Lebanese President Michel Suleiman yesterday reiterated Lebanon's commitment to UN resolutions and its international obligations in his address to the UN General Assembly. But while his speech was quite vocal on the question of the Palestinian statehood, Suleiman failed to make mention of the developments in Syria - or their repercussions on Lebanon. The question of Syria will undoubtedly emerge, however, at the UN Security Council meetings to be held today and next week, when Prime Minister Najib Mikati arrives in New York. Mikati and other Lebanese officials are hoping to dodge the Syria bullet by steering Lebanon away from potential political confrontation with the Syrian regime.

In his address to the General Assembly, Suleiman expressed Lebanon's support for the recognition of the state of the Palestinians and their right to obtaining full membership to the UN. He cautioned, however, that the recognition does not restore the "full rights nor could it be considered as a final solution to the Palestinian question." The final solution, he said, would guarantee the return of the refugees to their homeland - a thorny issue in the historical Lebanese debate on the Palestinian question. The Lebanese categorically reject the naturalization of some 400,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon due to the imbalance it would cause to the country's sectarian make-up.

The Syrian question proves more difficult for international and regional leaders alike. The question of how to deal with the uprising has become a divisive issue, with the U.S. and EU pressing forward with harsher sanctions while Russia is circulating a draft resolution encouraging all parties in Syria to "start dialogue at the negotiations table." Countries that have traditionally taken Assad's side are starting to chart new courses in their regional strategies - most important of which has been Turkey's decision to cut all ties with the Syrian regime.

The question is even more problematic for Lebanese officials - such as Mikati, who has strong international business ties and a close relationship with Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Lebanese government maintains that it should not "interfere" in Syria's affairs, and has taken this stance to the UNSC, where, as temporary president of the Council, it has chosen to act under the slogan "preventive diplomacy."

As Lebanese diplomats try to maneuver in a semblance of a "middle ground" in the Syrian quagmire, Syrian refugees - estimated to have reached 4,000 - continue to cross the border into Lebanon. They now fear for their lives even in Lebanon, after Syrian troops, in an attempt to arrest those who are fleeing the violence, fired into the northern border of Akkar last week, wounding one Lebanese civilian. The Syrian army has threatened to repeat its incursions into Lebanese territories should the Lebanese continue to offer Syrians protection. Residents of the Lebanese village of Akkar demanded the deployment of the Lebanese Army at the borders, but the Army will not be driven into a clash with Syrian troops.

Not surprisingly, this violation of Lebanese territorial sovereignty did not make it to the list of violations reported in President Suleiman's speech before the UN General Assembly. The Lebanese officials' caution with the Syrian issue may be understandable given the unequal relations between the two countries. However, they must not ignore the demands of a considerable portion of their population, neither should they act blind to the moral bankruptcy of the Syrian regime. It is a matter of time before Assad's backers realize that investing in a regime which lost the support of its own people is not the wisest judgment.