Among the last of King Abdullah's official visitors last week was a stocky, cigar-smoking man with a tarboosh tilted jauntily over a blunt, puckish face. He was Riad Bey el Solh, 57, one of the Middle East's shrewdest politicians and Lebanon's first premier when the little country became independent in 1943.
He had worked hard for Lebanese independence and was something of a national hero, but he also faced stiff political opposition. The fascist-like Syrian National Party wanted Lebanon reunited with Syria to become part of an Arab superstate, Greater Syria. El Solh stood for Lebanon's complete independence. Two years ago the...
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