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PART 16  (Translated freely: By Elias Bejjani) On July 23, 1999, another meeting was held at the Baabda presidential palace between General Michel Aoun and Mr. Al-Akdar Al-Ibrahimi, the Arabic envoy. Al Ibrahimi did not carry any answers related to the previously forwarded inquiries. He called on Aoun to join the "Taef," because this is exactly what is required. General Aoun came out of the meeting with very apparent disgust in facial expression, to say: " How many words have lost their actual meanings these days. They ask for a dialogue, we extend our arms and agree with no reservations to later discover that dialogue is banned. They want us to accept their plans with no conditions. It would have been less time and effort if they had sent these plans by registered mail requesting a response within 24 hours. On July 4, 1999 the fourth and last meeting between Aoun and Ibrahimi took place. Aoun summarized his demands into four items and handed then to the Arabic envoy in writing. They were: 1- Disarming all militias and handing over the arms to the Lebanese Army. 2- Entrusting the security measures to the Lebanese legitimate security forces and scheduling the withdrawal of all foreign and occupying forces. 3- Performing a free parliamentary election under Arabic and international supervision. 4- The freely elected parliament shall look into the "Taef Agreement", make the needed amendments and ratify it. With the start of the Syrian siege on the free regions, the Syrians put their artillery on attack status. They intensified significantly their military presence on all the entry posts to the free regions. On October 1, 1990, General Naiem Ltief, the Security General Director, made General Aoun aware of a report indicating increased Syrian troops on the frontiers surrounding the free regions. Aoun told Ltief, the increased Syrian troops should not be a problem for us, even if their number reaches one hundred thousand. They will not be able to penetrate our lines, because we are experienced, know very well the posts, the nature of the land and because we are in a defensive position. Lteif asked: what would be the situation if the use their air forces? Aoun said: "That will mean that the USA has sold us to Syria. We will confront as much as we can, they might defeat us, but we will not recognize the Taef Agreement or sign to give up our country. By doing so we, as well as our children will retain our right to reclaim what was stolen from us by force. On October 9, 1990, a delegation from the Central National Coordinating Bureau (the writer was among its members) met with a delegation from the National Syrian Social party. It was agreed during the get together to meet with Syrians. When we returned back to the presidential palace, I informed General Aoun about the arranged meeting with the Syrians. His response was, "I doubt it very much the Syrians will agree to meet with you." On October 10, 1999, I met with General Aoun and made him aware of the information we were able to collect. It all confirmed that the Syrian Army has become ready to attack and that many tanks have been heading towards our besieged region. Aoun said: " We have already gained 10 days, the Syrian attack was scheduled at the end of the last month, then he sighed and mumbled with a low voice, "The carrying of the cross is already happening and we could even march towards the Galilee, it is okay because the resurrection will come one day". On the afternoon of October 12, 1990, the Presidental Palace square was crowded with thousands of citizens who decided to execute a sit-in and shield the palace and the leader with their bodies. At that time the Lebanese Forces started its sniping and artillery. General Aoun went out on the palace balcony, greeted the crowd who chanted loudly, long live free Lebanon, we will protect our land with our blood and souls and waved proudly with Lebanese flags. Aoun started his speech by saying: " My people, people of great Lebanon", and at this point a citizen who had sneaked among the crowd, named Francios Halal shot four bullets towards Aoun from a military hand gun. The bullets missed Aoun but flew overhead and near his feet. He was shielded by the metal fortified anti-bullet stage designed for this purpose. The assailant was arrested by the people and handed over to the army unharmed. Aoun went inside the palace for few minutes and then returned to deliver an emotional speech and ask the people to go home. His call at that moment was interpreted as a precautionary measure from the Lebanese Forces shelling, but later on said it was based on his knowledge about the imminent attack against the free region. On that evening Aoun asked me if we are still going to meet with the Syrians as previously arranged, I told him yes, we are. He paused for a while and said: "I am not comfortable with this meeting, but let us depend on God's will and do all we can to make our point of view and stances known to all those parties. After that myself, General Aoun and Mr. Youssef Al-Andari met and finalized the proposed solution plan I was supposed to present to the Syrians. The items of the plan could be summarized as: 1- Disarming all militias in an effective and final manner. 2- Confirming that the Lebanese Army has become capable to guarantee the security and spread the state's sovereignty. 3- Put a hold on the Taef Agreement clauses. 4- Performing a public referendum to decide on the Taef Agreement, or performing a free parliamentary election under Arabic and international supervision. The freely elected Parliament will study the Taef Agreement, make the necessary amendments and ratify it with all the reforms needed after a Lebanese consensus on them. 5- The readiness and the good will for a stable, solid, everlasting and mutual brotherly relationship with Syria. This relationship has to respect both countries, sovereignty, freedom and independence To be continued next week. Long Live Free Lebanon |