Heads up – Embassy 15 – February 2009

From bullets to ballots

It was a long-awaited carriage ride to Buckingham Palace for Lebanon's Ambassador to London.

Inaam Osseiran has been an 'ambassador-in-waiting' for over a year, as factional wrangling back home delayed elections and brought violence back to the streets of Beirut, kept her - and 35 other Lebanese ambassadors-elect - in diplomatic limbo.

Finally crisis talks in Doha rekindled the National Dialogue among Lebanon's political rivals, which paved the way to General Michel Suleiman being elected President, restoring calm to the Lebanese capital and stability to Lebanese politics.

The National Dialogue also produced a government of national unity, with cabinet positions carefully distributed among Lebanon's multi-confessional parties.

Another achievement is diplomatic relations with neighbouring Syria, which has long cast a shadow over Lebanese politics. "This is a symbol that Syria recognises our independence," says Osseiran.

But the upcoming hearings this month in the international tribunal at The Hague into the death of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is a source of tension.

The Ambassador is reluctant to speculate on the possible outcome of the tribunal, saying: "It's in the hands of the international court. It will be tough but it will close the chapter of Lebanese history. We all hope for a successful outcome because this issue stirs up a lot of problems between the different factions in Lebanon."

A new electoral law was also introduced to lessen factionalism. It is not perfect, admits the Ambassador, who believes further electoral reform is essential for her country's long-term political stability.

Still unresolved are strategic defence issues such as the liberation of the disputed Shebaa Farms, currently occupied by Israel, which the Ambassador hopes can be solved diplomatically.

Also under discussion is the disarming of the militias, which the Ambassador describes as a "very delicate issue" particularly with Israel's recent military action in Gaza. "There are 400,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon whose right to return to Palestine should be secured by the international community," insists the Ambassador.

Israel's military strikes in Gaza provoked isolated incidents of rocket fire into northern Israel from Lebanon, prompting fears of wider regional escalation of the conflict. But with an enlarged UN presence in southern Lebanon, along with reinforcements from the Lebanese Army, the Ambassador claims the situation "is under control" following the conflict in 2006.

However, the Ambassador points out that Israel repeatedly defies resolution 1701 by violating Lebanese airspace.

The reconstruction of southern Lebanon is underway, but with funds pledged by the international community still outstanding, it is slow work, says Osseiran. "The South was completely dismantled. It is really sad but again we will rebuild it - that is the Lebanese way!"

Now the Ambassador's top priority in London is to engage Britain more in the Middle East peace process.

"I think the British could do more because they understand the history of our region better than other countries," she says. In particular, she would like the UK to "exert more pressure" on Israel, "to achieve a just peace for the Palestinians and the Israelis."

"This is very important for the stability of the region and the stability of Lebanon because we are at the heart of it. We have so many factions that we are affected by the politics of the region."

Having lived through the peak of the civil war, the Ambassador knows all too well what happens when Lebanon's factions take up arms.

"I studied under the bombs," she explains. Every day she was one of a handful of students who took their lives in their hands as they made the perilous journey from West Beirut to East Beirut, dodging sniper fire to get to class. By night she studied by candlelight as the bombs shook her house.

But she persevered, obtaining her law degree and decided to enter the foreign ministry and work for a peaceful Lebanon.

Her skills as a diplomat were forged in the high-pressured environment of the United Nations in New York, where the situation in Lebanon frequently topped the agenda of the Security Council. "It was exhausting but rewarding," recalls Osseiran, who often worked 18-hour days. "This was my formative experience; this made me the diplomat I am today."

Postings followed in Paris, where she was in charge of culture; Madrid, where she witnessed the beginnings of the Barcelona Process; Milan, as consul general looking after vital Lebanese-Italian business ties; and Ambassador to Berne.

Now in London, Ambassador Osseiran wants "more substantive relations" with Britain. She is in the throes of organising the first-ever visit by a Lebanese head of state to Britain this summer and, with the Lebanese economy surprisingly resilient in this climate, an investment conference is also in the pipeline.

The vibrant Lebanese community also keeps her very busy, but the Ambassador recognises the important cultural bridge they form between the two countries.