies as usual, the Palestinian still repeating the same things. No wonder they are not going anywhere except backward
I love the way FZ conveniently slips in a comment about how all the Arab Heads of State he's talking to are men... Pretty shallow pandering to women's groups Fareed! Last time I checked, the US does not have a female Head of State either... We should stop throwing stones and be careful of our your glass house FZ!
A great interview, with exactly the right amount of push and probing. FZ's point to the Egyptian Premier that the Arab states need to address women's roles and rights not as "Western," but as fundamental to Egypt's transformation. The reference as to who is head of state is, however, not Egypt's problem as much as whether women will be enabled to contribute across the board to Egypt's economic progress – as senior managers, middle managers, technical experts, educators and entrepreneurs, without being harassed on the street or shunted aside.
With its ethnic mosaics in Lebanon and 29 years of Syrian occupation, no doubt prime minister Najib Mikati, a Sunni business wants to disassociate himself from Assad. It took him five months to form a cabinet dominated by Hezbollah and its allies in the summer of 2011. He tries to be a non-partisan leader, but the opposition derides him as a figleaf for Hezbollah rule.