Middle-East re-alighnment

Alain Juppe has made some strong statements about Syria and Hezbollah:
"French foreign minister says he believes roadside bomb which injured 5 French UNIFIL peacekeepers in southern Lebanon carried out by Hezbollah at Syria's urging."

There are two reasons why traditionally pro-Arab French come forward with such sharp criticism:
1. They believe that the Assad's days are counted and prepare the ground for military or, at least, diplomatic (for example, in the form of strong sanctions and recognizing alternative government) intervention a la Libya, which would guarantee France a greater diplomatic and economic role in post-Assad Syria.

2. This is part of the re-alignment in the Middle East that I believe has been happening for some time: the Arab-Israeli conflict is superseded by pro-Iranian and anti-Iranian coalitions. The pro-Iranian force has been already well defined: Iran, Syria, Hamas, Hezbollah, enabled by political backing from Russia and China. On the other hand, the anti-Iranian force is forming slowly due to the traditional antagonism among its partners: Israel and Saudi Arabia with other oil-rich states wary of the Iranian interference. In addition, the anti-Iranian coalition lacks the necessary political backing from the nowadays passive United States. The last circumstance gives France and other European states a good opportunity for a greater role in the Middle East (such as: cheaper and more secure oil supply, more contracts for oil-exploring European companies, broader markets for European companies, particularly where it comes to the arms sales... and more arms sales. All of these, by the way, are very useful for overcoming the economic crisis.)

UPDATE 12/12/11: No less harsh condemnation of Syria from the German foreign minister:
""I am really shocked about what I heard about the atrocities in Syria. Five thousand people were killed, civilians, people who ask for their freedom and civil and human rights," he told reporters."