The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1958-07-25
BY MARIs HADAD

bY Vse%NsS Vr@T~
R UT, Lebanon, -
With a great part of thu
country and its frontier
held by rebel forces, the
outlook for Lebanon hang.
in the balance.
But whatever comes Of
the rebellion that got un
derway last May 10, the
politicoreligious jigsaw which
is Lebanon has become harder
than ever to piece together.
A few of the bigger pieces o.
the puzzle stand out:
President Camille Cha
moun, in accordance with un
written law in this Arab natior
in which Christians and Mos
lens are almost equal in mum
Der, is a Maronite Catholic. Bu'
his spiritual father, the Marc
mite Rite Patriarch Of Antioch
who is additionally the mos
important religious figure il
the country, is uncompromising
y. opposed to him.
The Premier, Ssmi Sohl.
following ihs same vnwriffen
code, Is . Svnnife Moslem. He
has in effect been sxeommvn-
lestsd by sUnnifs religious
leaders, but Is known to have
fhs friendship and support Of
some Of The eevntry,s csfho-
lie bishops.
Most observers agree tina
q majority Of the people is op
posed to the armed revolt. Blu
q great part Of Lebanon, includ
ing areas within this capital city
itself, is In rebel hands. Will
an estimated 95 per cent of thu
frontier controlled by rebels
the observers sent here by thu
United Nations have been ad
mittedly unable to determine
what they were sent to observe
the massive" Intervention
the government claims is being
made by the United Arab Re
public. The government hal
consequently denied the U.N
report that foreign infiltratior
Is negligible.
The rebel forces have not
enc leader, but ss least four.
with apparently % many diff
ssrsnf sos!s. The one common
aim Of ell opposition forces.
however. Is ths custer Of Mr..
Glamour. But the Presidents
six.yssr term expires on Sept.
Is, and both he and Premier
Sohl have declared since The
start Of The rebellion that be-.
ssvss The Constitution bars .
president from succeeding
himsslf, he 10 not seeking re-
election and ssnnof BE- 70.
elected. More recently Mr..
Glamour has TOLD ths press
thst hs very definitely" In
tends 10 bow out when his
term expires.
The situation Is the settinl
for . struggle which is boun,
to have effects reaching far be
yond the borders of this nation
of fewer than one and 4 hal
million people In in area small
or than the state Of Connect
cut.
The major ramifications o
the Lebanese crisis, all closel,
interviewer, include these:
/. Possible consolidation O
Soviet influence in the Middl,
East and eventual control of it
vital oil fields and pipelines
The Kremlin has been cheering
on the rebels all along, and Leb
anese government spokesmei
assert that satellite-made arm
have been found on rebel cap
tives.
Z. A rebel victory would
spell . considerable victory
for ths forces Of psnArab-
ism, spssrhssdsd by President
AbdsI Canal Nssssr's United
Arab Republic. n Il eonsid-
cred significant fhst fhe 20.
litiesl crisis here did not be-
eoms armed conflict until The
sssssslnation Of Nsssib Mssni,
editor end publisher Of Bsi-
rvts proc . m m Untsf and
strongly hro-Nasssr Telegraph
In the second week Of Nay.
Equally poignant Is The fact
thst when The revolt broke
cut Mr.. Nssssr ~ whose RI.
do prcpsssndists In both
Cairo snd Dsmssevs had been
firing . bsrrsss Of venom q
The chsmovn-SohI severn
mont for months - was in
The midst Of . srivmphaI good
will four 81 ths Soviet Union.
,. The future of Moslem
Christian relations Throughout
the Arab world could be affect
q. Hand In hand with the wav,
Of Arab nationalist feeling {,
date has been an overtone o
Moslem supremacy.
Lebanon has traditional,
been I s~howplace Of religion
coexistence. II her internal pol
itics and foreign policy came I,
be solicited along religion
lines, the outcome could hardl,
TAIL but be one Of unbreachabl,
antagonism between Christian
and Moslem groups. Such an ex
ample could hardly point tn
path Of accord to the newt,
emerging Arab countries O
North Africa and tho Macs Tav