During her visit to the Middle East last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a surprise visit to Lebanon, where she reiterated Washington's support for that nascent democracy. Speaking in Beirut on Friday, Miss Rice warned Syrian strongman Bashar Assad against continuing his efforts to sabotage Lebanon's economy.   "We would like to see the day when there are good neighborly relations between Syria and Lebanon based on mutual respect and equality, she said. "But good neighbors don't close their borders to their neighbors," Miss Rice said in reference to Syrian "security" measures that have stranded Lebanese vehicles at the border between the two countries. "It is a very serious situation on the Lebanon border, where Lebanese trade is being strangled,"she added.  Indeed, even though Syria formally withdrew all of its troops from Lebanon at the end of April, there have been persistent reports that Syrian intelligence agents continue to operate in the country. Lebanese democracy is also endangered by Iran and Syria's longtime terrorist ally Hezbollah, which simultaneously functions as a Lebanese political party and a militia armed with more than 12,000 rockets, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. For now, Hezbollah, which substantially increased its presence in the Lebanese Parliament in the elections which concluded last month, will probably be successful in thwarting any efforts by the new Lebanese government to force it to disarm (as all of the other militias in the country, Muslim and Christian alike, did right after the Lebanese Civil War ended 15 years ago.) For the first time ever, the new Lebanese cabinet will include a Hezbollah member -- the energy and water minister, Mohammad Fneish. Given the organization's commitment to Israel's destruction, this will likely block any possibility of negotiations with Israel over water issues, a longstanding source of conflict. Although he is not formally a member of Hezbollah, the new foreign minister, Fawzi Salloukh, is a Shi'ite Muslim who is seen as being sympathetic to that organization. Other members of the new Lebanese government, in particular Defense Minister Elias Murr, are allies of Syria -- a reality that could paralyze the Lebanese Army and prevent it from ever becoming an effective counterweight to Hezbollah. So long as Lebanon's security forces fail to exercise full security control over the country's sovereign territory, Lebanon cannot be considered a fully independent, functioning democratic state.

Lebanon will demonstrate whether democracy stands a chance in the Middle East. Right now, it's a flip of the coin. -- Alan C. By Alan Caruba For anyone who is not Lebanese, trying to understand what is happening in a nation long regarded as an example of how Christians and Muslims could work together to govern and prosper remains a confusing matrix of competing religious factions. Lebanon, i.e. Beirut, was the Paris of the Middle East. It was modern and cosmopolitan. It was a financial hub. It was a place where a Muslim could go and enjoy its secular pleasures. That was, of course, prior to its fifteen year civil war from 1975 to 1990. It was triggered by an influx of heavily armed Palestinian refugees, many of whom arrived after being driven out of Jordan followed a failed attempt to overthrow the Hashemite monarchy. Today, Lebanon is the misbegotten child of French colonialism and its present troubles are usually dated to its independence in 1943. Prior to that it was a French protectorate,

Lebanese civil defense workers and firefighters inspect the car that exploded for any possible casualties in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, July 22, 2005. A bomb exploded on a busy Beirut street known for its restaurants, bars and nightlife late Friday, wounding two persons, security officials said. The blast came hours after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice left Beirut after a surprise visit in support of Lebanon's new government. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) To view More Pictures pls click READ MORE AP - Jul 22 1:57 PM

BEIRUT, Lebanon - A bomb exploded on a narrow street crowded with bars and restaurants late Friday, wounding 12 people just hours after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the area, officials said. The blast, from a bomb placed near a car parked in front of a restaurant, panicked the hundreds of people dining or smoking water pipes in the bustling sidewalk cafes on popular Monot Street. Lebanese families and Arab tourists, including black-veiled women visiting from the Gulf, scattered.Three cars were damaged by the 50-pound bomb. Security and hospital officials said 12 people were wounded.Lebanon has seen a string of bomb assassinations of politicians and other figures in recent months