Hezbollah's Leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah warned that his terrorist armed militia is now much, much, stronger than before the devastating war that took place in 2006 between his militia and Israel. He rhetorically and pompously alleged that his militia would destroy Israel if its army wages any attacks against Lebanon.
Nasrallah issued this threat last Saturday at a Boy Scout ceremony in Beirut, as a response to Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's remark last week that "if Lebanon becomes a Hezbollah state, then we won't have any restrictions" in striking the country. Olmert claimed that during the last war, Israel did not use all of its firepower because the enemy was Hezbollah and not its host country Lebanon.
Nasrallah would not have been in this threatening position if the free world countries, Arab nations and the UN General Council have been seriously addressing the numerous violations against the UNSCR Resolutions 1559 and 1701 Hezbollah, Syria and Iran committed.
Israel and the rest of the Middle East countries, as well as the USA and its European allies, are all fully aware that Hezbollah has been stockpiling all kinds of lethal weapons in its huge arsenal, and preparing for another war against Israel once the Iran masters instruct its leadership to instigate it.
Nasrallah, other prominent Hezbollah Military and religious dignitaries, as well as the Iranian Mullahs, are not keeping their hostile and aggressive schemes a secret.
On the contrary they all have made them public and in crystal clear straightforward warnings and threatening messages. They have been saying loudly that in case Iran's nuclear facilities are attacked by Israel or the USA, Israel will be an actual target for Hezbollah's missiles.
One wonders why, for heaven's sake, all the free world countries and the UN are cajoling and appeasing this terrorist militia, and accordingly succumbing more and more to its threats and blackmails.
They all with deadly silence have witnessed time after time Hezbollah's blatant infringements on all the UN Resolutions regarding Lebanon, especially UNSCR 1559 and UNSCR 1701 that stipulates the disarmament of this militia, and for the implementation of the Armistice Accord between Lebanon and Israel.
Not even one free world country lifted a finger when Hezbollah recently conquered West Beirut, and attempted to take over Mount Lebanon. And now they are again so indifferent while Hezbollah is adding to its arsenal Russian advanced surface-to-air and anti-tank missiles.
The Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera" reported last week that Hezbollah's terrorist organization representatives visited Russia in early July, and signed a deal to purchase surface-to-air and anti-tank missiles.
The newspaper stated that three high-ranking Hezbollah officials showed great interest to buy Russian weapons which have been effective in the recent 2006 war with Israel. Noting that the three men entered Russia with Iranian passports, and visited the Sixth International Russian Weapon Exhibition under the status of distinguished guests.
In an interview with the Israeli newspaper "Maariv", the Italian reporter who broke this piece of news stated that Hezbollah's representatives kept a very low profile during the visit, and did in fact sign a number of private contracts to buy air defense systems and anti-tank missiles after the exhibition was closed.Very briefly, and without any personal opinion or analysis, this important report states openly that Hezbollah, the terrorist organization is violating clause eight of the UNSCR 1701 which stated: “No sales or supply of arms and related materiel to Lebanon except as authorized by its government."
UNSCR 1701 clause eight :" 8. Calls for Israel and Lebanon to support a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution based on the following principles and elements:
*Full respect for the Blue Line by both parties; *security arrangements to prevent the resumption of hostilities, including the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani river of an area free of any armed
*personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL as authorized in paragraph 11, deployed in this area;
*Full implementation of the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords, and of resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006), that require the disarmament of all armed
*groups in Lebanon, so that, pursuant to the Lebanese cabinet decision of July 27, 2006, there will be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese state;
*No foreign forces in Lebanon without the consent of its government;
*No sales or supply of arms and related materiel to Lebanon except as authorized by its government;
*Provision to the United Nations of all remaining maps of land mines in Lebanon in Israel's possession; Click here to read the text of the UNSCR 1701 in both Arabic and English http://www.clhrf.com/unresagreements/un%201701.a.e.new.htmWhy are the UN and the Lebanese authorities turning a blind eye to this dangerous matter, which is a clear breach of UNSCR 1701 and Lebanese laws? We call on the UN Security Council and the Lebanese government to open an immediate judicial inquiry into what was published in regards to the Hezbollah-Russian missile deal
Meanwhile Hezbollah that recently was given veto power in the newly appointed Lebanese government keeps openly and on daily basis carrying on its illegal activities at all levels and in all domains. Hezbollah, the Iranian Army in Lebanon, is devouring Lebanon's institutions bit by bit through force, money, terrorism and intimidation, and enforcing day after day the Iranian Mullah's “Wilayat al-Faqih” religious-sectarian education, doctrine and culture.
In the same context of Hezbollah's on going flagrant violations to all Lebanese and international laws, it has for the last two years been publishing media reports and announcements about the death of its fighters "under the Martyrdom operations" tag.
Not even one of these mysterious reports and announcements indicated how, when and where these fighters "martyrs" were killed. The Lebanese Government, the Lebanese politicians, and the country's judiciary have all been keeping silent about this "Martyrdom" phenomenon. Meanwhile some reports stated lately that these so called "fighters" are dying either during training they are undergoing in Iran, or through guerrilla operations in Iraq against the US army.
The last of these mysterious reports was published by the Lebanese National Agency on August 23/08 under the title:" The Islamic Resistance carried a burial procession for a Martyr In Arab Saliem". The Arabic report stated that the "Islamic Resistance" and the Arab Saliem southern town residents participated in the burial procession that was carried out for "Martyr Jihadist", Ali Hassan Abu Zayied, who was killed while performing his Jihadist operation".
The report did not say where, how or when this "Hezbollah Jihadist" was killed. In this same context, but in the regional realm, Jim Kouri, in a report he published in the "Renew America web site", wrote on August 23/08:
"Coalition forces picked up two suspected associates of the Kataib Hezbollah criminal network during operations this morning in Baghdad's New Baghdad district, military officials reported during a teleconference with bloggers and Internet journalists. Acting on intelligence tips, coalition forces raided the home of a suspected Kataib Hezbollah propaganda expert who is believed to have uploaded more than 30 attack videos to the criminal ring's now-defunct Web site.
Coalition forces entered the house, where they detained two of the wanted man's brothers, who are believed to be involved in his criminal enterprises. Coalition forces have detained more than 15 suspected members of Kataib Hezbollah in the last two months, officials said. Kataib Hezbollah is reported to receive funding, logistics, and weapons such as improvised rocket-assisted mortars from Iran. The group also is believed to receive guidance or direction from the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps".
To read Jim Kouri's report Click here http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kouri/080823 The crucial question here, does Lebanon really has a functional and free Government and a Judiciary? If so, both and with no hesitation must prove their authority in practice by pursuing these critical reports with impartially, courage, seriousness, national conscience, and in full accordance with the country's law.
The same applies to the UN General Council who should immediately look into the matter and address the UNSCR 1701 violations committed by Hezbollah, Syria and Iran.
Meanwhile, we would like to bring to the attention of the Russian government that it is a signatory to all the key international resolutions on Lebanon, most important of them are resolutions 1559 and 1701.
We also would like to remind the Russian Authorities that Russia is one of the most threatened nations in the world by terrorist organizations, and therefore should reconsider it positions, reassess its political middle east calculations, and fully refrain from arming those organizations and in particular Hezbollah..
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.comLCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.comCLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Dilemma of the Lebanese detainees in Syrian jails.By: Elias Bejjani
By: Elias Bejjani
Like parrots, the Syrian Baathist regime's officials keep rhetorically insisting that there are no arbitrarily Lebanese detainees incarcerated in their notorious and Nazi like jails.
Logically and legally these false allegations and big lies cannot be acceptable unless a United Nations team is formed to investigate the whole matter without any kind of involvement or pressure from both the Lebanese and Syrian authorities.
For thirty long painful years families of the detainees and Human rights organizations have been calling for the release of all the Lebanese detainees (700 -1000) arbitrarily held in Syria's jails and for the end of this human tragedy.
Unfortunately their calls have fallen on deaf ears, complete disregard for laws, disrespect for human dignity, and stony-like consciousness.
The Free people of Lebanon are extremely concerned and frustrated because of the way that their officials have been handling this humanitarian calamity. The Syrian and Lebanese officials' conduct is mostly characterized by complete disregard for human rights, and an apparent shameful contempt for the dignity of the Lebanese citizens.
Concerned Lebanese citizens are wondering for how long these officials are going to keep pretending that this predicament does not exist? Do they really think it will disappear and die without clear knowledge of the fate and whereabouts of each and every detainee?
The newly elected Lebanese president Michel Suleiman has paid last week an important visit to Syria and met Syria's ruler Bashar Al Assad. The detainees' file topped his agenda as was officially announced.
Unfortunately Suleiman returned home empty handed. Knowing the Syrian regime's vicious mentality of camouflaging and elusiveness, that was not a surprise. The joint Syrian- Lebanese statement that was released after the visit stated that the detainees' file will be dealt with by joint committees.
It is worth mentioning that committees in Lebanon's and Syria's political dictionaries denotes to graves where taboo files are usually buried.
For the last 30 years this on-going human tragedy has been advocated for locally, regionally and world wide through the highest level of diplomacy. These efforts forced Damascus in year 2000 to comply partially with the issue and release 54 detainees. Sine then very few releases took place.
Human rights' atrocities inflicted by the Syrian regime on the Lebanese peaceful citizens are not new; they have been unfolding on almost a daily basis during the years of the horrible Syrian occupation (1976-2005) of Lebanon.
The Syrian invading army had fought vigorously with many Lebanese and Palestinian factions, groups and parties. Its Intelligence Services had abducted many citizens from all across Lebanon. Some were abducted for being members of parties opposing the Syrian hegemony, while others for taking up an armed struggle against them. In addition, hundreds of Lebanese soldiers and citizens are still currently held arbitrarily in Syrian Nazi-like jails for years without any knowledge of their whereabouts.
The procedures used by the Syrian army and intelligence to abduct Lebanese citizens are as follows:1-Directly kidnapped by the Syrian forces in Lebanon and transferred to Syria.2-Indirectly kidnapped by militias and armed individuals collaborating with Syria.3-Held by Lebanese internal security and then handed over to the Syrians illegally.
According to a pile of testimonies delivered by Lebanese citizens released from Syrian jails and documented by Human Rights' Organizations, the abducted went through the same routine criminal interrogative procedures. After being arrested and questioned for hours or days at times under torture and abuse, they are either let go, or transferred to Syria for more questioning, lasting at times for months or years. They could be held indefinitely unless someone with some political clout intervene on their behalf and set up their release.
However, a great number of the detainees remain held for questioning for years. Once the questioning is over the detainees are transferred to one of the many notorious Syrian jails without any kind of trial nor the presence of a lawyer. They then undergo a series of torture and abuse that differs in intensity according to their charges.
They are stripped of their names and instead given numbers. Those who dare to utter their names are harshly punished. Their detention is kept secret, and no information whatsoever is given to the detainees' families, to the Red Cross or to the Human Rights International organizations.
For the last 30 years Syria has continuously refused to allow the Read Cross or any of the international Human Rights' organizations to visit its jails. The Syrian authorities has also been adamantly refusing to issue a list with the names of the detainees held in its jails.
The detention conditions in all the Syrian jails is far from humane. The rooms are dark with no sunlight. No proper sanitation facilities; detainees have to relieve themselves inside the room. Very poor hygienic conditions, food is the left over crumbs and very few lucky detainees escape malnutrition, asthma, heart problems, cancer, tuberculoses and many other health threatening diseases.
Charges inflicted on the detainees were always the same; collaboration with Israelis against Syria, or spying for an opposition party such as the Lebanese forces, Free Patriotic Movement and other Lebanese opposition groups. Such atrocities have never been reported that bad anywhere in the whole world according to statements issued by lawyers and scholars worldwide.
The security agreement signed between Lebanon and Syria under the so-called brotherhood collaboration does give in any of its articles the Syrian army any right to abduct or jail any Lebanese for questioning inside or outside Lebanon. According to an earlier Lebanese-Syrian agreement drafted in 1951, Lebanon reserves the right to reject the extradition of any individual to the Syrian authorities even if he was a Syrian citizen.
The individual will have to undergo his trial in Lebanon in compliance with its laws. All agreements signed between Syria and Lebanon do not allow such Syrian atrocities. All the practices that the Syrian army and its intelligence services had conducted in Lebanon are illegal and were practiced against all local and international laws.
The Syrian regime will not put an end to this 30 year ongoing dilemma unless the whole file is referred to the United Nations. This regime knows no mercy and pressure is the only language that its officials comprehend. Accordingly, we call on the Lebanese officials, politicians and human rights NGOs to work seriously on handing over this file to the United Nations. All free world countries should come to the rescue of our living Lebanese victims in those notorious jails and spare no effort in pressuring the Syrian regime to put an end to this human dilemma.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Like parrots, the Syrian Baathist regime's officials keep rhetorically insisting that there are no arbitrarily Lebanese detainees incarcerated in their notorious and Nazi like jails.
Logically and legally these false allegations and big lies cannot be acceptable unless a United Nations team is formed to investigate the whole matter without any kind of involvement or pressure from both the Lebanese and Syrian authorities.
For thirty long painful years families of the detainees and Human rights organizations have been calling for the release of all the Lebanese detainees (700 -1000) arbitrarily held in Syria's jails and for the end of this human tragedy.
Unfortunately their calls have fallen on deaf ears, complete disregard for laws, disrespect for human dignity, and stony-like consciousness.
The Free people of Lebanon are extremely concerned and frustrated because of the way that their officials have been handling this humanitarian calamity. The Syrian and Lebanese officials' conduct is mostly characterized by complete disregard for human rights, and an apparent shameful contempt for the dignity of the Lebanese citizens.
Concerned Lebanese citizens are wondering for how long these officials are going to keep pretending that this predicament does not exist? Do they really think it will disappear and die without clear knowledge of the fate and whereabouts of each and every detainee?
The newly elected Lebanese president Michel Suleiman has paid last week an important visit to Syria and met Syria's ruler Bashar Al Assad. The detainees' file topped his agenda as was officially announced.
Unfortunately Suleiman returned home empty handed. Knowing the Syrian regime's vicious mentality of camouflaging and elusiveness, that was not a surprise. The joint Syrian- Lebanese statement that was released after the visit stated that the detainees' file will be dealt with by joint committees.
It is worth mentioning that committees in Lebanon's and Syria's political dictionaries denotes to graves where taboo files are usually buried.
For the last 30 years this on-going human tragedy has been advocated for locally, regionally and world wide through the highest level of diplomacy. These efforts forced Damascus in year 2000 to comply partially with the issue and release 54 detainees. Sine then very few releases took place.
Human rights' atrocities inflicted by the Syrian regime on the Lebanese peaceful citizens are not new; they have been unfolding on almost a daily basis during the years of the horrible Syrian occupation (1976-2005) of Lebanon.
The Syrian invading army had fought vigorously with many Lebanese and Palestinian factions, groups and parties. Its Intelligence Services had abducted many citizens from all across Lebanon. Some were abducted for being members of parties opposing the Syrian hegemony, while others for taking up an armed struggle against them. In addition, hundreds of Lebanese soldiers and citizens are still currently held arbitrarily in Syrian Nazi-like jails for years without any knowledge of their whereabouts.
The procedures used by the Syrian army and intelligence to abduct Lebanese citizens are as follows:1-Directly kidnapped by the Syrian forces in Lebanon and transferred to Syria.2-Indirectly kidnapped by militias and armed individuals collaborating with Syria.3-Held by Lebanese internal security and then handed over to the Syrians illegally.
According to a pile of testimonies delivered by Lebanese citizens released from Syrian jails and documented by Human Rights' Organizations, the abducted went through the same routine criminal interrogative procedures. After being arrested and questioned for hours or days at times under torture and abuse, they are either let go, or transferred to Syria for more questioning, lasting at times for months or years. They could be held indefinitely unless someone with some political clout intervene on their behalf and set up their release.
However, a great number of the detainees remain held for questioning for years. Once the questioning is over the detainees are transferred to one of the many notorious Syrian jails without any kind of trial nor the presence of a lawyer. They then undergo a series of torture and abuse that differs in intensity according to their charges.
They are stripped of their names and instead given numbers. Those who dare to utter their names are harshly punished. Their detention is kept secret, and no information whatsoever is given to the detainees' families, to the Red Cross or to the Human Rights International organizations.
For the last 30 years Syria has continuously refused to allow the Read Cross or any of the international Human Rights' organizations to visit its jails. The Syrian authorities has also been adamantly refusing to issue a list with the names of the detainees held in its jails.
The detention conditions in all the Syrian jails is far from humane. The rooms are dark with no sunlight. No proper sanitation facilities; detainees have to relieve themselves inside the room. Very poor hygienic conditions, food is the left over crumbs and very few lucky detainees escape malnutrition, asthma, heart problems, cancer, tuberculoses and many other health threatening diseases.
Charges inflicted on the detainees were always the same; collaboration with Israelis against Syria, or spying for an opposition party such as the Lebanese forces, Free Patriotic Movement and other Lebanese opposition groups. Such atrocities have never been reported that bad anywhere in the whole world according to statements issued by lawyers and scholars worldwide.
The security agreement signed between Lebanon and Syria under the so-called brotherhood collaboration does give in any of its articles the Syrian army any right to abduct or jail any Lebanese for questioning inside or outside Lebanon. According to an earlier Lebanese-Syrian agreement drafted in 1951, Lebanon reserves the right to reject the extradition of any individual to the Syrian authorities even if he was a Syrian citizen.
The individual will have to undergo his trial in Lebanon in compliance with its laws. All agreements signed between Syria and Lebanon do not allow such Syrian atrocities. All the practices that the Syrian army and its intelligence services had conducted in Lebanon are illegal and were practiced against all local and international laws.
The Syrian regime will not put an end to this 30 year ongoing dilemma unless the whole file is referred to the United Nations. This regime knows no mercy and pressure is the only language that its officials comprehend. Accordingly, we call on the Lebanese officials, politicians and human rights NGOs to work seriously on handing over this file to the United Nations. All free world countries should come to the rescue of our living Lebanese victims in those notorious jails and spare no effort in pressuring the Syrian regime to put an end to this human dilemma.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Monday, July 21, 2008
Samir Kuntar is a Convicted Killer and Not a Hero
By: Elias Bejjani
It is really sad, shocking and shameful when a convicted murderer is decorated as a hero. Shame on Lebanon's leaders, parties, dignitaries, politicians and officials who boldly and evilly distanced themselves from the hopes, aspirations, education, and culture of their own people and welcomed Samir Kuntar as a hero. By doing so they have alienated themselves from the majority of the Lebanese people and negated the deeply Lebanese rooted standards and criteria for what is wrong and what is right, and for what is good and what is evil.
They are stupidly blemishing the actual peaceful image of Lebanon and the historically known role of the Lebanese people as lovers and advocates for peace, democracy, coexistence and multicultural principles. In the eyes of the majority of the Lebanese people Samir Kuntar is a mere convicted murderer and not a hero.
The Ottoman Turks occupied Lebanon for almost 400 years (1516-1918) with an iron fist, yet despite their bloody repression, persecution, injustice, and blatant bloody oppression means, they failed to impose “Ottomanization” on the Lebanese people. Nor did they succeed in imposing the Turkish language as a replacement for the Lebanese language.
The Ottomans’ condescending and suppressive repression was confronted by the Lebanese stubborn attachment to their culture, their identity, their history. And most of all, their faith, hopes, values and morals, their humanistic standards for Good and Evil. The Lebanese triumphed and the Ottomans were defeated.
After the Ottomans, the French mandate shined its civilized and peaceful administration, with respect to human rights, and seeking the public good in harmony with Lebanese culture and beliefs. The French mandate ushered a spring of Lebanon lasting 30 years of consenting cooperation. It produced with the Lebanese people a Franco-Lebanese common, solid Franco-Lebanese culture that continued to thrive even after France’s exit. This culture is still very rooted in the spirit, conscience, and practices of the Lebanese.
On the other hand, 30 years of a Syrian barbaric and savage occupation backed by collaborators, imported terrorists and ideologies, and dishonest theatrics, also failed to uproot any of the Lebanese cultural constants for they are deep rooted in their being, and merged with the holy earth of Lebanon, so, just like the Ottomans, the Syrians were also defeated and were forced to leave Lebanon trailing their disappointment and humiliation.
For 7000 years, holding to their culture, values, faith and stubbornness, the Lebanese people struggled and defeated the greed, plans, and oppression of hundreds of invaders, occupiers, and conquerors whose traces are carved on few stones in Lebanon’s famous “Nahr Kalb” river.
Based on all the above, it is a moral duty to judge all those celebrators who chanted like parrots the mantra of Samir Kuntar’s heroism, and accepted in obedience and subservience to celebrate Kuntar’s crime as heroism, in contradiction to standards of the Lebanese culture, civilization, and values, and in violation of all religious and legal charters.
We believe strongly that it is a patriotic duty and ethical obligation to hold accountable all the Lebanese leaderships, whether officials or religious parties and intellectuals. We, as Lebanese people in both Lebanon and Diaspora must hold accountable all those who participated in the “ festival of lies and falsehood” while at the same time claiming their adherence to the framework and foundations of Lebanon’s message of civilization, to its constitution, its laws of the land, to the principles of Human Rights, the Geneva Convention regarding civilians in times of war, and to the teachings of their religions, values, principles, and morals inherited from our forefathers.
They have shamelessly “sinned” reneging the Lebanese culture and its values, and all its moral and legal humanistic constituents. They threw to the wind the sacrifices of thousands of venerable Lebanese sacrificed at the altar, so that Lebanon remains Free, Sovereign, and Independent. A civilized country. A model of openness, tolerance, and coexistence.
Through their “Dhimmitude” action, they walked the path of Hezbollah’s fundamentalist and Iran's mullah-isolationist culture. The culture of the “"Wilayat al-Faqih." ” which totally negates the Lebanese Culture. It is the opposite of civil societies, human charters, freedoms, democracy and civilization.
(Wilayat al-Faqih is a religious theology that is divisive amongst the Muslims themselves. It is a bizarre, autocratic concept created and tailored by the late Ayatollah Khomeini in the early seventies. The basis of this system provides all the ruling powers and authorities with unlimited vetoes on every aspect of life and governance into the hands of one man, the Highest Shiite Imam, whose headquarters is located in the Iranian city of Qom).
A prisoner’s family, regardless of his crime, has the right to celebrate their family member’s release. But the politicians and parties who brandished the banner of the Cedars Revolution, who struggled for freedom and for the “Lebanese culture” in face of “Wilayat al-Faqih” Iranian education and doctrine, who opposed Hezbollah’s fundamentalist agenda, do not have the right to run breathlessly behind Hezbollah’s travesties. No right to accept the “standards and criteria of heroism” as defined in Hezbollah’s religious-sectarian philosophy and education. These leaders cannot overturn the universal set standards and criteria of true heroism, and subjugate themselves to Hezbollah’s logic and its heretical doctrine.
They have no right promoting the “Dhimmitude” education and logic to their practices and public statements. Their acceptance to be subservient in Hezbollah’s musical band desecrates the Lebanese people numerous heroic stands since 2005, when one and a half million Lebanese descended the streets in civilized peaceful demonstrations, and gave these politicians the mission of standing guardians to protect us from Hezbollah’s culture, education, schemes and Iranian terrorist agenda.
Yet it is the right of the sovereign Lebanese to request public accountability from all the Cedars Revolution leaders, cabinet ministers, MPs, and party leaders, as well as all the state officials who celebrated Hezbollah’s Kuntar’s heroism which is totally alien to the Lebanese culture. We have the right that they offer either their apology and repentance for their ugly action, or resign from their positions and join Hezbollah.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
It is really sad, shocking and shameful when a convicted murderer is decorated as a hero. Shame on Lebanon's leaders, parties, dignitaries, politicians and officials who boldly and evilly distanced themselves from the hopes, aspirations, education, and culture of their own people and welcomed Samir Kuntar as a hero. By doing so they have alienated themselves from the majority of the Lebanese people and negated the deeply Lebanese rooted standards and criteria for what is wrong and what is right, and for what is good and what is evil.
They are stupidly blemishing the actual peaceful image of Lebanon and the historically known role of the Lebanese people as lovers and advocates for peace, democracy, coexistence and multicultural principles. In the eyes of the majority of the Lebanese people Samir Kuntar is a mere convicted murderer and not a hero.
The Ottoman Turks occupied Lebanon for almost 400 years (1516-1918) with an iron fist, yet despite their bloody repression, persecution, injustice, and blatant bloody oppression means, they failed to impose “Ottomanization” on the Lebanese people. Nor did they succeed in imposing the Turkish language as a replacement for the Lebanese language.
The Ottomans’ condescending and suppressive repression was confronted by the Lebanese stubborn attachment to their culture, their identity, their history. And most of all, their faith, hopes, values and morals, their humanistic standards for Good and Evil. The Lebanese triumphed and the Ottomans were defeated.
After the Ottomans, the French mandate shined its civilized and peaceful administration, with respect to human rights, and seeking the public good in harmony with Lebanese culture and beliefs. The French mandate ushered a spring of Lebanon lasting 30 years of consenting cooperation. It produced with the Lebanese people a Franco-Lebanese common, solid Franco-Lebanese culture that continued to thrive even after France’s exit. This culture is still very rooted in the spirit, conscience, and practices of the Lebanese.
On the other hand, 30 years of a Syrian barbaric and savage occupation backed by collaborators, imported terrorists and ideologies, and dishonest theatrics, also failed to uproot any of the Lebanese cultural constants for they are deep rooted in their being, and merged with the holy earth of Lebanon, so, just like the Ottomans, the Syrians were also defeated and were forced to leave Lebanon trailing their disappointment and humiliation.
For 7000 years, holding to their culture, values, faith and stubbornness, the Lebanese people struggled and defeated the greed, plans, and oppression of hundreds of invaders, occupiers, and conquerors whose traces are carved on few stones in Lebanon’s famous “Nahr Kalb” river.
Based on all the above, it is a moral duty to judge all those celebrators who chanted like parrots the mantra of Samir Kuntar’s heroism, and accepted in obedience and subservience to celebrate Kuntar’s crime as heroism, in contradiction to standards of the Lebanese culture, civilization, and values, and in violation of all religious and legal charters.
We believe strongly that it is a patriotic duty and ethical obligation to hold accountable all the Lebanese leaderships, whether officials or religious parties and intellectuals. We, as Lebanese people in both Lebanon and Diaspora must hold accountable all those who participated in the “ festival of lies and falsehood” while at the same time claiming their adherence to the framework and foundations of Lebanon’s message of civilization, to its constitution, its laws of the land, to the principles of Human Rights, the Geneva Convention regarding civilians in times of war, and to the teachings of their religions, values, principles, and morals inherited from our forefathers.
They have shamelessly “sinned” reneging the Lebanese culture and its values, and all its moral and legal humanistic constituents. They threw to the wind the sacrifices of thousands of venerable Lebanese sacrificed at the altar, so that Lebanon remains Free, Sovereign, and Independent. A civilized country. A model of openness, tolerance, and coexistence.
Through their “Dhimmitude” action, they walked the path of Hezbollah’s fundamentalist and Iran's mullah-isolationist culture. The culture of the “"Wilayat al-Faqih." ” which totally negates the Lebanese Culture. It is the opposite of civil societies, human charters, freedoms, democracy and civilization.
(Wilayat al-Faqih is a religious theology that is divisive amongst the Muslims themselves. It is a bizarre, autocratic concept created and tailored by the late Ayatollah Khomeini in the early seventies. The basis of this system provides all the ruling powers and authorities with unlimited vetoes on every aspect of life and governance into the hands of one man, the Highest Shiite Imam, whose headquarters is located in the Iranian city of Qom).
A prisoner’s family, regardless of his crime, has the right to celebrate their family member’s release. But the politicians and parties who brandished the banner of the Cedars Revolution, who struggled for freedom and for the “Lebanese culture” in face of “Wilayat al-Faqih” Iranian education and doctrine, who opposed Hezbollah’s fundamentalist agenda, do not have the right to run breathlessly behind Hezbollah’s travesties. No right to accept the “standards and criteria of heroism” as defined in Hezbollah’s religious-sectarian philosophy and education. These leaders cannot overturn the universal set standards and criteria of true heroism, and subjugate themselves to Hezbollah’s logic and its heretical doctrine.
They have no right promoting the “Dhimmitude” education and logic to their practices and public statements. Their acceptance to be subservient in Hezbollah’s musical band desecrates the Lebanese people numerous heroic stands since 2005, when one and a half million Lebanese descended the streets in civilized peaceful demonstrations, and gave these politicians the mission of standing guardians to protect us from Hezbollah’s culture, education, schemes and Iranian terrorist agenda.
Yet it is the right of the sovereign Lebanese to request public accountability from all the Cedars Revolution leaders, cabinet ministers, MPs, and party leaders, as well as all the state officials who celebrated Hezbollah’s Kuntar’s heroism which is totally alien to the Lebanese culture. We have the right that they offer either their apology and repentance for their ugly action, or resign from their positions and join Hezbollah.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Monday, July 14, 2008
Lebanon Needs A Peace Treaty With Israel By: Elias Bejjani
July/14/08
On Wednesday July 9th of this year, national news agencies reported that the Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora had refused without any declared justifications, an Italian peace initiative presented to him by Italy’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mr. Gabriel Kekya. News reports stated that the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who was on an official visit to Israel, had asked his country’s ambassador in Beirut to inform Mr. Saniora that he is willing to seriously mediate peace talks between Lebanon and Israel.Mr. Saniora, bizarrely and for unexplained reasons, had also rejected on the tenth of last June, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s call for bilateral peace negotiations with Lebanon. Saniora rationalized his refusal by alleging that the outstanding issues between Lebanon and Israel are all governed by UN Resolutions including that of the Sheba Farms and in such, there is nothing to talk about.
Olmert’s call came a month after unveiling the ongoing indirect negotiations between Syria and Israel under Turkish auspices. Lebanon’s emotional and ignorant stance of stubbornly refusing peace talks with Israel is no longer acceptable, nor logical or justifiable.
One wonders why or what prevents Lebanon from doing what every other major Arabic country has done in initiating contact for purposes of peace with Israel. What could be especially said of Baathist Syria’?Lebanon needs to remove its hesitation and relieve itself from the yoke of the ‘Jamal Abdel Nasser Complex’ and bury once and for all the stigmatizing Arab anti-Israeli phobia. Like it or not, Israel is a reality like the rest of the Middle East countries, and will remain so for many years to come.
While Lebanon's leadership is obviously afraid from Syria, Iran, Hezbollah and other Fundamentalist Arab regimes and Islamic armed militias, and accordingly keeps on avoiding any kind of peace talks with the Israelis, we find that those same countries and organizations are actively talking with the Israelis on many levels and on numerous issues!
The foremost runner in this context is Syria who adopts two completely contradicting stances. Overtly, and of course rhetorically, Syria tells its people and the Arabs that Israel is the enemy and should be dealt with accordingly, while covertly it is begging the Israelis for a peace treaty. During the past thirty years and without any sort of fear or embarrassment, Syria has never retreated from negotiating with the Jewish state either directly or through mediators. The latest series of talks are still ongoing via Turkey.
Many Syrian officials are even bragging about the extensive progress they have made in their negotiations with the Israelis and are calling on the US, the ‘Great Satan’ (as they and their allies the Iranians like to call it), and France to sponsor the whole process and assume full partnership in it.
Yesterday Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who side by side with the Israelis attended the 43-nation Union for the Mediterranean summit in Paris, told Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera that Damascus would establish "normal" relations with the Jewish state, including the opening of embassies.
It is worth mentioning that last year in April, Syrian-American negotiator Ibrahim Suleiman, who is a very close friend to the Syrian ruling Al Assad Family visited Israel and gave a speech publicly in its Knesset. He called on the Israelis to engage with the Baathist Syrians into a negotiating process in a bid to sign a peace treaty between the two countries.
Reports that came from Israel during his visit stated that he offered the Israelis Syrian promises and guarantees that once the peace treaty is reached Syria will disarm and dismantle all the terrorist and fundamentalist Islamic organizations including Hezbollah and Hamas. In return, Syria was asking for Israeli, and American guarantees that the Assad ruling Family and its Baath Party will be helped and supported to remain in power.
We can not fail to point out that the assassination of the notorious Hezbollah terrorist, Imad Mughniyeh on February 13th of 2008 in the centre of the Syrian capital had been considered by many respected international observers as a Syrian blood message to both USA and Israel that said: Secure our control and ruling powers over Syria and in return we shall eliminate all the organizations and elements that bothers you.
The Lebanese people have the right to know why their government is refusing to talk peace with the Israelis while keeping a blind eye on Hezbollah’s on going negotiations with the Jewish State under the German and UN auspices. Hezbollah’s Secretary General admitted in one his fiery speeches last month that his group is negotiating with the Israelis through the UN who assigned a German mediator for this task. It is also worth mentioning that a deal for exchanging body remains and prisoners between Hezbollah and Israel was sealed a few days ago and will be implemented later this week.
The Lebanese government did not have any role in this deal and all its negotiating authorities were bluntly confiscated by Hezbollah.The Lebanese people have the right to know why their government is refusing to talk with the Israelis, while the Palestinians themselves became full partners with the Israelis after the “Oslo Accord” and had accepted the right of Israeli’s existence and renounced their armed struggle against it.
The Lebanese people have the right to know whether the rulers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, the Arab Gulf states and other members of the Arab League are all traitors because they have either forged peace accords with Israel or have established diplomatic, trade and intelligence relations with its government. The Lebanese people have the right to know why Hezbollah, Hamas and the Palestinians, all the Arab and Muslim countries, the Iranians and every other country and individual on this earth are allowed to talk with the Israelis while the legitimate Lebanese authorities are singled out and forbidden from doing so.The painful and shocking reality is that Lebanon is to remain the final battle ground and an attractive arena for all Arab armed extremists, terrorists and fundamentalist groups as is the situation now with Hezbollah, the armed Iranian militia that has erected a state inside the Lebanese state and is on its way to topple the whole Lebanese regime and erect an Iranian one in its place.
It has been devouring Lebanese institutions day after day while the whole world is watching and doing nothing.No, this official Lebanese position is not more acceptable under any pretext, and there must be an immediate end put to it!Lebanon’s officials and its sovereign religious and political leaders have a legal and national obligation towards their fellow Lebanese citizens. They ought to put on the table all the reasons and elements that force them to keep Lebanon alienated from the Middle East process.
In case they are all helpless and threatened by Iran, Syria and Hezbollah they have to publicly admit these intimidating obstacles and officially call on the UN, the Arab League and free world countries to take over and face militarily the axis of evil powers as was the situation in Afghanistan, East Timor, Iraq and other African countries.
We call on the Lebanese officials and religious and political leadership in general especially President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Fouad Saniora in particular, to stop squawking like parrots their "Dhimmitude" rhetorical and humiliating slogan that says: Lebanon will be the last Arab country to negotiate with Israel and sign a peace treaty with it, because in fact Lebanon is the only country in the entire Middle East that is still holding itself hostage in this bizarre and unrealistic anti-Israel futile position.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
July/14/08
On Wednesday July 9th of this year, national news agencies reported that the Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora had refused without any declared justifications, an Italian peace initiative presented to him by Italy’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mr. Gabriel Kekya. News reports stated that the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who was on an official visit to Israel, had asked his country’s ambassador in Beirut to inform Mr. Saniora that he is willing to seriously mediate peace talks between Lebanon and Israel.Mr. Saniora, bizarrely and for unexplained reasons, had also rejected on the tenth of last June, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s call for bilateral peace negotiations with Lebanon. Saniora rationalized his refusal by alleging that the outstanding issues between Lebanon and Israel are all governed by UN Resolutions including that of the Sheba Farms and in such, there is nothing to talk about.
Olmert’s call came a month after unveiling the ongoing indirect negotiations between Syria and Israel under Turkish auspices. Lebanon’s emotional and ignorant stance of stubbornly refusing peace talks with Israel is no longer acceptable, nor logical or justifiable.
One wonders why or what prevents Lebanon from doing what every other major Arabic country has done in initiating contact for purposes of peace with Israel. What could be especially said of Baathist Syria’?Lebanon needs to remove its hesitation and relieve itself from the yoke of the ‘Jamal Abdel Nasser Complex’ and bury once and for all the stigmatizing Arab anti-Israeli phobia. Like it or not, Israel is a reality like the rest of the Middle East countries, and will remain so for many years to come.
While Lebanon's leadership is obviously afraid from Syria, Iran, Hezbollah and other Fundamentalist Arab regimes and Islamic armed militias, and accordingly keeps on avoiding any kind of peace talks with the Israelis, we find that those same countries and organizations are actively talking with the Israelis on many levels and on numerous issues!
The foremost runner in this context is Syria who adopts two completely contradicting stances. Overtly, and of course rhetorically, Syria tells its people and the Arabs that Israel is the enemy and should be dealt with accordingly, while covertly it is begging the Israelis for a peace treaty. During the past thirty years and without any sort of fear or embarrassment, Syria has never retreated from negotiating with the Jewish state either directly or through mediators. The latest series of talks are still ongoing via Turkey.
Many Syrian officials are even bragging about the extensive progress they have made in their negotiations with the Israelis and are calling on the US, the ‘Great Satan’ (as they and their allies the Iranians like to call it), and France to sponsor the whole process and assume full partnership in it.
Yesterday Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who side by side with the Israelis attended the 43-nation Union for the Mediterranean summit in Paris, told Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera that Damascus would establish "normal" relations with the Jewish state, including the opening of embassies.
It is worth mentioning that last year in April, Syrian-American negotiator Ibrahim Suleiman, who is a very close friend to the Syrian ruling Al Assad Family visited Israel and gave a speech publicly in its Knesset. He called on the Israelis to engage with the Baathist Syrians into a negotiating process in a bid to sign a peace treaty between the two countries.
Reports that came from Israel during his visit stated that he offered the Israelis Syrian promises and guarantees that once the peace treaty is reached Syria will disarm and dismantle all the terrorist and fundamentalist Islamic organizations including Hezbollah and Hamas. In return, Syria was asking for Israeli, and American guarantees that the Assad ruling Family and its Baath Party will be helped and supported to remain in power.
We can not fail to point out that the assassination of the notorious Hezbollah terrorist, Imad Mughniyeh on February 13th of 2008 in the centre of the Syrian capital had been considered by many respected international observers as a Syrian blood message to both USA and Israel that said: Secure our control and ruling powers over Syria and in return we shall eliminate all the organizations and elements that bothers you.
The Lebanese people have the right to know why their government is refusing to talk peace with the Israelis while keeping a blind eye on Hezbollah’s on going negotiations with the Jewish State under the German and UN auspices. Hezbollah’s Secretary General admitted in one his fiery speeches last month that his group is negotiating with the Israelis through the UN who assigned a German mediator for this task. It is also worth mentioning that a deal for exchanging body remains and prisoners between Hezbollah and Israel was sealed a few days ago and will be implemented later this week.
The Lebanese government did not have any role in this deal and all its negotiating authorities were bluntly confiscated by Hezbollah.The Lebanese people have the right to know why their government is refusing to talk with the Israelis, while the Palestinians themselves became full partners with the Israelis after the “Oslo Accord” and had accepted the right of Israeli’s existence and renounced their armed struggle against it.
The Lebanese people have the right to know whether the rulers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, the Arab Gulf states and other members of the Arab League are all traitors because they have either forged peace accords with Israel or have established diplomatic, trade and intelligence relations with its government. The Lebanese people have the right to know why Hezbollah, Hamas and the Palestinians, all the Arab and Muslim countries, the Iranians and every other country and individual on this earth are allowed to talk with the Israelis while the legitimate Lebanese authorities are singled out and forbidden from doing so.The painful and shocking reality is that Lebanon is to remain the final battle ground and an attractive arena for all Arab armed extremists, terrorists and fundamentalist groups as is the situation now with Hezbollah, the armed Iranian militia that has erected a state inside the Lebanese state and is on its way to topple the whole Lebanese regime and erect an Iranian one in its place.
It has been devouring Lebanese institutions day after day while the whole world is watching and doing nothing.No, this official Lebanese position is not more acceptable under any pretext, and there must be an immediate end put to it!Lebanon’s officials and its sovereign religious and political leaders have a legal and national obligation towards their fellow Lebanese citizens. They ought to put on the table all the reasons and elements that force them to keep Lebanon alienated from the Middle East process.
In case they are all helpless and threatened by Iran, Syria and Hezbollah they have to publicly admit these intimidating obstacles and officially call on the UN, the Arab League and free world countries to take over and face militarily the axis of evil powers as was the situation in Afghanistan, East Timor, Iraq and other African countries.
We call on the Lebanese officials and religious and political leadership in general especially President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Fouad Saniora in particular, to stop squawking like parrots their "Dhimmitude" rhetorical and humiliating slogan that says: Lebanon will be the last Arab country to negotiate with Israel and sign a peace treaty with it, because in fact Lebanon is the only country in the entire Middle East that is still holding itself hostage in this bizarre and unrealistic anti-Israel futile position.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Monday, June 30, 2008
Does Lebanon's House Speaker Head a Jihadist Militia
By: Ellias Bejjani
July 01/08
It was announced in Beirut on Monday June 30/08 that Lebanon's House Speaker, Mr. Nabih Berri will be paying Canada an official visit within the coming few days to participate in the Canadian French Quebec's province 400 years founding anniversary celebrations, and also to take part in the 34 Francophone Parliamentary General Assembly meetings
In this realm, our Non Profit organization, (The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council (LCCC) advised the Canadian government's top officials in a letter sent to them yesterday on the following documented facts:
On Thurday, June 26/08, Shiite Lebanese armed "Amal Movement," headed by Lebanon's House Speaker, Mr. Nabih Berri, issued a press release under the title: "Amal Movement announces the martydom of its member Hussein Haidar Awad while executing his jihadist duties." The release published in Arabic by the National News Agency in its 26/06/06 news bulletin reads as follows: "Amal Movement, the Jabal Amel chapter, announced in a statement that was issued today, the martyrdom of Hussain Haider Awada while executing his jihadist duty." The release stated that Awada was born in the town of Chaehien in 1990, joined the Islamic Al Resali Scouts at a young age, and had worked among the Amal Movement ranks in its organizational cells. He was a role model to the committed jihadist brother. He was martyred on 26/06/08 while exacting his Amal Movement's duties."
The release called for participation in the martyr's funeral that took place on the same day.
The same "Amal Movement's" release denied earlier numerous news agencies' reports that said Awada's body was found in the city of Tyre, after he had been assassinated by unknown assailants. What is really sad, disappointing, frightening and frustrating is that the Lebanese officials on all level, politicians and media, (both local and global) did not give this very significant release the attention and focus that it requires.
Meanwhile, Lebanon's security apparatus and its judiciary did not even bother to question the "Amal Movement" leadership on the circumstances of the so called "Martyrdom of Awada." The government ignored the whole scary event and did not address it by any means.
One wonders if Mr. Nabih Berri, who is Lebanon's House Speaker and president of the Shiite "Amal Movement" is an Islamic jihadist, and if his Movement's armed fighter are executing jihadi activities?
If so, the question that every body should ask is, where and against whom?
Are Mr. Berri's armed fighters carrying jihadist activities in Iraq, Israel, Yemen, certain Middle East countries or in undeclared global frontlines in other countries as well?
The Lebanese government has an obligation to call for an immediate judicial probe in the whole matter. Shouldn't the Lebanese people be informed as to where Awada was martyred?
Was he killed in the latest fierce Tripoli or Bekaa battles that took place between civilian Sunnis supporting MP. Saad Harriri and Lebanon's sovereignty, and Hezbollah armed militia (Iran's Army in Lebanon), that is fighting to topple the Lebanese democratic and multi cultural regime and replace it by an Islamic state replicate of the Iranian Mullah's religious dictatorship ("Wilayat al-Faqih State)
Mr. Nabih Berri, is Lebanon's House Speaker and has yet to inform the Lebanese people, the Arab countries and the Free World that his "Amal Movement" is engaged in any jihadist activities. The man had recently met in his official Beirut Headquarter's France's president, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy and the US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. Meanwhile on a daily basis he receives numerous ambassadors and UN delegations and representatives and portrays himself as a man of peace. Is he actually a man of peace or a covert jihadist and in a mere camouflage status?
We strongly believe that it is a nationally and legally binding obligation that Mr. Berry is pressured to straighten the record and declare openly where his jihadists are fighting, for whose agenda, and for what cause? In case Mr. Berri is actually involved in any "jihadi activities," at any level, he is obligated, by law to resign his official post as Lebanon's House Speaker.
The United Nation (UN) whose peace forces are stationed in South Lebanon on the border with Israel in accordance to UN Resolutions 1701 and 1559 has an abiding legal obligation to call for a probe in Mr. Berri's questionable involvement in "jihadi Activities."
If Mr. Berri is a jihadist, the UN MUST take certain military measures to secure the safety of its Peace Forces in the South.
Needless to say that the Lebanese official silence on all levels on this grave matter is a flagrant violation of the country's constitution and a blatant encroachment on all Lebanon's laws, worldwide peace obligations and commitments. Most Importantly is a violation to the UN Resolutions 1559 and 17701. Lebanese has the right to know the whole truth, and nothing but the whole truth.
We reiterate our call for the Free World Countries to act immediately and come to the rescue of the oppressed Lebanese people before the Axis of Evil (Iran and Syria) through its proxies (Hezbollah, Amal Movement and other Lebanese and Palestinians armed militias) topple the Free Lebanese regime and erect in its place an Iranian satellite, (Wilayat al-Faqih State.).
If Lebanon is left to be devoured by the Axis of Evil piece by piece while the whole free world is just watching and doing nothing, definitely this world will suffer a great deal of future wailing and grinding of teeth.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail http://ca.f882.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com/
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
July 01/08
It was announced in Beirut on Monday June 30/08 that Lebanon's House Speaker, Mr. Nabih Berri will be paying Canada an official visit within the coming few days to participate in the Canadian French Quebec's province 400 years founding anniversary celebrations, and also to take part in the 34 Francophone Parliamentary General Assembly meetings
In this realm, our Non Profit organization, (The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council (LCCC) advised the Canadian government's top officials in a letter sent to them yesterday on the following documented facts:
On Thurday, June 26/08, Shiite Lebanese armed "Amal Movement," headed by Lebanon's House Speaker, Mr. Nabih Berri, issued a press release under the title: "Amal Movement announces the martydom of its member Hussein Haidar Awad while executing his jihadist duties." The release published in Arabic by the National News Agency in its 26/06/06 news bulletin reads as follows: "Amal Movement, the Jabal Amel chapter, announced in a statement that was issued today, the martyrdom of Hussain Haider Awada while executing his jihadist duty." The release stated that Awada was born in the town of Chaehien in 1990, joined the Islamic Al Resali Scouts at a young age, and had worked among the Amal Movement ranks in its organizational cells. He was a role model to the committed jihadist brother. He was martyred on 26/06/08 while exacting his Amal Movement's duties."
The release called for participation in the martyr's funeral that took place on the same day.
The same "Amal Movement's" release denied earlier numerous news agencies' reports that said Awada's body was found in the city of Tyre, after he had been assassinated by unknown assailants. What is really sad, disappointing, frightening and frustrating is that the Lebanese officials on all level, politicians and media, (both local and global) did not give this very significant release the attention and focus that it requires.
Meanwhile, Lebanon's security apparatus and its judiciary did not even bother to question the "Amal Movement" leadership on the circumstances of the so called "Martyrdom of Awada." The government ignored the whole scary event and did not address it by any means.
One wonders if Mr. Nabih Berri, who is Lebanon's House Speaker and president of the Shiite "Amal Movement" is an Islamic jihadist, and if his Movement's armed fighter are executing jihadi activities?
If so, the question that every body should ask is, where and against whom?
Are Mr. Berri's armed fighters carrying jihadist activities in Iraq, Israel, Yemen, certain Middle East countries or in undeclared global frontlines in other countries as well?
The Lebanese government has an obligation to call for an immediate judicial probe in the whole matter. Shouldn't the Lebanese people be informed as to where Awada was martyred?
Was he killed in the latest fierce Tripoli or Bekaa battles that took place between civilian Sunnis supporting MP. Saad Harriri and Lebanon's sovereignty, and Hezbollah armed militia (Iran's Army in Lebanon), that is fighting to topple the Lebanese democratic and multi cultural regime and replace it by an Islamic state replicate of the Iranian Mullah's religious dictatorship ("Wilayat al-Faqih State)
Mr. Nabih Berri, is Lebanon's House Speaker and has yet to inform the Lebanese people, the Arab countries and the Free World that his "Amal Movement" is engaged in any jihadist activities. The man had recently met in his official Beirut Headquarter's France's president, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy and the US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. Meanwhile on a daily basis he receives numerous ambassadors and UN delegations and representatives and portrays himself as a man of peace. Is he actually a man of peace or a covert jihadist and in a mere camouflage status?
We strongly believe that it is a nationally and legally binding obligation that Mr. Berry is pressured to straighten the record and declare openly where his jihadists are fighting, for whose agenda, and for what cause? In case Mr. Berri is actually involved in any "jihadi activities," at any level, he is obligated, by law to resign his official post as Lebanon's House Speaker.
The United Nation (UN) whose peace forces are stationed in South Lebanon on the border with Israel in accordance to UN Resolutions 1701 and 1559 has an abiding legal obligation to call for a probe in Mr. Berri's questionable involvement in "jihadi Activities."
If Mr. Berri is a jihadist, the UN MUST take certain military measures to secure the safety of its Peace Forces in the South.
Needless to say that the Lebanese official silence on all levels on this grave matter is a flagrant violation of the country's constitution and a blatant encroachment on all Lebanon's laws, worldwide peace obligations and commitments. Most Importantly is a violation to the UN Resolutions 1559 and 17701. Lebanese has the right to know the whole truth, and nothing but the whole truth.
We reiterate our call for the Free World Countries to act immediately and come to the rescue of the oppressed Lebanese people before the Axis of Evil (Iran and Syria) through its proxies (Hezbollah, Amal Movement and other Lebanese and Palestinians armed militias) topple the Free Lebanese regime and erect in its place an Iranian satellite, (Wilayat al-Faqih State.).
If Lebanon is left to be devoured by the Axis of Evil piece by piece while the whole free world is just watching and doing nothing, definitely this world will suffer a great deal of future wailing and grinding of teeth.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail http://ca.f882.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com/
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Monday, June 23, 2008
Hezbollah is Iran's Army In LebanonBy: Elias Bejjani
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing," (Edmund Burke, 17th century philosopher and author )
Unfortunately, Lebanon is facing at the present time a crucial and fatal threat to the core and essence of its existence, its soul of coexistence and freedom.
The free world is apparently turning a blind eye to the threat to Lebanon, the land of the historic cedars, the home of the great Phoenicians, and the unique mosaic and multi-cultural country of the Middle East. This tragedy has been unfolding without a decisive deterrent stance from the free world. Lebanon, the land, entity and country, was cited more than seventy two times in the Holy Bible with reference being made to it of reverence, power, beauty, tranquility, peace and divinity. Lebanon, referred to as the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’, has a deeply rooted 7000 years of history, marked by freedom and tolerance.Lebanon’s ancestors, the Phoenicians, were the architects and craftsmen of the great Temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem. The ‘Temple of the Cedars of God’, was constructed from the valuable, fragrant wood of the Lebanon Mountains.
These ancestors worked in tandem with the ancient Jews and forged strong familial and cultural bonds. These seafarers explored the whole world in their ships, trading culture in the form of the alphabet, mythology, religion, knowledge in sciences and art and other exotic goods for riches of gold, silver, gems and many other items of value. In addition to the color purple, the great North Star, the art of navigation, Lebanon has left history with the great men of Hannibal the General, Astarte, Cadmus and Pythagoras.
More recently, Lebanon has given the world the revered Christian saints of Charbel, Rafqa, Hardini, Yacoub and many others. Lebanon's "Cedar Revolution" is being abandoned and its followers are being starved of independence, freedom, sovereignty and peace. These words which hold much power are being emptied to be mere rhetoric and hollow slogans in the face of the axis of evil namely Syria, Iran and Hezbollah.
Lebanon is being forced through terrorism, murder, and political intimidation into a subservient regime that is modeled on the backward and repressive system imposed on the Iranian people by the Shiite Mullahs, under what is known in Islam as, "Wilayat al-Faqih." [Guardianship of the Jurists]. Wilayat al-Faqih is a religious theology that is divisive amongst the Muslims themselves. It is a bizarre, autocratic concept created and tailored by the late Ayatollah Khomeini in the early seventies.
The basis of this system provides all the ruling powers and authorities with unlimited vetoes on every aspect of life and governance into the hands of one man, the Highest Shiite Imam, whose headquarters is located in the Iranian city of Qom.
Hezbollah, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard proxy in Lebanon, has been entrusted by the Iranian Mullahs to topple the Lebanese Free State and erect in its place an Iranian satellite state, in order to complete the sought after Shiite Crescent. This militant theocratic group fully controls 40% of the Lebanese territories and has in effect established a state within a state. They have been devouring the country piece by piece in a well thought out diabolical plan.
Last month's attempted armed coup was the straw that broke the camel's back that put the entire majority of Lebanese and with them the moderate Arab countries, Israel and the entire free world at the front step of Iran's dreadful and criminal scheme. So what did the standard bearers of democracy, the free world and the spineless Arab countries do? Sadly and pitifully, they threw to the media more empty slogans of support for Lebanon and weak condemnation, empty of substance.
They did not move a single finger while the leaders of the Cedar Revolution, the democratically elected government and pro-western politicians were rounded up and herded to the Arab Emirate of Qatar with Hezbollah's guns pointed to their heads. All the while, predominantly Sunni, west Beirut, remained occupied and under siege by Hezbollah, the Iranian-Syrian Army in Lebanon.One may wonder why Lebanon had rejected the Israeli call for direct negotiations last week. This call was declared officially twice in a bid to reach a peace agreement between the two neighboring countries?The answer is simple; the Lebanese government could make an independent and patriotic decision on the Israeli call because it is held captive and hostage to the Axis of Evil. Hezbollah is like a cancer that has penetrated and crept into all Lebanese governmental institutions from the Army to the Airport to various primary ministries. The Hezbollah state was erected and given a free hand during the devastating Syrian occupation that lasted for almost 27 years and ended in 2005.
The Western world and in particular Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States, need to prioritize as primary the Hezbollah dilemma before this cancerous militia lands and spreads in their own sovereign territories. Proof of this infiltration can recently be seen in the report of Hezbollah operatives canvassing the Israeli embassy and various other unidentified locations in Canada! They need to understand that Hezbollah is a serious threat to their national security and interests not only in the Middle East, but in the whole world. Based on this terrifying reality, they need to act immediately.
These beacons of freedom and democracy need not fool themselves by hoping that the UN Resolutions or the Lebanese government will handle Hezbollah's weapons and tame its schemes that aim to topple the Lebanese democratic system. The Western world ought to immediately eradicate and finish Hezbollah's military capabilities by all means available to them.
Needless to say that the UN Resolutions will remain toothless, ineffective and useless unless the needed full scale military power backs fully their implementation.
Hezbollah is devouring Lebanon piece by piece and if the Western world does not come to the rescue of the Lebanese people, Lebanon will very soon be lost as an independent and free country and transformed into an Iran satellite state.Hezbollah is not a Lebanese party by any criteria, but rather a foreign army in Lebanon.
Its decision-making process, financing, ideology, training, supplies and weapons all come from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards headquarters and leadership. It has been well documented by several informed resources that Iran annually pays Hezbollah billions of dollars.
This group was founded in Lebanon by the Iranian mullahs in 1982 and it is worth mentioning that Hezbollah's main mission was and still is to export, advocate and spread the Khomeini religious ideology to all Middle Eastern countries. Hezbollah's Iranian mission has never been a secret and each and every Lebanese is reminded of this Iranian agenda daily with signs of Hezbollah’s divinity on every street.Hezbollah is purported to be the most dangerous terrorist organization in the world. The organization is trained, heavily armed and very well equipped. It is operationally supported by Syria and heavily funded by Iran.
In fact, Hezbollah is so dangerous in terms of its global reach and influence, that the US Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff recently warned that the Hezbollah organization “makes Al Qaeda look like a minor league team.”
Needless to say that force and deterrence is the only language that Hezbollah and its masters in both Iran and Syria understand.And so the question remains; is the West ready to finally face with force and firmness that premier terrorist organization of the twenty first century?
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation
(CLHRF)E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Unfortunately, Lebanon is facing at the present time a crucial and fatal threat to the core and essence of its existence, its soul of coexistence and freedom.
The free world is apparently turning a blind eye to the threat to Lebanon, the land of the historic cedars, the home of the great Phoenicians, and the unique mosaic and multi-cultural country of the Middle East. This tragedy has been unfolding without a decisive deterrent stance from the free world. Lebanon, the land, entity and country, was cited more than seventy two times in the Holy Bible with reference being made to it of reverence, power, beauty, tranquility, peace and divinity. Lebanon, referred to as the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’, has a deeply rooted 7000 years of history, marked by freedom and tolerance.Lebanon’s ancestors, the Phoenicians, were the architects and craftsmen of the great Temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem. The ‘Temple of the Cedars of God’, was constructed from the valuable, fragrant wood of the Lebanon Mountains.
These ancestors worked in tandem with the ancient Jews and forged strong familial and cultural bonds. These seafarers explored the whole world in their ships, trading culture in the form of the alphabet, mythology, religion, knowledge in sciences and art and other exotic goods for riches of gold, silver, gems and many other items of value. In addition to the color purple, the great North Star, the art of navigation, Lebanon has left history with the great men of Hannibal the General, Astarte, Cadmus and Pythagoras.
More recently, Lebanon has given the world the revered Christian saints of Charbel, Rafqa, Hardini, Yacoub and many others. Lebanon's "Cedar Revolution" is being abandoned and its followers are being starved of independence, freedom, sovereignty and peace. These words which hold much power are being emptied to be mere rhetoric and hollow slogans in the face of the axis of evil namely Syria, Iran and Hezbollah.
Lebanon is being forced through terrorism, murder, and political intimidation into a subservient regime that is modeled on the backward and repressive system imposed on the Iranian people by the Shiite Mullahs, under what is known in Islam as, "Wilayat al-Faqih." [Guardianship of the Jurists]. Wilayat al-Faqih is a religious theology that is divisive amongst the Muslims themselves. It is a bizarre, autocratic concept created and tailored by the late Ayatollah Khomeini in the early seventies.
The basis of this system provides all the ruling powers and authorities with unlimited vetoes on every aspect of life and governance into the hands of one man, the Highest Shiite Imam, whose headquarters is located in the Iranian city of Qom.
Hezbollah, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard proxy in Lebanon, has been entrusted by the Iranian Mullahs to topple the Lebanese Free State and erect in its place an Iranian satellite state, in order to complete the sought after Shiite Crescent. This militant theocratic group fully controls 40% of the Lebanese territories and has in effect established a state within a state. They have been devouring the country piece by piece in a well thought out diabolical plan.
Last month's attempted armed coup was the straw that broke the camel's back that put the entire majority of Lebanese and with them the moderate Arab countries, Israel and the entire free world at the front step of Iran's dreadful and criminal scheme. So what did the standard bearers of democracy, the free world and the spineless Arab countries do? Sadly and pitifully, they threw to the media more empty slogans of support for Lebanon and weak condemnation, empty of substance.
They did not move a single finger while the leaders of the Cedar Revolution, the democratically elected government and pro-western politicians were rounded up and herded to the Arab Emirate of Qatar with Hezbollah's guns pointed to their heads. All the while, predominantly Sunni, west Beirut, remained occupied and under siege by Hezbollah, the Iranian-Syrian Army in Lebanon.One may wonder why Lebanon had rejected the Israeli call for direct negotiations last week. This call was declared officially twice in a bid to reach a peace agreement between the two neighboring countries?The answer is simple; the Lebanese government could make an independent and patriotic decision on the Israeli call because it is held captive and hostage to the Axis of Evil. Hezbollah is like a cancer that has penetrated and crept into all Lebanese governmental institutions from the Army to the Airport to various primary ministries. The Hezbollah state was erected and given a free hand during the devastating Syrian occupation that lasted for almost 27 years and ended in 2005.
The Western world and in particular Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States, need to prioritize as primary the Hezbollah dilemma before this cancerous militia lands and spreads in their own sovereign territories. Proof of this infiltration can recently be seen in the report of Hezbollah operatives canvassing the Israeli embassy and various other unidentified locations in Canada! They need to understand that Hezbollah is a serious threat to their national security and interests not only in the Middle East, but in the whole world. Based on this terrifying reality, they need to act immediately.
These beacons of freedom and democracy need not fool themselves by hoping that the UN Resolutions or the Lebanese government will handle Hezbollah's weapons and tame its schemes that aim to topple the Lebanese democratic system. The Western world ought to immediately eradicate and finish Hezbollah's military capabilities by all means available to them.
Needless to say that the UN Resolutions will remain toothless, ineffective and useless unless the needed full scale military power backs fully their implementation.
Hezbollah is devouring Lebanon piece by piece and if the Western world does not come to the rescue of the Lebanese people, Lebanon will very soon be lost as an independent and free country and transformed into an Iran satellite state.Hezbollah is not a Lebanese party by any criteria, but rather a foreign army in Lebanon.
Its decision-making process, financing, ideology, training, supplies and weapons all come from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards headquarters and leadership. It has been well documented by several informed resources that Iran annually pays Hezbollah billions of dollars.
This group was founded in Lebanon by the Iranian mullahs in 1982 and it is worth mentioning that Hezbollah's main mission was and still is to export, advocate and spread the Khomeini religious ideology to all Middle Eastern countries. Hezbollah's Iranian mission has never been a secret and each and every Lebanese is reminded of this Iranian agenda daily with signs of Hezbollah’s divinity on every street.Hezbollah is purported to be the most dangerous terrorist organization in the world. The organization is trained, heavily armed and very well equipped. It is operationally supported by Syria and heavily funded by Iran.
In fact, Hezbollah is so dangerous in terms of its global reach and influence, that the US Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff recently warned that the Hezbollah organization “makes Al Qaeda look like a minor league team.”
Needless to say that force and deterrence is the only language that Hezbollah and its masters in both Iran and Syria understand.And so the question remains; is the West ready to finally face with force and firmness that premier terrorist organization of the twenty first century?
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation
(CLHRF)E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Was Lebanon sold to Hezbollah?
By: Elias Youssef Bejjani
26 May 2008
Much has been said in praise and criticism of the "Doha agreement" that ended the bloody and criminal unsuccessful coup attempt that the Terrorist Hezbollah Militia and the axis of evil two countries, Syria and Iran, executed earlier this month in Lebanon to take over all the country, by force and topple the whole free and democratic regime.
Every party whether internal or international, interpreted the agreement that was brokered by the Arab League and the Qatari ruler, from its own political, national, ideological, or materiel perspective. Some western analysts said it came as a result of an American-Iranian global secret understanding for numerous Middle East conflicts in general and for the Iraqi one in particular. Others explained it as a preliminary consequence of the Syrian-Israeli negotiations currently being conducted in Turkey, in the open this time.
The International and regional press considered it a victory for the two states of the Axis of Evil; Syria and Iran, a great defeat to the Cedars Revolution, and a certain defeat of the West and its plans for the Middle East. Some even went as far as claiming that Lebanon has now become “a state under the control of Hezbollah”.In Lebanon, the opposition coalition leadership, including Hezbollah, as well as the majority parties, leaders, politicians and MP's considered it a great and historic accomplishment, but each from mere individual perspective, confessional affiliation, wishful thinking, local and foreign links as well as Divine interpretations for winning and losing. The Majority, (March 14 coalition) is working hard to market it to its supporters as the beginning of a long term, well and thorough comprehensive programmed solution. A triumph of the concept of the State and coexistence among its multi-cultural communities. A defeat of Hezbollah’s armed coup objectives. A strengthening of civil peace propelled by a Gandhi-like attitude resulting in substantial and essential compromises.
The Majority justified the back off and retreat on numerous major and substantial matters as "necessary to avert and abort Hezbollah's civil war venomous scheme"Hezbollah and its followers such as Amal, Aoun's FPM, and other Syria-Iran mercenaries, read in it a great defeat to the “American-Zionist Middle East Plan” and its followers in Lebanon including the “conspirators, Zionists, and traitors”.
From this arrogant and illusionary stand, Syria's mouthpiece and loyal servant, Lebanon's House Speaker Mr. Nabih Berri hideously and evilly, seriously endeavored unsuccessfully to ban the Saniora Cabinet members from attending the election ceremony of president Michel Suleiman that took place on Sunday, alleging the cabinet is “unconstitutional and illegal”, from his perspective. His cheap and mean game failed and the cabinet members attended after the Majority MP's threatened to boycott the election session.
Meanwhile Hezbollah's General Secretary, Hassan Nasrallah delivered a lengthy speech yesterday in which he reiterated his "Divine" refusal to disarm and reaffirmed his Iranian-Syrian long term plans of resistance "against the enemy, Israel". "The resistance weapons are to be used in fighting the enemy, liberate lands and prisoners, and defend Lebanon and nothing else," . "State weapons … should defend the nation, the people and their rights … but cannot be used to settle accounts with a political opponent. State arms cannot be used to target the resistance and its arms,". "All weapons should serve the purpose for which they were organized,".
Where does the truth stand? Where are all the parties, whether majority of minority, Arabs or internationals, taking Lebanon in this agreement which they sponsored, blessed and advocated for, even though it failed to mention Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1559 and 1701, that stipulates for the disarmament of Hezbollah, and for putting an end to all cantons erected during the Syrian occupation era, among which is Hezbollah's mini state. The agreement also omits any reference to the 1948 Armistice treaty with Israel and contains no clauses calling for the disarmament of militias as required by the "Taef Accord".
One wonders, where are all these parties, Arabs, Europeans and the USA are taking Lebanon with an agreement that legitimizes the “Hezbollah State” inside the state and grants it a veto power in the first cabinet to be formed under the presidency of General Michele Suleiman? What good is to expected from an agreement which did not come with a time schedule or a roadmap to deter, contain and ultimately confiscate Hezbollah's Iranian-Syrian weapons. These same weapons that were criminally used earlier this month to massacre more than 100 Lebanese civilians and invade many peaceful Lebanese territories including the western part of the capital Beirut.
What actually distresses the Sovereign Free Nationalists in Lebanon and Diaspora, and darkens Lebanon's future of Freedoms, democracy, and its multi cultural role model in the Middle East, is that the Security Council which supported the Doha agreement, has also failed to mention in its statement issued last week, UNSCR 1559 and 1701, as well as the "Taef Accord" .
Those who are hailing the Doha agreement, be they Americans. Europeans, Arabs or Lebanese, and who are alleging that the newly elected president Michele Suleiman will work on disarming Hezbollah peacefully, should review thoroughly Suleiman's achievement record as Army commander during the last nine years, as well as his political affiliations background. Suleiman was handpicked by late Syrian president Hafez Assad as Army commander during the Stalinist Syrian occupation of Lebanon and then was embraced by Assad's son, the current Syrian president Basher Al Assad. Suleiman always was and still is a Hezbollah strong ally, and a loud and staunch advocate for what is falsely called "resistance against Israel".
This does not mean that Suleiman will not adopt new strategies and side with his country, Lebanon, and accordingly be a loyal guardian and protector for the Lebanese constitution as a president. Having said this, No one should ignore the fact that the majority of the Lebanese politicians are opportunists and chameleons. They change their affiliations and shift from one side to another so smoothly to secure power and authority. There is no doubt that Suleiman is no exception.Things will be in the clear and unveiled within only two weeks. We will witness either the re-emerging of the state of Lebanon, or the Hezbollah's state instead.
The Suleiman presidency’s path will determine which state this Genera-president is going to preside over. All this will be decisive in the new cabinet's Ministerial policy statement which will be presented to the parliament for its vote of confidence.If the statement re-iterates the falsehood of “resistance, liberation, rejection, and occupied land”, and again gives Hezbollah militia legitimacy and legality, as was the case in the Saniora cabinet pre-2006 war statement, then this will mean simply that the “Hezbollah’s mini state” has triumphed over the Lebanese state.
That the Suleiman presidency will be a crisis management one, under the control, instructions, conditions, weapons, ideology, and religious edicts (fatawa) of Sheik Hassan Nassrallah, Hezbollah's General Secretary and behind him of course, Syria and Iran.The Saniora cabinet's fatal mistake, or rather its mortal sin, was that it deluded itself in believing that Hezbollah will not turn its weapons against the Lebanese people, so it surrendered complementally, and from its first day it was formed, to this Iranian-Syrian Terrorist militia, and legalized its weapons, its influence, its cantons in its cabinet Ministerial Statement. That Statement stated “It is in protection of our valiant resistance, in calm dialog over the options available to us all, and in the context of the Arab struggle against Israel and its occupations, and to fortify Lebanon and adhere to Arab solidarity, to confirm the Arab League Beirut Summit resolutions for a final just peace and the respect of international resolutions”.
Hopefully, the new Lebanese cabinet to be formed within the coming few days, the first in President Suleiman's six years term, will not commit the same sin and fatal mistake that the departing Saniora Cabinet did. Hezbollah was never a real or genuine resistance, but an Iran-Syrian army by every standard. Its coup attempt earlier this month and the horrible crimes and massacres it committed against the Lebanese peaceful civilians tell the whole story.We, the Lebanese in the Diaspora, call on the free world not to keep a blind eye while Iran and Syria are devouring Lebanon bit by bit through its Hezbollah Army.
The falling of Lebanon to the Axis of Evil countries and organizations will make all and every country world-wide targets for this merciless beast.
I reiterate what was stated in my last commentary: "The solid and proved fact that no one in the entire world should ignore is that Hezbollah, like the rest of the regional and global terrorist groups understands and bows to only one language. This language that they master and understand is a combination of force, deterrence and decisiveness. Hopefully the world will be able to communicate with Hezbollah with the only language that it knows and understands".
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
26 May 2008
Much has been said in praise and criticism of the "Doha agreement" that ended the bloody and criminal unsuccessful coup attempt that the Terrorist Hezbollah Militia and the axis of evil two countries, Syria and Iran, executed earlier this month in Lebanon to take over all the country, by force and topple the whole free and democratic regime.
Every party whether internal or international, interpreted the agreement that was brokered by the Arab League and the Qatari ruler, from its own political, national, ideological, or materiel perspective. Some western analysts said it came as a result of an American-Iranian global secret understanding for numerous Middle East conflicts in general and for the Iraqi one in particular. Others explained it as a preliminary consequence of the Syrian-Israeli negotiations currently being conducted in Turkey, in the open this time.
The International and regional press considered it a victory for the two states of the Axis of Evil; Syria and Iran, a great defeat to the Cedars Revolution, and a certain defeat of the West and its plans for the Middle East. Some even went as far as claiming that Lebanon has now become “a state under the control of Hezbollah”.In Lebanon, the opposition coalition leadership, including Hezbollah, as well as the majority parties, leaders, politicians and MP's considered it a great and historic accomplishment, but each from mere individual perspective, confessional affiliation, wishful thinking, local and foreign links as well as Divine interpretations for winning and losing. The Majority, (March 14 coalition) is working hard to market it to its supporters as the beginning of a long term, well and thorough comprehensive programmed solution. A triumph of the concept of the State and coexistence among its multi-cultural communities. A defeat of Hezbollah’s armed coup objectives. A strengthening of civil peace propelled by a Gandhi-like attitude resulting in substantial and essential compromises.
The Majority justified the back off and retreat on numerous major and substantial matters as "necessary to avert and abort Hezbollah's civil war venomous scheme"Hezbollah and its followers such as Amal, Aoun's FPM, and other Syria-Iran mercenaries, read in it a great defeat to the “American-Zionist Middle East Plan” and its followers in Lebanon including the “conspirators, Zionists, and traitors”.
From this arrogant and illusionary stand, Syria's mouthpiece and loyal servant, Lebanon's House Speaker Mr. Nabih Berri hideously and evilly, seriously endeavored unsuccessfully to ban the Saniora Cabinet members from attending the election ceremony of president Michel Suleiman that took place on Sunday, alleging the cabinet is “unconstitutional and illegal”, from his perspective. His cheap and mean game failed and the cabinet members attended after the Majority MP's threatened to boycott the election session.
Meanwhile Hezbollah's General Secretary, Hassan Nasrallah delivered a lengthy speech yesterday in which he reiterated his "Divine" refusal to disarm and reaffirmed his Iranian-Syrian long term plans of resistance "against the enemy, Israel". "The resistance weapons are to be used in fighting the enemy, liberate lands and prisoners, and defend Lebanon and nothing else," . "State weapons … should defend the nation, the people and their rights … but cannot be used to settle accounts with a political opponent. State arms cannot be used to target the resistance and its arms,". "All weapons should serve the purpose for which they were organized,".
Where does the truth stand? Where are all the parties, whether majority of minority, Arabs or internationals, taking Lebanon in this agreement which they sponsored, blessed and advocated for, even though it failed to mention Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1559 and 1701, that stipulates for the disarmament of Hezbollah, and for putting an end to all cantons erected during the Syrian occupation era, among which is Hezbollah's mini state. The agreement also omits any reference to the 1948 Armistice treaty with Israel and contains no clauses calling for the disarmament of militias as required by the "Taef Accord".
One wonders, where are all these parties, Arabs, Europeans and the USA are taking Lebanon with an agreement that legitimizes the “Hezbollah State” inside the state and grants it a veto power in the first cabinet to be formed under the presidency of General Michele Suleiman? What good is to expected from an agreement which did not come with a time schedule or a roadmap to deter, contain and ultimately confiscate Hezbollah's Iranian-Syrian weapons. These same weapons that were criminally used earlier this month to massacre more than 100 Lebanese civilians and invade many peaceful Lebanese territories including the western part of the capital Beirut.
What actually distresses the Sovereign Free Nationalists in Lebanon and Diaspora, and darkens Lebanon's future of Freedoms, democracy, and its multi cultural role model in the Middle East, is that the Security Council which supported the Doha agreement, has also failed to mention in its statement issued last week, UNSCR 1559 and 1701, as well as the "Taef Accord" .
Those who are hailing the Doha agreement, be they Americans. Europeans, Arabs or Lebanese, and who are alleging that the newly elected president Michele Suleiman will work on disarming Hezbollah peacefully, should review thoroughly Suleiman's achievement record as Army commander during the last nine years, as well as his political affiliations background. Suleiman was handpicked by late Syrian president Hafez Assad as Army commander during the Stalinist Syrian occupation of Lebanon and then was embraced by Assad's son, the current Syrian president Basher Al Assad. Suleiman always was and still is a Hezbollah strong ally, and a loud and staunch advocate for what is falsely called "resistance against Israel".
This does not mean that Suleiman will not adopt new strategies and side with his country, Lebanon, and accordingly be a loyal guardian and protector for the Lebanese constitution as a president. Having said this, No one should ignore the fact that the majority of the Lebanese politicians are opportunists and chameleons. They change their affiliations and shift from one side to another so smoothly to secure power and authority. There is no doubt that Suleiman is no exception.Things will be in the clear and unveiled within only two weeks. We will witness either the re-emerging of the state of Lebanon, or the Hezbollah's state instead.
The Suleiman presidency’s path will determine which state this Genera-president is going to preside over. All this will be decisive in the new cabinet's Ministerial policy statement which will be presented to the parliament for its vote of confidence.If the statement re-iterates the falsehood of “resistance, liberation, rejection, and occupied land”, and again gives Hezbollah militia legitimacy and legality, as was the case in the Saniora cabinet pre-2006 war statement, then this will mean simply that the “Hezbollah’s mini state” has triumphed over the Lebanese state.
That the Suleiman presidency will be a crisis management one, under the control, instructions, conditions, weapons, ideology, and religious edicts (fatawa) of Sheik Hassan Nassrallah, Hezbollah's General Secretary and behind him of course, Syria and Iran.The Saniora cabinet's fatal mistake, or rather its mortal sin, was that it deluded itself in believing that Hezbollah will not turn its weapons against the Lebanese people, so it surrendered complementally, and from its first day it was formed, to this Iranian-Syrian Terrorist militia, and legalized its weapons, its influence, its cantons in its cabinet Ministerial Statement. That Statement stated “It is in protection of our valiant resistance, in calm dialog over the options available to us all, and in the context of the Arab struggle against Israel and its occupations, and to fortify Lebanon and adhere to Arab solidarity, to confirm the Arab League Beirut Summit resolutions for a final just peace and the respect of international resolutions”.
Hopefully, the new Lebanese cabinet to be formed within the coming few days, the first in President Suleiman's six years term, will not commit the same sin and fatal mistake that the departing Saniora Cabinet did. Hezbollah was never a real or genuine resistance, but an Iran-Syrian army by every standard. Its coup attempt earlier this month and the horrible crimes and massacres it committed against the Lebanese peaceful civilians tell the whole story.We, the Lebanese in the Diaspora, call on the free world not to keep a blind eye while Iran and Syria are devouring Lebanon bit by bit through its Hezbollah Army.
The falling of Lebanon to the Axis of Evil countries and organizations will make all and every country world-wide targets for this merciless beast.
I reiterate what was stated in my last commentary: "The solid and proved fact that no one in the entire world should ignore is that Hezbollah, like the rest of the regional and global terrorist groups understands and bows to only one language. This language that they master and understand is a combination of force, deterrence and decisiveness. Hopefully the world will be able to communicate with Hezbollah with the only language that it knows and understands".
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com
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