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PART 8  (Translated freely: By Elias Bejjani) General Michel Aoun is an outspoken and extraordinary leader. He adopted explicit openness, honesty, frankness and a firm style in exposing facts. He founded a solid role model and healthy criteria for national conduct and relations. In an open, friendly get-together with the army officers, he addressed them by saying: "I am not inviting you to a delicious plate, but for a tough struggle full of hardships, pain and oppression. I know some of you are not going to continue with me, either due to certain geographical affiliations, or because you don't believe in my views and proposals. But those who do stay will be enough to engage in the confrontation and save Lebanon and its people. General Michel Aoun is an outspoken and extraordinary leader. He adopted explicit openness, honesty, frankness and a firm style in exposing facts. He founded a solid role model and healthy criteria for national conduct and relations. In an open, friendly get-together with the army officers, he addressed them by saying: "I am not inviting you to a delicious plate, but for a tough struggle full of hardships, pain and oppression. I know some of you are not going to continue with me, either due to certain geographical affiliations, or because you don't believe in my views and proposals. But those who do stay will be enough to engage in the confrontation and save Lebanon and its people. In an educational, military event, on the occasion of signing a book under the title "The History of the Lebanese Army" written by Colonel Sami Reyhana, General Aoun said: The era of those raised at the embassies' doors and nurtured by consulates, and those who build their stances and take their decisions from foreign whisperings is over. A new mentality shall govern Lebanon, manage its affairs and pull it out of the trap that for the last fifty years we have been paying for in mistakes and disadvantages. To differentiate between the status Lebanon has been suffering under, and the new reality that started to take place under his reign, Aoun said in a news conference: "They killed Lebanon and put its corpse in a coffin and while marching in its funeral procession, suddenly Lebanon rose out of the coffin and shouted loudly, I am still alive. This resurrection annoyed them all, because they yearned to get rid of it. This reality has to be explained to all those concerned...Lebanon is nation that deserves life. It was not accidentally founded, and is a nation with seven thousand years of deep-rooted history. It has granted civilization and human progress more than any other nation. During Aoun's reign (1988-1990) the American Ambassador to Lebanon, Mr. John Macarthy, used to ask Aoun every time they met to appoint advisors, and used to recommend certain people for the proposed posts. Aoun's adamant response was: I have many advisors, but because of the current situation their names have to remain unknown. One time Aoun said to Mr. Macarthy: You, Mr. Ambassador could be one of my advisors on certain matters, but there is no need to name any person in particular as an advisor. After one of the meetings with Mr. Macarthy, I noticed General Aoun to be angry, with a sullen face. I asked him, what is the matter? Aoun answered: imagine all that Mr. Macarthy cares about is to convince me to appoint advisors, and what is strange is that he proposes those to be appointed, although each of them is fed at an embassy kitchen. It seems what he could not take from me directly, he is trying to get through the proposed advisors. During his visit to Tunisia with a high-ranking delegation to attend the Arabic summit held there, General Aoun's official reception was a significant in its warmth. Upon his arrival, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister, Sheik Sabah Al-Ahmad al-Sabah, and head of the Summit's committee requested to meet with him. The meeting was initially an introductory one through which each of men tried to explore the other and get to know his views and stances. Sheik Sabah addressed General Aoun with many titles, like General, Mr. General, Your excellency, the General, but his tongue slipped and called him, your excellency the President. Aoun noticed that Sheik Sabah was not relaxed and somewhat tense. He said to him: please feel free to call me with what title you like, but let us be open and straightforward with each other. Sheik Sabah was fascinated by General Aoun, and this was apparent in his behavior and attitude all through the summit and after it. Sheik Sabah said loudly and openly and in the presence of many leaders who attended the summit: As God is my witness, we have not been fair with this man (General Aoun), he is an authentic Arabic and it is not true that Israel supports him. General Aoun entered the Summit's hall wearing his civil cloth, and it was the first time he took off the military suit during an official meeting. He presented a detailed study on the Lebanese conflict and used large colored maps showing locations of foreign armies and militias on the Lebanese soil. He also presented documents proving the ties of each militia with a foreign source and exhibiting its support and financing resources. After that he moved to explain his project tailored to save Lebanon and the means needed to execute it. His plan was simple, practical, straightforward and was based on both the people and the army for its implementation because nether of them were tied to or supported by foreign powers. The priorities in his proposal were to solidify sovereignty, independence and unity of the country. Aoun refused to be lead to discuss detailed projects by saying: It is not logical or practical to go into at the present time to discuss in depth projects like the reform one which I fully support and advocate for. We can't do so with the current imposed status on Lebanon through occupying armies, militias supported by foreign powers and a paralyzed state and while the legitimate Lebanese troops surrounded and crippled. He insisted on scheduling the withdrawal of all foreign troops, controlling the militias activities, cutting its foreign enforcement and support, and entrusting the security duties to the Lebanese army. He said clearly and loudly and cautioned that Lebanon cannot be ruled from Damascus, while the regime in Lebanon should not anti-Syrian. To be continued next week. Long Live Free Lebanon |