 By: Colonel Fayez Karam (Translated freely: By Elias Bejjani) A few years ago, Mr. Abdel Halim Khaddam prophesied to the Lebanese: "Mr. Raffic Hariri will remain Lebanon's Prime Minister till the year 2000." His bragging, pompous message was delivered publicly at the Lebanese Presidential Baabda palace. Presently the Lebanese people are living Khaddam's year 2000, 13 months before its actual due date. Why? Because Khaddam is infallible and what is mutual between him and Hariri in the realm of plotting, conspiring and private business is much stronger than future predictions and unexpected bad times. Khaddam's bragging image cannot be forgotten, nor his humiliating, sickening, arrogant remarks. His Stalinist approach focused that day on the Lebanese duties and needs. He even allowed himself to distribute ruling roles to officials. He superseded Lebanon's parliamentary jurisdiction, a Syrian-appointed parliament that kneeled and approved Hariri's appointment. Mr. Khaddam's statements were a means for securing his imminent and future personal interests. The people of Lebanon were not sure what Syrian interests Khaddam was serving through his arrogant behavior. They wondered then, if Khaddam's conceited, belittling, degrading attitudes in addressing the Lebanese collaborating with Syria and supporting its occupation, were serving Syrian interests. Our feeling with regard to the current Lebanese status quo is that it is not what we yearn for, nor does it fulfil our ambitions. Nothing, in fact, will change in Lebanon because Syria has recently appointed a new president and a new cabinet. The present disguise portraying change is merely superficial, a change in faces and topics, not in the essence or core of any substantial matter. The change Syria is trying to sell to the Lebanese, and to the rest of the free world, is in fact a major atrocity against both democracy and freedom of choice. The Lebanese puppet officials and politicians who consented to be used as robots in this charade are pursuing individual, not national gains. They have abused and manipulated official statuses, public support and betrayed the country and its people. Facing this new, imposed status quo, it is necessary to clarify the following two facts: 1- No collaborator in Lebanon is able to overcome the Syrian will. The unanimity given through Syrian influence to a one official could be shifted to his rival within minutes. No one collaborator, be a politician, a leader, or an official, is currently strong in Lebanon because of personality, charisma, money or connections. Storms of change have apparently begun to blow tearing out roots and blowing down forts. What has hit Mr. Hariri this last week is neither a start nor an end… 2- To have a meaning and a need for the will to change need not to come through using officials as playing cards and then destroying them. We know that the mastermind is not currently in Lebanon, but in Damascus where the Syrian dictator resides. Can we assume that Syria started to admit the existence of an odd reality in Lebanon? Is it possible the Syrian regime at last has recognized the Lebanese people have been forced to be Syria's enemies because of its local collaborators' and puppets' illegal practices? Practices characterized by corruption, murder, kidnapping, illegal detentions, oppression, humiliation and infringements on human rights? We hope the Syrian regime's sudden conscience is authentic and aims to give Lebanon back its confiscated sovereignty, dignity, independence and freedom. A friend who spends his time cajoling, appeasing and glorifying is a frightening person, while he who is honest criticizes when the need arises, and holds to his stances in critical times is highly respected. Our hopes for change are hopes for reclaiming our lost sovereignty, freedom and independence. Is this promised change coming by way of a qualified, honest official? Or through notorious ones known to have manipulated and abused the regime, and divided its revenues into portions among themselves? We hope to see in office officials who genuinely intend to reclaim what we have lost, so we can support them. Long Live Free Lebanon. France. December 5, 1998 |