The Axis of Evil Is Holding Lebanon a Hostage
By: Elias Bejjani*

September 27/11

A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle. (Kahlil Gibran)

Both Logic and reality tell us that not even one sane person can dream that a meek sheep can fight a lion or even defend himself in a bid not to be devoured. This very simple fact is totally ignored by the Free World and the majority of the Arab countries when occupied Lebanon's dilemma is the issue. The whole world knows with no shed of doubt that Lebanon is still an occupied country and that the occupiers are Syria, Iran and their proxy armed terrorist militias, with Hezbollah in the forefront.

In 2005, Syria was forced to withdraw her occupational army from Lebanon after 28 years of barbaric oppression and inhuman atrocities against all the Lebanese people. But since then, nothing really has positively changed with regard to reclaiming independence and sovereignty by the Lebanese authorities. On the contrary, everything on all levels and in all domains has been getting worse and worse. In reality, the whole country, her ruling bodies, officials and people have all been hijacked and are being held as hostages.

During the era of its occupation, Syria evilly dissected Lebanon, divided its multicultural communities, killed, imprisoned or sent into exile all patriotic leaders and intellectuals who opposed its ironic and criminal hegemony. At the same time, Syria’s secret intelligence services armed the 13 Palestinian refugee camps and made them outlaw-Mafiosi mini-states. In conjunction with the Iranian mullahs, Syria erected Hezbollah's mini-state and armed its militia with a huge and deadly arsenal that became not only a threat to the Lebanese, but also to all the Arab and Middle East countries.

Hezbollah's 70.000 thousand full time armed (mujahedeen) men took over Lebanon after Syria was forced to withdraw her army, while thousands of Syrian secret intelligence service agents remained free and active all over the country. Meanwhile, Syria left intact four military bases under the camouflaged pretext of Palestinian resistance, one of them (Al Naemi base) is a few kilometers from Beirut international Airport.

The majority of the Lebanese people (from all denominations) who kindled the torch of the Cedars' Revolution won two parliamentary elections since 2005, but could not rule or put into office a free president, house speaker, army chief or any high-ranking official because Syria and Iran through their armed proxies aborted all peaceful and democratic endeavors, and militarily invaded and controlled most of the Lebanese regions. In last January, Hezbollah toppled the coalition government by force and intimidation and formed its own, while the whole world carelessly watched and did nothing besides empty rhetorical releases and statements of condemnation.

The irony lies in the fact that the US government has labeled Hezbollah, in its State Department report of 2008, as the world's most effective terrorist organization. The report said that Iran remains the most active state sponsor of terrorism, including supporting terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. According to the same report, "Iran's involvement in the planning and financial support of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the Gulf, and undermined the growth of democracy". It singled out the Qods Force, an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the Islamic republic's main means to cultivate and support terrorists overseas. The Qods Force gave "weapons, training and funding" to Hamas and other Palestinian anti-Israeli groups, Lebanon's Hezbollah, as well as Iraq-based militants and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. (http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/nea/119120.htm)

One wonders how can the US, the mightiest military and financial power in the whole world, officially recognizes the serious and great dangers of Iran and its terrorist proxy ,Hezbollah, while expecting the Lebanese people and their patriotic leaders and parties to tame, control, disarm this terrorist organization and reclaim alone their country’s confiscated independence?

It is worth mentioning that Hezbollah from day one of its creation by Iran in 1982 and up until now has been a serious and deadly threat to all the civilized and Free World countries. As such, it is not merely Lebanese problem, but rather a serious problem, grave threat and challenge to global peace, stability and democracy. Hezbollah's essence and spiritual, cultural and political foundation are totally derived from the Iranian mullah's doctrine of “Wilayat Al-Faqih”.

The main pillars of this doctrine are zero tolerance for all others who are of different faiths and cultures and who do not fully submit to their control. It is a blatant rejection of the civil, democratic and free societies; a systematic, tireless effort to export the "Wilayat Al-Faqih", and impose it on the whole world through "Jihad" (holy war), deeply rooted hatred for the Western democracies and cultures, staunch enmity and hostility towards the US and Israel, all with a suicidal mentality. One of its prime aims is to destroy Israel and ‘liberate’ the Holy city of Jerusalem.

Therefore, Hezbollah is an Iranian militant organization on all levels and by every definition. Its Iranian mission, terrorist activities and objectives have become crystal clear, not only to the Lebanese people who are suffering on a daily basis from its oppression, intimidation and dictatorship, but also to the majority of the Arab states, US, Canada and Australia. This intimidation, fear mongering and illicit fundraising activities also extend to many European, African and South American countries.

Hezbollah has nothing to do with resistance, liberation or any actual patriotic Lebanese or Arabic causes by any means. In reality, Hezbollah is an Iranian militant brigade, a division of Iran's notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guards_Corps)

According to dozens of well documented and trustworthy reports, Hezbollah continues to run a vast, well organized and extremely sophisticated global network of drug trafficking, crime, terrorism and arms trafficking, infiltrating many Arab states, Israel, Mexico, Canada, Australia, United States, Europe, South America and numerous previous Islamic states of the USSR.

Since 1982, Hezbollah has systematically been devouring the state of Lebanon, destroying her military, judicial and financial institutions, crippling her legislature and democratic government and fragmenting and terrorizing her delicate social fabric, all the while solidifying the terrorist infrastructure and Iranian-modeled institutions of its mini-state and scattered cantons.

What is unfortunate and shameful, is that the Free World and surrounding Arab countries, are not showing enough determination, transparency, seriousness or persistence in dealing with Hezbollah. the most dangerous terrorist organization in the whole world, while they openly admit that Hezbollah and its Iranian masters are taking a very active criminal role in killing the Syrian and Iranian people who are revolting against the al-Assad and the Iranian mullahs’ dictatorial regimes.

In conclusion, Lebanon is an occupied country by all international means and legal criteria. The occupiers are the two Axis of Evil countries, Syria and Iran, with their armed proxies spearheaded by the terrorist Hezbollah. Simply and openly we strongly believe that the Lebanese people are not any more capable of freeing their country on their own while all the governing bodies and officials do not represent them but the occupiers. In this context, it is time for the Free World and Arab countries to courageously step in directly or through the UN and do something about this barbaric occupation and use all their available resources including force to free Lebanon and end its people’s oppression.

Elias Bejjani*
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/
Elias Bejjani's Face Book site http://www.facebook.com/home.php