H.E General Aoun's speech
on the occasion  of the 7^th of August
We celebrate today the 7^th of August may be because this date reminds us of the unwarranted arrests that took place a year ago against the executives of the sovereignty movements ,may be also because it surpassed in its objectives ,means and nature other similar campaigns. For the sake of our collective memory let us not forget the other 7^th of each and every month since 1990 until today. Let us not forget the ghoulish tactics , imprisonment's and torture inflicted on our citizens ,throughout this period ,by the local authorities . Five thousand members of The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) alone were subjugated to this injustice.

Each time they led us to the prison their executioners enjoyed torturing our bodies , they could never frighten or subjugate our souls. They tied our feet ,they deprived us from the freedom of movement , no one could tie our brains or the freedom of our minds.They blindfolded us , our sight became stronger and clearer.No one could succeed in frightening us or preventing us from demanding our stolen rights. Our freedom and dignity stems from within our selves . Brutal force can pull out our life , it was never able to pull out freedom and dignity from our souls. The 1948 Human Rights declaration ushered the good news for the entire humanity : No more human abuse,no more fear , no more poverty . Everybody knows that Lebanon had the honor to contribute in drafting the declaration through Dr Charles Malek .

Isn't it sad to realize that half a century later ,the State reneges this major achievement of the civilized world ? Instead of rebuilding a country where the rule of law prevails , where citizen's material and intellectual rights are protected , we witness the making of an oppressing State harassing and depriving its own citizens from their minimum rights . A country where its leaders compete in intimidating and impoverishing the people. Their common goal is to enslave the people through fear and want.Ministers incapable to assume the responsibility of what they proclaim or promise, only good for sniping at each other and faking crisis after crisis . The scenes we witnessed and the language we heard after the 7^th of August shows how irresponsible and weak the fabric of governance in Lebanon became. The mind of our governing team is loaded with greed and deceit , instead of resigning with dignity they prefer to clinch to their derelict chairs. Just to keep their jobs, they collaborate with their declared foes.Governance duality is illustrated by a Head of State who sponsors a terrifying security apparatus and a Prime Minister whose policy has been very consistent in impoverishing the country . They are both protected by an occupier leading the Nation to a meltdown . Ministers that keep sniping at each other, Ministers turned into clowns entertaining the crowd in comic plays , regretfully they are performing in real life . We are not in a theater, this is the sad reality for a whole Nation that is ushered into despair, passivity or exile .

Whenever physical oppression subsides , repression of the intellect and the mind thrives. The State starts orchestrating through its repressive network accusations and deceit aimed at the local Media .Anything that is not in line with the State's€™s views must not be published.Freedom of expression is curtailed and the citizens are kept in the dark from what is really happening in public life. This is precisely what the authorities   recently did by forbidding the media to address the collapsing economy and the unbalanced relations with Syria .  At the same time,the State's network becomes highly active in disseminating lies , deliberate rumors and even threats against the undeclared intentions .

What is shameful is to see the authorities ignoring sectarian remarks and declarations by those who serve its aims even when the Nation's legacy is threatened. What is alarming is to witness the proliferous barbaric crimes and to feel the absence and impotence of the interior minister with the armed gangs ,instead , the information minister appears and threatens solemnly the TV stations and the free media. As if pens and pencils commit the murders and machine guns in the hands of armed gangs is the omen for peace and tranquility. This reminds us how wise the State was when its prisons were emptied from drug traffickers in order to make room for valiant students demanding respect for human rights. The plight of the authorities and its cronies in tackling the Media exposed their ignorance of the national cause , in its past and present course. They could not even hide their ignorance of the international laws and the basic rules governing Nations. What hurts most in this intellectual repression is the insistence of the traitors to replace through intimidating tactics the « Right » by the « Wrong ».

From hereon we feel obliged to remind the agents and traitors alike with a number of facts , positions and governing laws related to our cause and our political practices . We declare in a solemn and loud voice and to whoever wants to listen : Neither distortion of facts and demagogy in political speeches are welcome anymore , nor manipulating our generations with wrong beliefs ,or appeasing the will of an agent or the wish of an occupier are anymore tolerated.

We started to hear since some time a new tune about « shared sovereignty» . Some quarters are even pretending that Independence and self rule is becoming a flexible concept worldwide. The promoters of these theories have been assorting their declarations with direct smear campaigns against us. What shocked us in all of this has nothing to do with the emotional attacks on us , rather, it had to do with a more serious precedent : Misleading the man on the street because he is not well informed about the true meaning of sovereignty. The meaning of sovereignty is unequivocal worldwide . It boils down to applying the local laws through a legitimate national enforcement authority answerable to a State which is accountable to the Nation . The invention in the minds of the promoters of this shared sovereignty serves the purpose of justifying the unjustifiable , evade national responsibilities and help dilute and jugulate sovereignty through semantics. Sovereignty belongs to the Lebanese people . It is the Lebanese nation that delegates it to the ruling authority.The latter has no right to relinquish it ever. Therefore,any amendment as regards sovereignty's practice is subject to a national referendum. What is most absurd is to hear some Syrian agents declare that an independent Lebanon is a threat to Syria's security .

They better learn that real partnership can only be achieved between Independent States enjoying undisputed freedom of decision . Submissiveness only leads to enslavery ,then hate,enmity and rebellion.This is why we reject submissiveness,hate and enmity . We are for Sovereignty,Independence and Friendship. Our hand remains fully stretched to whoever elects to shake it and shares our friendship. Whoever refuses our genuine initiative stands to bear on his own the responsibility of the consequences and results of his enmity towards us. The second point that is attracting outbidding nowadays has to do with the unorganized and counterproductive relationships with outside powers without differentiating between what is a justifiable obligation and what is wrongly subservient , and thus exposing national security and the security of the Nation's society to danger . Before addressing this subject we would like to review some important historical turning points in the Lebanese crisis .

Being the only superpower in the world , American influence and presence in the region and the world is evident . We had nothing to do with this influence or presence. When president Clinton posed for a souvenir picture with Ehood Barak on one side and Farouk al Sharaa ,minister of foreign affairs of Syria,on the other side , we were not present . Also, in 1976 when the deputy secretary of state Joseph Cisco arranged a deal whereby Israel allowed Syria to move its troops into Lebanon , we were not present ; In June 1988 an American delegation headed by Richard Murphy conducted discussions with the Syrian regime .They agreed on many issues affecting the Middle-East ; One of them was to subjugate Lebanon to a Syrian mandate and decided to choose the President of the Republic by designation , we were not present . In 1989 when the Lebanese cause was arabised , the tripartite committee's final recommendations were in favor of a Sovereign Lebanon. James Baker rushed to Saudi Arabia. The tripartite committee's head was relieved and its recommendations were changed. We were not present . For its political support and symbolic participation in the Gulf war , Syria cashed the price of this cooperation by completing its occupation of Lebanon . We were not present .

When the US policy was based on concessions to Syria at the expense of the Lebanese Nation's territorial integrity , the US was acclaimed by the agents of Syria in Lebanon . We were left alone to face Syria. We bore and still bear all kinds of dangers and results , we did not hear a single opponent to the US policy such as the ones who are staunchly ,and with a lot of vigor attacking today the US and the supporters of the Syria accountability Act . The Act promotes the liberation of Lebanon from the Syrian occupation, the restoration to its people of the usurped sovereignty and the reclaiming of free decision making in governance and Institutions . These became devoid of their noble role. Today , Lebanon's Institutions are transformed into puppets whose strings are being pulled by hidden manipulators . Even though it enjoys the backing of the US in Lebanon, Syria ,since 1978 , is classified as a terrorist country . Since 1978 , the US has imposed economic sanctions on Syria , we were not present when those sanctions were imposed.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Beyond all the points that we exposed already , there are international resolutions that form the basis for solving the Middle-East problems . Each problem was assorted with one or more UN resolutions . The 1967 six days war had its resolution 242 , the 1973 October war had resolution 338 , the south Lebanon invasion had resolutions 425 and 426 and in the year 1982 there was resolution 520 that calls on all fighting forces on Lebanese soil to leave .The same resolution calls for respect of Lebanese sovereignty . The sovereignty should be exercised by Lebanese legitimate forces. Today and unlike what some are pretending ,we are not betting on the United States against Syria. We are calling on the international community and the United States particularly to implement resolution 520 because of the sterile relationship that the US followed with Syria. This is a reasonable demand , so is the case with the implementation of resolution 242 in the Golan heights. Syria maneuvers , it does not negotiate . Syria's plans and efforts are focused on remaining in Lebanon , it is our right and obligation to confront Syria's plans . The Arabs owe it to us to stand by our side and work in upholding our case . We do not belong to those who extract their force and finances from foreign countries and direct their arms against nationalist elements who are working to reclaim sovereignty , Independence and regroup Lebanon's scattered population.

The Us congress approved in 1990 seven recommendations that called upon the US administration to work on the pull-out of Syrian forces from Lebanon . It is only natural that the congress pursues the same policy and upgrades its recommendations to become a Law . This is a pure internal matter that outlines US policy vis  vis Syria and Lebanon.The American electors with their representatives in congress can only influence the recommendations to become Law. American Democracy is accessible by everybody and is open on everybody, anyone can contribute in shaping up the convictions that approve or reject this Law.

When a voice in the United States is raised and calls out for the restoration of our country's foundations we cannot afford but to be present.At a time when so much talk is going around , voicing concern about countries and nations that might be split or disintegrate ,we see in this forthcoming Law an assurance for a united Lebanon. It stipulates that : « the restoration of full sovereignty to Lebanon , political Independence and territorial integrity is in the national security interest of the United States.» Today more than tomorrow we are all required to wake up and shield ourselves from the threatening dangers.We are also required to close the ranks around an independent and national policy that steers us away from treacherous regional politics attracting some with their nice slogans but wrong substance.

Last but not least let me assure you that each time we enter the prison we get out more determined with a stronger will and more readiness to continue the struggle, no matter how hard it becomes. Incidentally , our hearts are now with our prisoners of conscience who are still detained in Roumieh prison since the 7^th of August of last year . To those prisoners we say : You are in our mind and soul . We stand firm with every political prisoner and all the prisoners of our justice which became discriminatory, preventive and unjust. I thank you all for attending this important anniversary celebration and I hope to be able to meet you all on a free Lebanese soil under free skies.

August the 7^th , 2002

 Ps : the original Arabic text was translated courtesy of Anwar Wazen (LCCC)