In his National Review diary for today, Dave Frum elaborates on points I raised yesterday. Put simply: despite unprecedented scrutiny from the world's superpower and Damascus' French colonial stepfather, as well as Washington's clearly articulated promise to shield Lebanon from Syrian subduction, Bashar Assad's most expedient utility is force and his agents are as embedded in Lebanon as they are in Iraq. Frum also believes that Lebanon is more important to Assad's power in the short term, and that Assad may not have the patience nor the acumen for a drawn-out game of long ball.

Frum concludes with fair confidence in the White House's resolve to grapple with Assad, alluding to an argument Wretchard offered this morning, insofar as terrorism against Lebanese or inserted Allied security forces will likely be as effective as it has been in Iraq — where Iraqis demonstrate against an enemy who appears increasingly spent. At the same time: does it all fall to Washington? What about Jerusalem and Baghdad, their charges against Damascus, and their right — as capitals of democracies — to take action in defense of the people?

Finally, Frum magnifies the absurdity of Syria handing over Iraqi Ba'athists whose whereabouts and activities could not possibly have gone overlooked, let alone for up to two years. Most on the right begin debate with the understanding that Syria may be hiding military or WMD equipment; almost certainly incubates Saddam's stolen cash to fund sedition in Iraq; and is by its own admission a country-wide safehouse for fugitives. But we should savor the twist when a suspect wanted for illegal arms possession hands over Slim Jims, switchblades, forged identification cards and a few stolen personal items, none of which he said he had — all in a show of "good faith."