There was a time, long ago, when the world might have been tempted to thank the Syrians, who have finally withdrawn from Lebanon, for helping to end a sectarian war. But the

“helping hand” quickly turned into a brutal and predatory fist. In the end, perhaps the one service Syria provided was to finally give the Lebanese a measure of unity. Now they have to build on it. For decades, Lebanon has been roiled by the ills of the Middle East. It was a battleground between Israel and the PLO, a haven for Hezbollah terrorists, and, for 29 years, a fief of Syrian strongmen. Lebanon once had a tradition of balancing religious communities. The Palestinians are no longer the dangerous force they were when Yasser Arafat had his bases here. But even Hezbollah may find that its best bet is the political process.

Above all, there are the Lebanese who went out into the streets by the tens of thousands to demand Syria’s withdrawal after the assassination last Feb. 14 of the former prime minister

Rafik Hariri. Hariri’s murder touched a strong national longing for genuine independence. The next major step will be a general election next month. Lebanon’s sectarian divisions need not be destructive. The Lebanese now have a chance to shape a new consensus that can lead to a real and durable democracy. — The New York Times