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The Real Liberation of Lebanon is yet to Come
Naji N. Najjar
Executive Director: Lebanese Foundation for Peace
Executive Director: The Government of Free Lebanon in Exile
No Peace will prevail between an unstable Iraq, functioning Iranian - Syrian terrorism in Lebanon, and the next U.S. elections.
This day of the year is remembered for the
third year of the betrayal of Southern Lebanon by the Administrations of Bill Clinton in the U.S. and Ehud Barak in Israel.
Some in the Arab world, mainly in Lebanon, call it "liberation" from the Israeli
occupation, while other Lebanese patriots saw the last enclave of a Free Lebanon disappear.
This was liberation that occurred without one single shot fired. Hezbollah was invited in to take over the betrayed South
Lebanese Army and forced to retreat in chaos by an Israeli Government led by Ehud Barak who thought he was bringing Peace and Security to Israel. He indeed, imported the chaos from Southern Lebanon to a larger intifada in the
heart of Israel, bringing the message that Israel can be defeated military.
The betrayal of Lebanon that started in Germany, with the blessing of William Jefferson Clinton who was anxious to get a political victory on
the Syrian - Israeli track, backfired on general security worldwide and led to 9/11 .
Motivated by a political victory at any cost to divert his national scandals, ignoring the growing threat of Hezbollah to the
security of the world, Clinton pressured former Prime Minister Netanyahu to withdraw from the Christian city of Jezzine in South Lebanon first. And not happy with the outcome, after meeting with Hafez Assad in Geneva, Clinton
pressured Ehud Baraq to halt all support for a Free Lebanon in the South and give the South to Syria for a political package deal he he hoped to consummate with Syria before the end of his term.
What Syria achieved,
indeed, was a full betrayal of the American commitment, by preventing the Lebanese Army deploying to the southern border and instead pushed Hezbollah to fill the vacuum with something Syria and Hezbollah called the
"balance of terror" versus Israel.
South Lebanon was turned into a Syrian-Iranian launching pad for any future military venture against any U.S. Peace process in the area and the State of Israel.
Hezbollah
fortified South Lebanon with 10,000 long range rockets, capable of striking Israel in depth in the next military conflict in the Middle East.
Secretary of State Colin Powell's request to dismantle Hezbollah was answered
by anti-aircraft gun fire directed at northern Israel and will be answered politically by Hezbollah's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah in a meeting organized by the Party of God in the city of Baalbeck, where the American
hostages were held in captive in the Eighties.
After three years of a shocking, humiliating withdrawal, giving away Southern Lebanon for Syria and Hezbollah , what did the US Administration achieve?
An
emboldening of the Rogue nations in the M.E. who responded with a threat of militant Islam that led to the event of September 11.
It will not be a surprise if President Bush will fail in Iraq by ignoring the threats,
the fanatic influence coming across the border to Iraq from a fundamentalist Iran and Syria.
Southern Lebanon demonstrated how Syria honors its commitment toward the United States.
We urge President Bush to
learn from the mistake of his predecessor Bill Clinton. Hezbollah terrorism and the radical Palestinian organizations were the answer by Syria for the U.S. backed M.E. Peace.
Sending the Lebanese army to the south in
the recent days -- after three years -- was for comestic international purposes. Hezbollah is still in full military power.
Bluffing the United States is the equation of the day in Damascus, with the backing of French
politics.
By giving up a few wanted Iraqis, Syria is only buying time for French diplomacy to divert the US attention from center stage in the M.E..
On the other hand, Syria is getting the support of Iran against any
U.S. backed Peace process, mobilizing a network of terrorist organizations along with Hezbollah to shape and destabilize the region, with the help of al Quaida, Hamas and Islamic Jihad to prevent any U.S. progress on Iraq and
the Israeli-Palestinian track.
The capture by Israel of a Hezbollah boat carrying weapons to Gaza was proof of how Syria and Iran are conducting business with Washington in the M.E..
While the bombs are
exploding in Israel cities, in Casablanca, Morocco, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Washington is losing the momentum in the Middle East by investing in the so called Road Map.
The M.E. Road Map to the Israeli- Palestinian
conflict resolution should begin in Beirut and Damascus before it reaches Jerusalem and Ramallah.
The balance of terror is still functioning effectively, the US is witnessing a High Orange alert in its cities.
No Peace will prevail in the world as long as terror organization enjoys freedom of action from Teheran to Beirut via Damascus, and exacerbates suicide attacks in Israeli cities to prevent any American progress toward Peace in
the M.E..
No, Mr President, do not repeat the mistakes of the previous Administration. The language of Peace is too early before a change of regime In Damascus and Beirut that could lead to the stabilization of the M.E.
and the progress of the Peace toward the other countries of the M.E..
Georges Bush, the previous President made the mistake by stopping the war in Kuwait in the first Gulf war. It took a generation, a full decade, to
correct the mistake and bring down the tyrant Saddam Hussein and impose a timid Democracy in Iraq.
Do not make the same mistake and stop in Baghdad today. You will only legitimize an effective terrorism that will make
your political life harder and precipitate even more confrontations in Iraq and Israel and augur poorly for Peace in the region.
South Lebanon, the mistake of Bill Clinton, is your key to the solution. Do not let
your Administration be diverted by the double game of Syria and Iran.
We, the Government of Lebanon in Exile, from Jerusalem, will show Hezbollah what the real liberation of Lebanon means. As we are confident to have an
adequate man power to achieve the Liberation of Lebanon, the real problem we are encountering comes from Washington.
Give us this opportunity Mr. President and let us surprise and shock the world with what a Free-Lebanon can do to stabilize the Peace in the M.E. and assist the progress of the U.S.
order toward a Peace orientated Middle East..
The danger of not taking action is greater than the risk of taking the action. It is either Peace that will stabilize the M.E. region or terror that will conquer it.
Between Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah, there is a saying that you can never domesticate a scorpion, for the sake of Peace.
Thank You.
Naji N. Najjar
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