The birth of nations is often preceded or accompanied by the birth of the human citizen. The new Lebanese human was indeed born during the administration of Prime Minster Michel Aoun, the head of our constitutional government (in exile today in France). Before PM Aoun, our instincts for independence were blinded by the conspiracy against Lebanon and diluted into resignation, dependency, or futile conflicts. Prime Minister Aoun awoke the giant and the honorable in us. He cleansed us from the sins of the past. He set our cause on the path of Truth and dignity. He established the integrity and purity of our struggle. He restored our pride as Lebanese and humans. Under his administration and for the first time in our history, the affairs of the Lebanese State were ran honestly, efficiently, with no corruption, and with the welfare of the citizens in mind and practice. In 1988-1990, the new Lebanese citizen was born, an honest, proud, secular, self-sacrificing, courageous, equalitarian, and righteous human being.

On Oct 13, 1990, the newborn was murdered in its cradle. Syria occupied Lebanon under the eyes of the US, France, the Vatican, the Arab nations, and the UN. Prime Minister Aoun’s constitutional government was forced into exile in France. Soon after, administrative Lebanon returned to the 19^th century Turkish ottoman mentality of corruption, bribery, cronyism, oppression of public freedoms and violation of our human rights. Today, under the Hariri puppet regime, citizens have to bribe government officials for every administrative formality. State employees have two sources of income; their salaries, and the briberies they collect while conducting the affairs of the state. Mafias operate within cabinet ministries and public agencies, often cutting citizens and business electrical and telephone services in order to collect restoration money. The example is set at the top. At all levels of the State, Syria has appointed collaborators; from president Hrawi (elected in the Syrian intelligence headquarter in the town of Shtoura), to the Saudi citizen – appointed Prime minister – Rafik Hariri, to the militia warlord Nabih Berri appointed as head of parliament, and all the way down the state echelon. Ministers in the current cabinet include warlords such as Walid Jumblat (responsible for the massacres in Mount Lebanon), and Elie Houbaika (the butcher of the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian camps). The whole Lebanese State has been remade in the image of the Syrian masters. From the top down it can be considered as a state of thugs, thieves, murderers, financial moguls, warlords, mafias, and collaborators.

The Hariri regime has shut down the media through censorship, threats, and outright physical kidnapping and attacks. Pierre Atallah, the famous Nahar correspondent, was kidnapped by the security services, tortured, and after international protests, he was exiled to France. Many newspapers were fined and shut down for days. Journalists and chief editors were threatened and others bribed. The unions were intimated and split and their public manifestations banned by government decree. The independent judicial system was suspended and is now subservient to Syrian intimidations. Syrian agents are infiltrating unions, professional societies, universities, and other vital social organs. Two fraudulent parliamentary elections have been conducted under the tank barrels of the 40,000 Syrian occupation troops. The first one in 1992 was boycotted by 87% of the population, Christians and Moslems alike. The second was conducted only after the occupation regime passed a nationalization decree in which over 150,000 non-Lebanese were given the nationality and thus the ability to vote. Electoral fraud was widespread and thousands of Syrian nationals were transported from Syria into Lebanon to vote under the protection of the Syrian intelligence services. Now the same occupation regime, which betrayed Lebanon, corrupted the administration, and cheated in the last two elections, is organizing the municipal elections.

As it did in the past two "so-called" elections, the Hariri occupation regime is again flexing its muscles to influence the municipal elections. It has pressured nationalist candidates and denied them equal access to the official and public media. The Syrians have also adjourned the elections in some towns where they could not impose their candidates. Fraud, money, corruption, intimidation, and feudalism are again widespread.

The living forces of society have been asphyxiated and we are seeing the results today in a declining economy and standards of living. Only the regime millionaires are doing well. The middle class has been wiped out and poverty is widespread. Political Freedoms have disappeared. Only collaborators are free and have access to the media and the resources of society.

The world governments must stop fooling themselves and insulting our dignity. Reforms in Lebanon cannot come from the Syrian dictatorship. Good does not come from Evil. The current regime in Lebanon came to power on the top of Syrian tanks. It is illegal and illegitimate. Legitimacy only comes from the people through free elections. World policy makers must return to the roots of the error and correct it from that point. The Taef accord was the error. It was illegal since it consecrated the Syrian occupation of Lebanon and it forced our constitutional government of Prime Minister Aoun into exile. The Taef accord brought Syrian collaborators to power and made Lebanon a de-facto province of Syria. It falsified the will of the people and extinguished the voice of Lebanon in world affair. It installed corruption and pillaged billions of dollars from the country and is now annihilating its economic, ecological, cultural, and human resources.

There cannot be a compromise with evil. To compromise with the Syrian occupation is like compromising with Hitler. Syria must withdraw from Lebanon in accordance with United Nations resolution 520. UN troops can then extend their presence to cover all Lebanon and guarantee the return of the constitutional government of Prime Minister Michel Aoun. All traces of the Syrian occupation must be erased from within the state, the army, as well as from all previously Syrian-staffed institutions. A new constitution, freely debated by all the people, and based on the universal declaration of human rights, could be drafted. It would define a secular, equalitarian, and humanistic society and state, where all people are equal regardless of race, color, religion, or national origins. The new constitution will then be submitted to the people in a public referendum under UN auspices. Next, new free elections can be organized. A new, secular, independent, and nationalistic state will emerge that represents the people and the highest of ethics. Balance of power and judicial independence will be restored. The rule of law will be applied equally to everyone. The people will have the chance to change their government peacefully on a periodic basis. Society, the press, the people, and all social and economic organs will then rejoice in freedom and the economy will bloom. Only then, can Lebanon recapture its unique role among the family of nations. Anything else short of this goal is a continuation of the conspiracy and the murder of the prisoner nation of Lebanon by the world decision-makers.

Only Free Lebanon can make peace in the Middle East. Only Free Lebanon can be the home of the born-again citizens; the Michel Aoun generation, the humanists, the secularists, the many proud and honest Lebanese. Lebanon must be saved from the abyss of the Assad regime, for freedom does not bloom in dictatorships. Fear not those who kill the body, but fear those who can kill both your body and your Soul. People of the world, help us free Lebanon. Act today! Act now! Take a stand for righteousness and humanity. Write to your government and senators and ask them to support the immediate execution of UN resolution 520. Help bring justice, freedom, and peace to our people and all the Middle East. Only then, can Lebanon rise to new heights. Only then, will our born again citizen flourish as an honorable, self reliant, dynamic, ecologically educated, and compassionate human being.