 (Translated freely: By Elias Bejjani) Ten years ago General Michel Aoun, said: "The solution in Lebanon would not be achieved without an international agreement and consensus at the Middle East regional level. He added: Meanwhile in Lebanon, we must be ready, well prepared and capable to manage our own affairs. We must run our country efficiently, effectively and independently to gain the world's and region's respect for a well-done job. We have to be a stabilizing element in the region and not a burden on any body else. No one should believe falsely that the status in Lebanon will settle down easily because it is the focus of other regional countries. Lebanon will know no stability or enter the ultimate peace stage without a tripartite negotiation peace process between Lebanon, Syria and Israel. The desired solution requires a great deal of international efforts and an ample of time to prepare the people of the region psychologically and make them live reconciliatory milieus" Aoun continued to say: "Meanwhile we can not standstill waiting for such milieus to happen. We have to organize our own internal affairs, the army and security forces have to ensure the safety and welfare of the citizens, the economy must be promoted, the Lebanese in Diaspora have to be encouraged to return back, and the way for a suitable reconciliatory milieu has to be paved. We have also to build a healthy stable relationship with neighboring Syria and remove the mutual existing status of hostility and instability. The Lebanese-Syrian relations should not remain a hostage to circumstances and officials' labile moods, it should stem from the peoples' convictions. Such a mutual relationship with all its components can not be decided on, or channeled through agreements without a public mandate through a free democratic parliamentary election in both countries. The people will freely choose through their legitimate elected MP's the kind of Syrian-Lebanese relation. A relation that honors the sovereignty, independence, entity and freedom of both countries". Since his day one as Prime Minister, General Michel Aoun, called for a state of law and for a strong army. He worked hard to unify the Lebanese people and their interests with the state. He provided internal milieus of freedom and security, and openness on Arab brothers in Tunisia Summit Conference. During that conference he said his well know statement: " Lebanon can not be governed from Damascus, but at the same time it can not be governed from Beirut against Damascus". Aoun's legitimate government put courageous strategies for implementing its reform plans and took the initiative to execute them one after the other. It tried to put an end to the widely spread official bribery, close illegal ports, contain terrorism and fight trafficking. But its efforts collided with the Syrian occupation forces backed by the USA. The Syrian regime through its local puppets and collaborators aborted the government's legitimate endeavors aiming to enforce law and security. Syria hindered the State of Lebanon from practicing its legitimate authority on its own soil. As a result, military confrontations broke between the Lebanese Army on one side, and Syrian occupation Forces with local puppets and collaborators on the other side. Although these confrontations slowed the government's pace and limited its effectiveness, they fell short from defeating it because the Lebanese people from all sectors and denominations supported General Aoun and backed his government's platform and national reform plans Syria and its local puppets imposed a comprehensive besiege on the free regions under Aoun's government reign. When the besiege hit hardly the people, economy, supplies and every day basic needs, Syria invaded it on October 13/ 1990 with Washington's blessings and an Israel's blind eye attitude. The October 13/ military Syrian operation was not aiming to oust only General Aoun and his legitimate government, but to oust the State of Lebanon, the negotiator in the Middle East peace process. Syria and Israel plotted against Lebanon to divide it among themselves and solve their deeply rooted conflicts at its expense. But by ousting Lebanon, Syria and Israel were, and still are, unable to achieve the desired solution. The best they can accomplish without a free Lebanon is an uncompleted solution. Logic dictates that the owner of the land (The Lebanese) must negotiate for his own country and participate effectively and freely in a comprehensive long lasting stable peace. A tripartite peace negotiation process (Syria-Lebanon-Israel) is a must these days, especially that the intentions for peace seem to be authentic towards ending the status of war. Then, and only then, Israel will enjoy peace, Syria gets back its occupied Golan Heights and Lebanon reclaims its independence, sovereignty and assumes its role in the region and the world. Unfortunately this glaring future will not be accomplished before Lebanon rids itself of all foreign custody and hegemony. At the same time Lebanon's official leadership must be legitimate representing Lebanon's interests and its people's hopes and aspirations. Only an independent, free Lebanon can negotiate and sign agreements with Syria and Israel and honor them. Long Live Free Lebanon |