| For this he was tried in a proceeding widely criticized by international-rights bodies, and in 1994 he became the only militia leader imprisoned for his actions during a conflict in which no faction had clean hands | The Cedar Revolution exploded just as the Internet was beginning to transform how mass movements communicate with their supporters and with the outside world, and the Lebanese provided a template for the pro-democracy uprisings that would rock the region in subsequent years |
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| If there has been a silver lining for the Arabs, it is that their leaders are now taking more responsibility for their own security | He spent the next 11 years in a tiny cell three floors beneath the Defense Ministry |
| Notably, the Saudi successes have coincided with the opposition making fresh gains on the ground in Syria | Not far is a replica of the basement prison where he spent more than a decade, including the Syrian torture device—a ceiling chain used to suspend and beat victims—situated just outside his cell |
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| In 2012 he survived an assassination attempt by sharpshooters firing from the hills surrounding his compound | Geagea, the Cedar Revolution meant freedom—literally |
And Lebanon is once more hostage to outside actors, mainly Iran and its proxies.
15| gave their backing to the protesters, and the hated Syrians decamped for Damascus on April 30 | |
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| 5 million gave birth to the Middle East democratic awakening | Ahmari is a Journal editorial-page writer based in London |
It was through such means that the pro-Iran camp gained the political veto it wields today.
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