Free
World: Rescue Lebanon before it is too late
By:
Elias Bejjani
January
A Lebanese top anti-terrorism investigator was murdered along with his escort and three other civilians in a powerful car bombing that ripped through a neighborhood of Beirut on Friday January 25/08. Maj. Wissam Eid and Aspirant Officer Ousama Mireeb, of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), were killed along with three civilians, and forty two other people were wounded. Eid was a key member of the ISF and was involved in many investigations related to terrorist bombings in Lebanon in recent years. He was involved in sensitive probes and this is a major loss for Lebanon. Eid was on his way back from a meeting of the UN commission investigating the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafiq Hariri when he was killed. Those who decided to murder Eid obviously feared that he had information linking them to one, if not all nine, other assassinations of members of the anti-Syrian movement. Eid had already provided the international enquiry into Hariri’s murder with valuable information and this was not the first attempt on his life; two years ago a grenade was thrown at his house.
From The Lebanese Canadian Coordination Council (LCCC), we extend our warmest
heartfelt condolences to the victims' families and friends who lost their
beloved ones in Lebanon on Friday, January 25/08, in the "Chevrolet
heinous crime" that led to the death of Maj. Wissam Eid and Aspirant
Officer Ousama Mireeb and three innocent civilians pedestrians: Joe
Sarkis, Elie Fares and Alan Sandouk.
We ask Almighty God to grant
all those bereaved families the needed
faith, patience and solace.
We pray that the souls of all the new innocent
victims rest in peace in heaven alongside with the saints and the
righteous.
The identity of the perpetrators who executed this new crime against the
Lebanese people, (the "Axis of Evil") is well known, as well as their
destructive goals. Syrian and Iranian officials alongside with their Lebanese
mercenaries, fundamentalists, militias, and Mafiosi rudely announce their
venomous intentions and threats on a daily basis. Meanwhile the role of the
local Lebanese tools spearheaded by "Hezbollah" in targeting Lebanese pro
freedom leaders and supporters of the "Cedars Revolution", ministers,
members of Parliament, clergymen, journalists and intellectuals, is
exposed and extremely prominent.
Eid was targeted by the "Axis of Evil", because he played major roles in analyzing mobile telephone and e-mail contacts related to the assassinations of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri in 2005, the twin bus bombings of Ein Alaq in 2007, and the assassination of Gen. Francois Hajj, the army's chief of military operations, on Jan. 12, 2007. His work, according to ranking security officials, also managed to detect "established links" between Fatah al-Islam terrorists and Syria's intelligence apparatus. Such evidences compiled by the late Eid could help implicate Syria in the serial killings that have targeted Lebanon since Oct. 1, 2004, when Minister of Communications Marwan Hamadeh suffered serious wounds in a car bomb assassination attempt.
Many Lebanese citizens and dignitaries believe that Hezbollah is playing a
major role in executing most of the assassination crimes. The Sunni Muslim Mufti
of
Mount Lebanon, Sheikh Mohammed Ali Jouzou, on Saturday January 26/08, blamed the
Hezbollah-led opposition for "every drop of blood that has been shed." in
Lebanon. Jouzou said in a statement: "The opposition is considered
responsible for every drop of blood shed on the land of Lebanon. The opposition
is responsible for the victims of serial assassinations. The opposition is
responsible for bombing crimes here and there." Since March 8 (2005) and the
declaration of loyalty to the Syrian regime, the opposition indirectly said it
approves the assassination of martyr ex-premier Rafik Hariri," Jouzou
added. He noted that "March 14 leaders have been targeted, one after the other,
and the threats were made from here and there by spokesmen for Hezbollah and the
opposition, only to be followed by implementation, implementation of the death
sentence by blowing off March 14 men. "Jouzou said attacks targeting the Army
and Internal Security Forces are "sort of terror that accompanies efforts to
foil all international, Arab and Lebanese initiatives and the opposition
is considered responsible for them." Should we charge the opposition with
high treason?" he asked. Addressing the opposition, Jouzou said: "You are
conspiring against the homeland under the slogan of partnership, consensus and
dialogue. You don't want partnership, you do not want consensus, you do
not want dialogue." He added: "You want to kill Lebanon and you want to destroy
Lebanon … for the sake of the Syrian Regime." (Naharnet/January 25/08)
The irony in Lebanon lies in the sad fact and in the bizarre status quo:
Hezbollah has its mini-state and cantons inside the state of Lebanon, with its
own army
which has thirty thousand missiles, its finances, jails, institutions, etc.
Syria is still in control of three military bases under the Palestinian
disguise, one near the capital Beirut and two others in the Bekaa Valley,
adjacent to its border with Lebanon. In addition, there are 13 Palestinian
refugee camps scattered all over Lebanon. These are 13 cantons and mini-states
over which the Lebanese authorities have no control.
Below are two verbatim quotes from the testimony of ex Prime Minister General
Michel Aoun before the US House Subcommittee on International
Relations/September 18/2003. They describe exactly the ongoing Syrian
destructive, criminal and terrorist role in Lebanon.
1-"Following a Syrian withdrawal (from Lebanon), it is quite conceivable that the Syrian regime will leave behind many of its instruments of terror and destruction as well as its paramilitary/intelligence apparatus. Therefore, it is imperative that a Syrian withdrawal be accompanied by a complete disarmament of all armed elements. Only the legitimate armed forces of Lebanon can be entrusted with providing security to the Lebanese people. They are certainly capable of doing so when provided with a strong political leadership duly elected by the Lebanese themselves, rather than appointed by an occupying power as is the case today. Equally important, Lebanon will need certified tribunals to investigate and bring to justice all criminals who committed war atrocities and crimes against humanity."
2-Under Syrian occupation the human rights of the Lebanese people have been
systematically violated. An exhaustive description of the crimes committed by
the
Syrian Regime and its goons in Lebanon would take thousands of pages and dozens
of hearings. Two Lebanese presidents - both of whom can be accurately
described as unwilling to take their orders from the Syrian intimidators - were
assassinated immediately upon their elections. Ambassadors, elite journalists,
and political and religious figures from all denominations who dared to oppose
Syria were kidnapped, tortured, imprisoned, and/or assassinated. And this is in
addition to the tens of thousands of Lebanese who perished in countless
massacres, in months upon months of random Syrian artillery shelling of civilian
areas, and in countless booby-trapped and bombed cars.
N.B: It so sad to learn that Aoun, who is now an MP and after his return to
Lebanon from exile in 2005, has negated all his patriotic and pro Lebanese
stances, and joined the Syrian-Iranian, Hezbollah axis of Evil.
Who stands behind all the crimes that Lebanon has been encountering for the last three years? With no shred of doubt, and without any kind of hesitation, one can freely say: Syria, Iran, Hezbollah and their Lebanese-Palestinian local armed tools-instruments are fully accountable for each and every assassination crime that took place in Lebanon since 2005.
We strongly believe that the Lebanese Government, Lebanon's security bodies,
judicial authorities and all its other institutions are currently unable to
either deter or abort the Axis of Evil's serial organized and systematic
killings of Lebanese patriotic leaders, nor to put an end to its destructive
scheme targeting the country's
institutions, freedoms, democracy, stability and peace.
The government's failure lies in the fact that Hezbollah and the other
Lebanese-Palestinian armed mercenaries of Iran and Syria are hindering all
local, regional and international peaceful initiatives, endeavors and civilized
plans.
In the face of this organized and intentional evil deadlock that Lebanon and
its people are facing alone, we call on the Free World democratic countries, the
moderate Arab countries, the United Nations and the Arab League to step in
militarily under a UN Security Council Chapter Seven mandate and take over
Lebanon for a rehabilitation interval as was the situation in Afghanistan, East
Timor, Kosovo and some African countries. It will be even more effective and
deterrent if NATO forces can assume this mission and not the UN.
Meanwhile an international probe and court needs to be set as soon as possible
to put on trial all countries, especially Syria and Iran, as well as Lebanese
individuals and groups that are hindering through crime and murder the Lebanese
government and the Lebanese people from reclaiming their peace, independence,
security and sovereignty.
The whole world ought to be cautioned that letting Lebanon be an easy prey
for the "Axis of Evil" and its armed tools to devour, simply means an astounding
defeat for all principles of freedom, democracy, human rights, peace and
stability, not only in the Middle East, but all over the globe. We call on the
Free World to step in and rescue Lebanon and the Lebanese before it is too late.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site
http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com