LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 17/08

Bible Reading of the day. John 12- 12-22
On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,* the King of Israel!” Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written, “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt. His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him. The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, was testifying about it. For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.” Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast. These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 16/08
Welch: Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon should Live Inside Palestinian State-Naharnet
Hizbullah Attacks March 14, Says Declaration is Tantamount to U.S. Membership I.D.-Naharnet
Jumblat: Cabinet will Vote Against Participation in Damascus Summit-Naharnet
Cheney heading to Mideast-AP
Dalai Lama Condemns 'Cultural Genocide' in Tibet-Naharnet
Iran to Attend Damascus Summit-Naharnet
McCain Slams 'Tyrants' Syria, Iran for Paralyzing Lebanese Government-Naharnet
Easiest Way to Engineer Lebanon Crisis Failure is to Slam U.S.-Naharnet
March 14 Conference Draws Opposition Criticism-Naharnet
Iran says to attend Arab summit in Syria-AFP
Aoun: Majority Replaced Anjar by Awkar-Naharnet
US Presidential Hopeful McCain: Syria and Iran Paralyzed Lebanon's ...Naharnet

Welch: Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon should Live Inside Palestinian State
Naharnet/U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs David Welch has said that both the Palestinian and Lebanese people believe that Palestinian refugees in Lebanon should live "inside a Palestinian state.""Lebanon has quite a large number of Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon," Welch said during a hearing of the Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee subject "Israel's disengagement from Gaza.""And I think Palestinians and Lebanese alike see the future of those people inside a Palestinian state," Welch said. "I Hope that can be realized, because that would, I believe, also help Lebanon.""I think sometimes when I hear from Lebanese their concern about these folks might be pushed upon them, that presents a lot of issues of insensitivities for Lebanon, particularly at this time," Welch added. Welch said that getting Lebanon to a better situation is a "very serious enterprise for us."On Lebanon's presidential crisis, Welch said "we'd like to see the election there.""That said, others have been interfering with it and have not allowed it to move forward," Welch said before the Committee. "Some of the things that we have discussed today, which relate to how the Palestinians might decide their future, might have an impact in Lebanon.
Beirut, 16 Mar 08, 23:26

Statement By John McCain On Third Anniversary Of The Cedar Revolution
Saturday Mar 15th-For Immediate Release
March 14, 2008 Contact: Press Office
703-650-5550
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on the third anniversary of the Cedar Revolution:
"It has been over three years since former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri was assassinated in the streets of Beirut. Following his murder, the Lebanese people came together in the Cedar Revolution,' which saw its culmination on March 14, 2005. This popular movement led to the demise of Lebanon's Syrian occupiers, Iranian proxies in their midst, and the puppet government that denied them independence and freedom. "Sadly, three years later, so much of this promise remains unrealized as the forces of repression stand firm against the prospect of a free Lebanon. Syria and Iran have reasserted their dominance and paralyzed Lebanon's government, which earlier this week postponed election of a new president for the 16th time. Those who are systematically killing Lebanese patriots and denying the Lebanese people their democracy must be brought to justice. I commend Lebanese of all religions and sects who reject Syrian and Iranian terror and tyranny and embrace the great principles of the Cedar Revolution."

Aoun: Majority Replaced Anjar by Awkar
FPM leader MP Michel Aoun on Saturday accused the ruling majority of replacing Anjar, the symbol of the Syrian hegemony, by Awkar, the headquarters of the American Embassy in Lebanon. Aoun, in a speech during the FPM commemoration of the third anniversary of the Cedar Revolution in Dbaye, said "The majority forces receive instructions from Awkar as they did before with Anjar""They do not dare to shake the hand extended to them because their master did not give them permission" he added. Aoun asked "Have the Lebanese really won their full independence" accusing the majority of marginalization of the Christians. However, Aoun preached that "despite the existing gloomy conditions a transparent state would be established eventually in Lebanon." March 14 Alliance commemorated on Friday the third anniversary of the Cedar Revolution with renewed calls on the rival political parties to put differences aside and work hand-in-hand to build a strong, independent and sovereign Lebanon.

Hizbullah Attacks March 14, Says Declaration is Tantamount to U.S. Membership I.D.
Naharnet/Hizbullah has attacked the pro-government ruling March 14 coalition, saying its latest declaration was tantamount to a U.S. membership I.D.
"The language that prevailed over the political declaration is tantamount to a membership in the American scheme in the region and blatantly consolidated its (majority's) bias position under (the helm) of American options," Hizbullah said in a statement Saturday. The statement cited talk about "two different views in the world, impaired memory …, calls for revenge …, calls for rebellion against Damascus …, and clear accusations that the resistance works for foreign interests, regarding Israel as a regional power rather than enemy and putting it in the same category as Iran." Hizbullah's comments came in response to March 14's "first political declaration" that was announced by the alliance on the third anniversary of the Cedar Revolution. The declaration called on the rival political parties to put differences aside and work hand-in-hand to build a strong, independent and sovereign Lebanon. But Hizbullah did not read it this way. "We had hoped that the political declaration was positive and worked for extending a hand … rather than rejecting the other and claiming purity for themselves," said the statement. "He who extends a hand to the other (party) should believe in the other (party) so together we can work to build the state," Hizbullah said. Beirut, 16 Mar 08, 08:30

Iran to Attend Damascus Summit
Naharnet/Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki is to attend this month's Arab summit hosted by its top regional ally Syria that is expected to be dominated by the political crisis in Lebanon. "Mr Mottaki has been invited and he will travel to Damascus," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters.
The March 29-30 Damascus summit has been mired in controversy over the crisis in Lebanon amid a standoff between the opposition and the government.
Iran insists it wants to see a solution in Lebanon acceptable to all religious and ethnic groups but the West accuses Tehran of strongly backing the opposition through Hizbullah. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has moved to improve ties with Arab states during the past two years, becoming the first Iranian president to perform the hajj in Saudi Arabia and attend a summit of Arabian Peninsula states. Syria was practically the only Arab state to support Iran during its 1980-1988 war with Iraq and ties have been warm for decades, with the countries' leaders frequently exchanging visits.(AFP) Beirut, 16 Mar 08, 09:51

Jumblat: Cabinet will Vote Against Participation in Damascus Summit
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat has said Lebanon's boycott of the upcoming Arab summit in Damascus is almost certain because his cabinet ministers will vote against participation. He told Future TV news on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the assassination of his father Kamal Jumblat that he was against Lebanon's participation in the March 29-30 summit because the Syrian regime was behind all assassinations in Lebanon. "We won't go to Damascus and obey the Syrian regime's orders," Jumblat stressed Saturday. When told that the cabinet had the final say, Jumblat said the ministers who represent him in the government "will vote against participation in the summit." Government sources told An Nahar daily on Sunday that two vetoes are enough to drop the decision to go to Damascus although Jumblat's 'Democratic Gathering' has three cabinet ministers. Beirut, 16 Mar 08, 06:18

McCain Slams 'Tyrants' Syria, Iran for Paralyzing Lebanese Government
Naharnet/U.S. Republican Presidential Hopeful John McCain has accused Syria and Iran of paralyzing Premier Fouad Saniora's government and lauded all Lebanese who reject the terrorism of Damascus and Tehran. "Those who are systematically killing Lebanese patriots and denying the Lebanese people their democracy must be brought to justice. I commend Lebanese of all religions and sects who reject Syrian and Iranian terror and tyranny and embrace the great principles of the Cedar Revolution," McCain said in a statement on the occasion of the third anniversary of the Cedar Revolution. "It has been over three years since former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated in the streets of Beirut. Following his murder, the Lebanese people came together in the Cedar Revolution, this saw its culmination on March 14, 2005," McCain said. He said the mass demonstration "led to the demise of Lebanon's Syrian occupiers, Iranian proxies in their midst, and the puppet government that denied them independence and freedom." McCain however lamented that three years after the Independence Intifada, "so much of this promise remains unrealized as the forces of repression stand firm against the prospect of a free Lebanon. Syria and Iran have reasserted their dominance and paralyzed Lebanon's government, which earlier this week postponed election of a new president for the 16th time."The March 14 Alliance commemorated on Friday the third anniversary of the Cedar Revolution by issuing a political declaration in which it urged all Lebanese to live together peacefully in a sovereign, democratic, and modern state. Beirut, 15 Mar 08, 19:52

Cheney heading to Mideast
By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - High gasoline prices and prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal headline Vice President Dick Cheney's trip to the Mideast, but fears about Iran's rising influence will be a key topic of his private talks at each stop. Cheney was scheduled to leave Sunday on a 10-day trip that includes visits to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Turkey. His trip coincides with the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, which has tainted the U.S. image in the Mideast and changed the balance of power in the region. Cheney is the latest top U.S. official to go the Mideast to coax Israel and moderate Palestinian leaders to move forward on a peace deal. Bush went to Israel and the West Bank in January. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice just got back from a troubleshooting mission there, and Bush is to return in May. Sen. John McCain, the soon-to-be GOP presidential nominee, and other lawmakers are visiting Israel this week. Bush, who relaunched formal peace talks last fall at a conference in Annapolis, has turned a Mideast peace deal into a signature foreign policy goal for his remaining months in office. But violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel has hampered talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Bush has made clear that he wants Cheney to push both men to honor their obligations under the U.S.-backed road map, which calls for the Palestinians to disarm militants and for Israel to halt settlement construction. Last week, the Bush administration said Israel's recently announced plan to build hundreds of new Jewish homes in disputed areas of the West Bank and east Jerusalem was not helping move the peace plan along.
On Iraq, Cheney will highlight progress made since the president dispatched 30,000 additional U.S. troops there last summer to help secure the nation and give political leaders a chance to reconcile their differences.
The United States wants Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations to establish a diplomatic presence in Baghdad to help anchor the Iraqi government in the Arab world. In the meantime, the Bush administration feels there is no reason why trade, culture, economic and foreign ministers from the Arab world shouldn't go to Iraq and engage the new Iraqi government as they would others in the region. It's unclear what Cheney will seek from Saudi Arabia about easing pressure on oil prices. When Bush visited Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in January, he urged the 13-nation Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to boost their output to take pressure off soaring fuel prices at American pumps. But OPEC has since said it will maintain current production levels because crude supplies are plentiful and demand is expected to weaken in the second quarter.

Lebanon is not two camps
Terrorist versus non-terrorist camp
Sunni versus Shiite Camp
Syria and Iran versus America
http://www.alarabiya.net/views/2008/03/16/47023.html
Sunday, 16 March 2008
By: Rima Merhi -alarabiya.net
The Bush Administration steadfastly supported Israel in the July 2006 war in Lebanon and a year later congratulated the Lebanese army for its “victory” following the 105-day battle in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp. The United States must now manage the “aftershocks” of these misguided policies. This requires above all a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the complex dynamics of Lebanese politics. Contrary to the picture often painted by U.S. officials, Lebanese political forces are not neatly bifurcated into two camps — pitting terrorists against non-terrorists, Shiites against Sunnis, and supporters of one regional agenda against the other.
Terrorist versus non-terrorist camp
The Bush Administration steadfastly supported Israel in the July 2006 war in Lebanon and a year later congratulated the Lebanese army for its “victory” following the 105-day battle in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp. The United States must now manage the “aftershocks” of these misguided policies. This requires above all a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the complex dynamics of Lebanese politics. Contrary to the picture often painted by U.S. officials, Lebanese political forces are not neatly bifurcated into two camps — pitting terrorists against non-terrorists, Shiites against Sunnis, and supporters of one regional agenda against the other.
The Bush Administration frequently paints a black and white picture of what is a much more complex and diverse reality on the ground. Mirroring Bush’s words post September 11, “You are either with us or with the terrorists”, government supporters in Lebanon are regarded as trusted friends, whereas the opposition or Hezbollah supporters are considered “terrorists”.
It is important to distinguish between Hizbullah — as a military force linked to Iran — and Hizbullah supporters, who mainly consist of Shiite Lebanese but also include Maronite Christians and Druze. Support for Hizbullah derives partly from the credit it earned as a resistance movement for ending 18 years of Israeli occupation of south Lebanon in the year 2000. It is therefore not surprising that many regard UN Security Council Resolution 1559 — calling for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese “militias” — as inapplicable to Hizbullah. When the Winograd commission reported that the Israeli army failed to reach its military objectives in the July 2006 war, it arguably added to the appeal of Hizbullah as a resistance movement, from a Lebanese, and possibly “Arab” perspective.
Hizbullah is undoubtedly a potent and legitimate political force in Lebanon: In the June 2005 elections, Hizbullah supporters won 14 seats in the Lebanese government. By honoring the election results, the Lebanese government sought to build a more democratic and representative government. The substantial grassroots support for Hizbullah, it must be emphasized, derives from the fact that it is a service-driven organization with massive social and humanitarian outreach to Lebanese Shiites, particularly in the south of Lebanon.
With the United States unable or unwilling to take strong steps to address the humanitarian crisis currently raging in Gaza amongst other serious human rights violations, it is very hard to sell Hizbullah as a “terrorist” organization in the Arab world. Meanwhile, the resignation of Hizbullah representatives from the Lebanese government in November 2007 lies at the heart of the political stalemate that threatens to bring Lebanon back to civil war. Under these circumstances, it is clear that U.S. pressure aimed at sidelining Hizbullah is both unrealistic and injurious to the stability of Lebanon.
Sunni versus Shiite Camp
Nor can the crisis in Lebanon be explained simply as a Sunni-Shiite sectarian struggle. This interpretation of the current political landscape is simplistic, misleading, and potentially dangerous.
First of all, at the root of the conflict in Lebanon is a political system that fails to mirror the country’s changing demographic profile. The contentious debate over the power sharing formulae stipulated by Taef Accord in 1991 and electoral law reform is a manifestation of this discrepancy, especially in light of the fact that the last official census was conducted in 1932.
Second, both the government and the opposition are supported by Muslim, Christian and Druze factions. Furthermore, not all Shiites support the opposition, while not all Sunnis support the government.
Third, there is a growing number of Lebanese “Independents,” who refuse to endorse the government or the opposition, and call for moderation, reform, and an end to rising sectarian tensions. In fact, the most recent student elections held in leading universities in Lebanon confirm that the number of Lebanese youth casting an Independent vote is increasing.
More importantly, Lebanese officials cannot afford to portray the political crisis as part of a wider regional Sunni-Shiite struggle, lest this mortgage the country’s future to the conflicting agendas of regional powers and the ill-advised grand strategy of the present U.S. Administration.
Syria and Iran versus America
Many Lebanese Independents are generally weary of extremists on both sides. They recognize that the majority of March 8/Hizbullah supporters do not oppose the March 14 agenda, but rather they mistrust their alignment with the United States in light of its failing policy in the region. By the same token, March 14 supporters look with suspicion and fear at the opposition’s alleged alliance with Syria and Iran.
The March 8 and March 14 camps actually agree on many fundamental points. Both seek an end to an era of impunity that must begin with a fair and independent international tribunal. Both camps celebrated the end of Syrian military presence in Lebanon in 2005, and aspire to protect Lebanese sovereignty and independence from foreign interference. Both are equally susceptible to the threat of an attack from Israel, and would have suffered even worse repercussions had Hizbullah not defended Lebanese soil in July 2006. Both parties will suffer dire consequences if the political deadlock flares into a full-fledged civil war. And both have an interest in self-regulating their respective media outlets, lest this further exacerbate political and sectarian tensions.
Thus, the depiction of the Lebanese political arena as divided into two irreconcilable camps, each firmly allied to a foreign patron, is a gross distortion.
The Way Forward
Although the Lebanese people and their representatives in government are primarily responsible for the political deadlock, no one would dispute the strong influence of U.S. foreign policy on Lebanon and the region.
At the heart of the presidential crisis is a competent and credible judicial system that is undermined by Lebanese political culture. By developing an independent judicial system, judges and specialists (not politicians) would interpret the binding principles of the Lebanese constitution, and provide legal and expert advice to resolve disputes, particularly regarding the details of the international tribunal. To break the deadlock, parliament doors need to open for real dialogue, with the genuine intent of electing a president after four months of delays, whilst putting an immediate end to the futile demonstration that has crippled the most commercial heart of Beirut for more than a year.
The United States needs to communicate respect for the Lebanese version of democracy — one that clearly needs to integrate Hizbullah supporters into mainstream politics, whilst internally managing the arms of Hezbollah within the context of a medium to long term defense strategy that gradually empowers the Lebanese army –not U.S. warships- to protect Lebanese soil. The U.S. administration and particularly the Lebanese cannot afford to ignore the lessons from Iraq, and clearly need to develop policies to effectively integrate Shiites into mainstream politics. Without adopting measures to reform electoral laws according to a new census, foreign powers will continue to exploit the situation and pressure the Lebanese government-despite national consensus to the contrary- to settle a largely Sunni Palestinian population in Lebanon.
Despite many differences, Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence remains sacred for all the Lebanese. March 8 and March 14 leaders continue to enjoy widespread support and legitimacy from their followers, but need to better appreciate the dynamics of the region and employ tactful diplomacy to further consolidate and unify their support bases at home. The rise of Independent voices, too, is encouraging — these voices serve as a potential force for leveraging these common interests in ways that nudge Lebanon towards a political accommodation. The U.S. administration can either persist in sharpening divisions within Lebanon, or display a keener appreciation of them and exercise restraint.
* Published by the Middle East Institute on March 15, 2008. Rima Merhi is a Researcher at MEI and Library of Congress, a former UN staffer and member of the media and relief committee presided over by PM Siniora to manage the crisis at Nahr el Bared, Representative of Lebanese youth in a testimony in the U.S. congress (July 2005), spokesperson in international media during the Israeli invasion in 2006, and freelance journalist. Rima Merhi holds an MBA and MA in political science from the American University of Beirut, with a background in international human rights law from Oxford.

Iran will be at Syria summit but Lebanon may not
Ya Libnan
Sunday, 16 March, 2008 @ 4:07 PM
Beirut - Syria has invited its regional ally Iran to the Arab summit in Damascus and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki will represent Iran, Tehran officially announced today
" The Iranian Foreign Ministry is please to confirm that Iran was invited by Syria will be represented at the summit by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki" said Mouhammad Ali Husseini, spokesman of the ministry
Reports circulated last week that the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will represent Iran as a guestof honor and will be seated next to Syrian president Bashar al Assad . It is not clear why Iran has decided to send a lower level representative .
The controversial summit is scheduled to be held March 29-30 in Damascus
Iran and Syria have allies ever since Basher al Assad's father former president Hafez al Assad took over in Syria. During 1980 -1988 Iraq - Iran war Syria was the only Arab country to side with Iran against Iraq.
Syria and Iran have been accused of destabilizing Lebanon through their allies the Hezbollah-led opposition. Hezbollah was founded by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards around 1982 and Iran has been training and funding Hezbollah ever since
Jumblatt: Lebanon will boycott the summit
Democratic Gathering leader Walid Jumblatt ( pictured) has said Lebanon's boycott of the upcoming Arab summit in Damascus is almost certain because his cabinet ministers will vote against participation.
The PSP chief told Future TV news on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the assassination of his father Kamal Jumblatt that he was against Lebanon's participation in the March 29-30 summit because the Syrian regime was behind all assassinations in Lebanon.
"We won't go to Damascus and obey the Syrian regime's orders," Jumblatt stressed Saturday.
When told that the cabinet had the final say, Jumblatt said the ministers who represent him in the government "will vote against participation in the summit."
Government sources told An Nahar daily on Sunday that two vetoes are enough to drop the decision to go to Damascus although Jumblatt's 'Democratic Gathering' has three cabinet ministers.
Syria was criticized for the way it handled the invitation. The March 14th ruling alliance accused Damascus regime of playing a childish game ... when it sent the invitation with a low level representative to the resigned Foreign Minister a day after Prime Minister Fouad Siniora left the country with the acting Foreign Minister to attend the Islamic conference in Dakar. The Syrian delegation that delivered the invitation was a deputy Foreign Minister while all the other Arab countries received the invitation from delegations headed by a Minister. What upset the Lebanese also is the fact that unlike the invitations to the other Arab leaders Lebanon's invitation did not come from President Assad but from his Prime minister, who has almost no power in Syria.
Syria does not recognize Lebanon as a sovereign and independent nation and that is why it refuse to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon and also refuses to demarcate the borders with Lebanon
Rifaat al Assad killed Jumblatt's father
Rafi Madian son of the slain George Hawi ( who was assassinated on June 21, 2005) has declared today that Rifaat Al Assad, uncle of president Basher Al Assad ordered the assassination of Kamal Jumblatt ( pictured) , father of Walid Jumbaltt 31 years ago. Madian said " history is repeating itself " in reference to all the assassinations that took place in Lebanon during the last three years

To forgive and forget
Is General Aoun’s decision to “forgive” Syria pragmatism, or betrayal?
NOW LEBANON ::: Date: 3/14/2008
Today, on March 14, 2008, General Michel Aoun and his Free Patriotic Movement argue that the day is really theirs. “On March 14, 1989, General Aoun declared the Liberation War to drive the Syrian Army out of Lebanon,” reads a flier being distributed throughout the city. “Ever since that date, every year until 2005, the Free Patriotic Movement celebrates the March 14 anniversary and calls for freedom, sovereignty and independence.” Many of those who were with Aoun on that day nearly twenty years ago, however, now celebrate with another group of players – the March 14 coalition. Aoun, they say, has forgotten what he was fighting for.
Aoun returned to Lebanon in May 2005 after 15 years in exile, where he had devoted much of his time and energy to building up the anti-Syrian opposition. Today however, through a dizzying turn of events in 2005 and 2006, the FPM is a political party aligned with the Syrian-backed Hezbollah, Amal and Marada movements.
And while quickly shifting alliances are nothing new for Lebanon, what has surprised even some of the staunchest supporters of “the General” is a recent call for forgiveness. “Between me and the Syrians, there were numerous problems and a big file,” he said during a February 28 interview with LBC talk show host Marcel Ghanem, “and I forgave them and turned to a new page.”
Some, like young FPM activist Jad Makkawi, simply did not believe it, despite the party’s coordination with the Syrian regime in recent years. “I don’t think he forgives them,” was all Makkawi had to say.
Those who knew the commander well – like General Selim Kallas, who famously lead Aoun’s Eighth Brigade at the 1983 battle of Souk al-Gharb, and politicians working with Aoun today, like MP Salim Salhab from the Metn – however, had a more nuanced take on the announcement to offer NOW Lebanon.
General Selim Kallas
Some have called Aoun a madman, others have charged that he is driven only by his desire to be Lebanon’s next president. Kallas, on the other hand, believed that Aoun’s political conscious, right or wrong, had been fundamentally shaped by the Lebanese civil war, especially the 1988-1990 wars with the Lebanese Forces and the Syrian army.
Recalling March 14, 1989, when Aoun and his generals declared the War of Liberation against Syria, Kallas suggested that, “it was more of a political declaration than it was a real war against Syria.”
“But no one responded to his declaration, and he found himself under more pressure,” continued Kallas. It was this failure to rally the country that implanted in Aoun’s mind exactly how important it was to coordinate with Syria. “[Aoun] changed his way of working because he knows well how important Syria is to the Lebanese policy,” believes Kallas.
Forgiving Syria, then, according to Kallas, is a pragmatic component of Aoun’s new take on working with Syria. “If you are on my side, I can forgive you,” explained Kallas, saying that this is simply how politics work in Lebanon. Also, “Michel Aoun is a deeply Christian man, so as a Christian, you have to forgive.”
For many, though, Aoun’s willingness to forgive is too much. Many of his troops – and Kallas’s – are still in Syrian prisons or, now dead, their bodies have not been returned to their families in Lebanon. “They will die in prison, and no one will say anything, because this is the way Syria does it with its own citizens,” lamented Kallas.
Ali Abou Dahen
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, in a joint interview with Aoun on February 6, said unequivocally that “these prisoners are not in Syria.” Kallas, however, remains unconvinced, as does Ali Abou Dahen after spending 13 years in Syrian jails himself.
Speaking to NOW Lebanon, Abou Dahen attacked both men for their positions on the soldiers still in Syrian prisons, exclaiming, “Both of them denied it! If Hassan [Nasrallah] denied it, well… But Aoun! He can’t deny it because some of his soldiers are still in the prison.” “Now, I can’t forgive Aoun for saying this,” he said resolutely.
Abou Dahen was arrested in 1987, charged as a spy and then tortured until he confessed. Until December 2000, shortly after the death of then-Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, he was shuttled from prison to prison. “Now, pray that Bashar al-Assad dies so that my friends – they will go free too,” he half-joked.
Asked whether he could forgive Syria as Aoun had done, Abou Dahen said, “I can forgive the Syrian people but not the Syrian government.” “They were 108 [prisoners] in ten rooms,” Abou Dahen recalled the day he left Syria to return home. “When I put my head on the pillow, till now, I think of them.”
Is it so easy to forgive and forget? “We should find a balance between the right of remembrance and the duty of forgetfulness,” then-Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh suggested in 2004, voicing an enigmatic sentiment held by many Lebanese. The power-sharing Taif Agreement may have brought an end to much of the fighting when it was signed in 1989, but the hasty amnesty that came in August 1991, pardoning war crimes and even crimes against humanity, did much to set Lebanon back. With Aoun, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Kataeb head Amin Gemayel all back from jail or exile, the political scene of the late 1980s has been recreated in many ways. Even with dramatic shifts in alignments, the players remain the same, as does the game.
And, while it is commendable that Aoun is a forgiving man, Lebanon would do well to consider just how much he is willing to forget. Are his men still in Syrian prisons doomed to be forgotten, all in the name of political pragmatism?
NOW LEBANON ::: Date: 3/14/2008 4:27:23 PM