By: Elias Bejjani* & Charbel Barakat*
There is no question that the withdrawal of a foreign army from any country should be hailed with a sense of relief and joy; even if it was an ally its withdrawal indicates that the country is self-governing and is capable of defending itself independently.
Meanwhile, the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon on May 23/2000 was not hailed by our people, because practically it was the beginning of a new tragedy that was added to the many Lebanese tragedies. Why was there this bitter feeling and why is it still painful after 10 years?
The other question is why our people who are patriotic and adore their land have decided at that time to leave their beloved country and go into exile in neighbouring Israel? Did they actually follow the withdrawing Israeli army.
1-The intention of this editorial is not to delve into many analyses, but to summarize the actual reasons that made our people hastily cross the border and seek refuge in Israel: 1-At that time Lebanon was still under the oppressive Syrian occupation and its mere decision making process was fully controlled by Syria, the occupier.
2- Hezbollah, an armed militia, which is totally affiliated to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was in control of Lebanon's Shiite communities culturally, ideologically, militarily and economically, especially in numerous parts of the south.
3- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stationed in south Lebanon failed in their duty of reassuring the citizens of their safety, did not show any interest in the outcome of the Israeli withdrawal, did not negotiate with the southern citizens in the absence of the Lebanese authorities or even ask for their opinion or protect them.While Israel was logistically preparing for the withdrawal, Hezbollah waged a merciless and savage media campaign against the southern Lebanese citizens. The campaign was aired publicly on all local and international TV channels and radio stations. The most frightening threats were uttered personally by Hezbollah's Secretary General, Sheik Nasrallah, who savagely said, We will enter their bedrooms, pierce their stomachs, slaughter them and slice their throats.
But Nasrallah’s threats did not frighten the South Lebanon Army (SLA), on the contrary this rhetoric was ridiculed on May 18/2000, six days before the Israeli withdrawal, when the Hezbollah militia tried to overcome and control one of the SLA posts at the "Hamra Bridge". The attack failed badly and Hezbollah suffered huge losses.
Facing this disastrous milieu and all the other uncertainties, southern citizens were left with two bitter options: to militarily defend their land, engage with Hezbollah and repeat the status that prevailed before 1978; or to succumb to Hezbollah, surrender their weapons and live under its authority. Encountering this dilemma, they decided to avoid more Lebanese bloodshed and to leave Lebanon, the country that they cherished, without a fight and take refuge in Israel.
As a result of the Israeli withdrawal, there has been an enormous global escalation of terrorism not only in the Middle East, but in many other countries. Progress of peace efforts suffered a remarkable setback and worldwide violence prevailed leading to the 9/11 attacks and to subsequent acts of terrorism throughout Europe and the rest of the world.The Free World countries responded by waging a massive global military anti-terrorism campaign that primarily focused on both Iraq and Afghanistan. Subsequently, the international community tried to amend the fatal mistakes that were committed in Lebanon and issued UN Security Council Resolution 1559 that addressed three important issues:
1-Syrian occupation: It called for the immediate withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon.
2-Weapons of terrorism: It called for the disarming of all militias, and in particular, of Hezbollah.
3- Safeguarding Lebanon's democratic system: It called for free parliamentary elections without Syrian interference.UN Resolution 1559 provided the Lebanese people with the incentives to take action. Accordingly, the Cedar Revolution emerged and the Lebanese people by the hundreds of thousands peacefully took to the streets forcing the withdrawal of the Syrian army.
Unfortunately, this revolution did not finish the job, which gave Hezbollah the route to brazenly escape and instigate a war with Israel in 2006. Sadly, due to the Lebanese authorities’ and politicians’ hesitation, poor judgment and lack of courage, they did not fully utilize the available circumstances to finish off the Hezbollah phenomenon. Instead Hezbollah besieged the government's headquarters, alleged a divine victory on Israel in the 2006 war, and on May 07 and 11/2008, invaded the western section of the capital Beirut and attempted to conquer the Shouf Mountain, enforcing a new national balance equation in a bid to abort the Cedar Revolution and circumvent and cripple UN Resolution 1559.
http://www.clhrf.com/un%20documents/1559.english1.htm
The Iranian endeavours for not allowing the disarmament of Hezbollah unveiled the actual elements of her plot:
1-A well set plan to expand Iran's hegemony on the whole Middle East.
2-The establishment of a military base In Eretria and Yemen.
3-The mobilization of the Shiite Houthis tribes on the Saudi -Yemeni border.
4-Supporting and instigation of instability in neighbouring Iraq.
5-The formation of numerous sleeping militant cells among the Shiite Arabian Gulf countries' communities.
6-Keeping Egypt unfocused on the actual Iranian scheme through instigation of strife between Egypt and other African countries that share the Nile River.
7- Playing with and tickling Muslims’ emotions and instigating religious fanaticism to fight Israel through Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
At the same time, Iran has been working day and night to become a nuclear power and possess a nuclear weapon that is intended to be used for intimidating the Middle East countries, control their resources and wealth and have a monopoly on the region's fate and decisions.
Hezbollah is pivotal for all of the above Iranian schemes and a primary source of manpower. Its militant members who number in the tens of thousands speak the Arabic language, are ideologically and religiously well prepared, and more than ready to carry out missions in any country as instructed.
There is no doubt that the current situation in the whole Middle East in general, and in Israel and Lebanon in particular, is much worse from the day the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon was implemented 10 years ago. The Iranian danger to both Israel and Lebanon is escalating. Lebanon did not enjoy any kind of stability despite the UN Resolutions, the bitter events' experience, the great sacrifices and the presence of new players (powers) on its arena.
Sadly, Lebanon is now living a repeat of same ghastly milieu that prevailed in 1982: tension, instability, chaos, and forced absence of any input on what goes on its land. The war-peace decision making process is again in the hands of Syria and Iran, while weapons of all kinds are smuggled to Hezbollah and to other Lebanese - Palestinian armed terrorist groups via Syria without any kind of control or impunity.
Based on all of the above, we request:
1- Lebanese officials to be prudent, patient, thoughtful and not to fall prey to the axis of evil’s schemes, terrorism, fanaticism, violence, intimidation, and whims of sabotage. Their patriotic duties and obligations as responsible Lebanese officials and leaders are to help in making Lebanon a country of peace, prosperity, freedom and stability in the region and not to be an arena and battlefield for Iran, Syria and their armed proxies. They must be aware that for the past 30 years, our Lebanese people have endured much more than they can tolerate, and as the saying goes: "He who does not learn from the past cannot make the future."
2- The Cedar Revolution’s masses to hold dearly to their solid faith in a free, sovereign and independent Lebanon that should not under any circumstances be an aggressor, but a peace maker and an advocate for human rights and democracy. We encourage the masses to actively help in preserving the historic Lebanese role in hailing the right of all countries and people in the region to live freely without any kind of oppression. Lebanon's mission and message are to protect the weak and the oppressed and not to hail the conceited and arrogant.
3- Neighbouring Syria to overcome its ongoing expansionism schemes and accept once and forever the reality that Lebanon is an independent and sovereign country and not a Syrian territory or satellite. Accordingly, the joint borders must be patrolled and all kinds of infiltration and smuggling permanently stopped.
4- Israel to re-evaluate the achievements and setbacks of her withdrawal decision; meanwhile, We agree fully with Moshe Arens's analysis of May 17/10, which stated: "Chief among the assumptions underlying the decision to withdraw unilaterally was that once Hezbollah had achieved its stated goal of freeing southern Lebanon from Israeli occupation, it would restrict its activities to the Lebanese political arena and abandon further military operations against Israel. Secondly, should Hezbollah, nevertheless, continue military actions against Israeli targets after the withdrawal, Israel believed it would then be free to respond with drastic military actions that would dissuade Hezbollah from engaging in further military activities against Israel. Well, wrong on both counts. After the Israeli withdrawal, Hezbollah not only did not disband its militia but intensively armed itself, including the acquisition of large numbers of long-range rockets, and developed from a guerrilla band into a well-trained and -equipped military force."
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/withdrawal-right-for-the-wrong-reasons-1.290772
5-The Free World and Arab countries to completely support a free and democratic Lebanon and take a courageous stance in this regard before it is too late. A regime in Lebanon fully under the direct control of Syria or Iran or through their armed proxies is a dire threat to peace and stability to not only the Middle East but to the whole world.
6- Our people, the southern Lebanese citizens, who have been living a forced exile in Israel since May 2000 to remain as tall as Lebanon's Holy Cedars. They should know that the free Lebanese people hail their heroism, courage, peaceful inclinations, acceptance of others, tolerance, patriotism, sacrifices, love of their homeland and deeply rooted faith. We know that they have proudly, honourably and courageously defended their beloved land and rights and never attacked others. We assure them that Lebanon won’t have long lasting stability until their honoured and dignified unconditional return is achieved.
Elias Bejjani*
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
*Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
*Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
*Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/
*LCCC Face Book http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17974722934
Charbel Barakat
*Retired Lebanese army officer
*Renowned worldwide expert on terrorism.
*Human Rights Activist
*Author, analyst & political commentator
*Colonel Charbel Baraket's full English text testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Near Eastern & South Asian Affairs Subcommittee/14/6/2000/http://www.10452lccc.com/special%20studies/barakatjune2000.htm
*Colonel Charbel Baraket's testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Near Eastern & South Asian Affairs Subcommittee June 7/1997/http://www.10452lccc.com/barakat/barakat.june.97.teste.htm
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Monday, April 20, 2009
Arab Countries: Fight Terrorism Before It devours you!!
By: Elias Bejjani*
How superficial, naive, and childish are those Lebanese and Arab officials, clergymen and politicians who voiced their surprise and shock after the recent unveiling of a terrorist Hezbollah cell in Egypt. They are either deceiving themselves and their people, or are totally detached from reality, residing on Mars. and not in the Middle East in general, and in Lebanon in particular.
For heaven's sake, whom are these officials, clergymen and politicians fooling? Is there no concerned individual in the whole Middle East, and in the free world countries who is not yet aware of the fact that Hezbollah is merely an Iranian militant brigade connected directly, and on level to the Iran's notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guards_Corps)
Who in Lebanon and in its neighboring countries does not know that Syria during its occupation era of Lebanon (1976-2005), had forced the armed Hezbollah organization on both the Shiite community, and the Lebanese people under the false disguise of resistance against Israel? Syria and Iran jointly orchestrated, by brutal and criminal means, the erection of a mini Hezbollah state in the Shiite suburbs of Beirut, South and Bekaa, and accordingly exempted it from being disarmed in 1990, after all other Christian, Druze and Sunni Lebanese militias were disarmed in accordance with the "Taef Accord," that put an end to the civil war in Lebanon.
Hezbollah from day one of its formation by the Iranian Mullah's in 1982 was, and is still being used by its two masters, Syria and Iran, to destabilize peace, democracy and freedoms in Lebanon, to carry against the Lebanese and the Arab countries all Iran's and Syria's dirty jobs of assassinations, kidnapping, smuggling, intimidation, drug trafficking and havoc.
Hezbollah, is not a Lebanese party by any means, but a mere Iranian armed proxy occupying by force and against the will of the Lebanese people, a big portion of Lebanon, and at the same time crippling its central government and destroying all its institutions, on all levels and in all domains.
Hezbollah's terrorism is now targeting the biggest and mightiest Arab country, Egypt. According to the Egyptian judiciary, government, security authorities, and media, a Hezbollah cell was uncovered. It was planning to execute very serious sabotage attacks in both Egypt and Israel.
Egyptian official reports stated that Hezbollah's General Secretary Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and his deputy Sheik Naiem Qssiem were personally directing, monitoring and supervising the cell's activities that included also extensive campaigns to convert Sunni Egyptians to Shiite denomination, and smuggling of weapons, money and men to the Palestinian Gaza Strip in a bid to support their ally, Hamas.
According to Egyptian police, the Hezbollah cell is headed by Sami Shihab, a prominent Hezbollah militant. and a Lebanese Shiite national. Egypt has been detaining Shihab for the last six months, and recently arrested 49 nationals of various Arab countries on suspicion of being members of a terrorist network on behalf of Hezbollah. The accused have allegedly planned to carry out attacks inside Egypt, including tourist sites frequented by Israelis.
Hezbollah's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah admitted publicly that Sami Shihab is a member in his organization, and that he was assigned by its leadership, "to help the resistance of Palestine," and, "to move military equipment and members to help the resistance" in Gaza.
During his live television address, two days after the cell was uncovered, Nasrallah denied accusations that his group is trying to harm Egyptian security, or is planning attacks on Egyptian targets, saying such claims, "are meant to sully the image of Hezbollah among the Egyptian people."
Nasrallah portrayed Hezbollah's actions as meant solely to aid the Palestinian people, saying; "if helping our occupied, battered, and hungry Palestinian brothers is a crime, than I confess to this crime." During the last Hamas-Israel war Nasrallah had called publicly on the Egyptian armed forces and on the Egyptian people to topple the regime.
Since its formation in 1982, Hezbollah has carried several deadly attacks in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestinian West Bank, Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Turkey, Argentina, and South America. The bloodiest attacks against the USA and French troops were executed in Beirut by Hezbollah in 1982.
One wonders why it took Egypt, whose intelligence services are so efficient, so long to uncover Hezbollah's cell? Definitely, no one will believe the Egyptian authorities' claim that they did not learn for years that all Iranian weapons smuggled to the Gaza strip (to Hamas) are funneled through the underground secretive tunnels digged by the Gaza Palestinians on the Egyptian-Gaza joined borders.
There is also no slightest doubt that Egypt knew for years that Hezbollah men have been in charge of the Iranian smuggling of weapons to Gaza, via Sudan-Egypt, in cooperation with the Sinai Bedouin smugglers and drug traffickers, and at times through the Egyptian sea territorial waters.
The basic and actual problem for the increase of terrorism and terrorists in the Middle East lies in the "Ostrich" policy that the Arabic regimes have been adopting since the early fifties. The rulers of these regimes have been practically burying their heads in the sand and keeping a blind eye on the terrorists' activities as long as they did not target directly their countries.
Sadly, even the U.S. and Europe followed the same "Ostrich" policy, and watched from far away terrorism influence grow and spread in many countries, especially in Lebanon. The USA and many European countries even traded with Syria and Iran intelligence information and expertise, in spite of the fact that these two oppressive regimes sponsor, finance, harbor, train and use most of the terrorist organizations among which are, Hamas, Hezbollah, Fateh Al Eslam, Jond Al Eslam, Al Qaeda, and many other Palestinian and Muslim extremists and fanatics.
The USA took terrorism threats seriously only after Al Qaeda's September 11/01 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks), devastating attacks. Meanwhile Europe is still indecisive, and mostly cajoling and appeasing the terrorists. In the Middle East, the majority of the Arab countries still do not only have an actual anti-terrorism policies, but finance, glorify, harbor and support the most lethal terrorism groups, Hamas and Hezbollah.
It is worth reminding the Arabs and the Western countries with the wise warning that was uttered in the late fifties by Lebanon's famous politician, thinker and philosopher, Charles Malek ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Malik), at a time when Lebanon was being devoured by terrorists and extremists, while the whole world stood idly watching.
Malek cautioned the western world saying: "Help Lebanon defeat the terrorists, extremists and fanatics while you can, because if you don't now, they will soon attack Europe and after that target the USA it self."
Hezbollah would not have dared to send his terrorist cell to Egypt or to threaten another Arab country if the Arab regimes did not help to keep Lebanon a battle field and an arena for their own wars, or if the Arab countries had helped in the liberation of Lebanon and not sided with its occupier, the Syrian Baathist regime for 28 years, or if the Arabs had not cowardly cajoled and appeased Hezbollah and glorified its big fabricated delusion and lie of liberating south Lebanon in year 2000, or if the Arabs had stood openly against Hezbollah in year 2006 after instigated a devastating war with Israel, and if the Arabs had seriously pressured Syria not to supply Hezbollah with 50 thousand missiles and had stopped the smuggling of men and weaponry through its boarders to Lebanon, and if the Arabs had faced steadfastly the Iranian expansionism schemes with unity and decisiveness.
The time has come for the Arab countries to stand firmly against terrorism and to eradicate its Iranian-Syrian tools, Hezbollah and Hamas, once and forever. To effectively do so they should first stop appeasing, protecting and financing Syria.
At the same time they should unite together to fight and abort the Iranian expansionism's vicious scheme that is targeting all their countries.
The Syrian regime must be given two options, either to cut all its terrorism ties with Iran and stop harboring and exporting terrorism, or face very strict Arab economic sanctions plus complete political isolation and severing of diplomatic ties.
It is time also for the Arab countries to put Hezbollah, Hamas and all other terrorist organizations on their terrorist lists, and deal with them accordingly, like the USA, Canada, Australia and some of the European countries.
Arabic laissez-faire and avoidance-avoidance attitudes in the face of Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas did not work and will never do. The Arab countries should talk with the Axis of evil countries and organizations the only language that they are able to comprehend, force and deterrence.
*Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/
Face Book LCCC group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17974722934
How superficial, naive, and childish are those Lebanese and Arab officials, clergymen and politicians who voiced their surprise and shock after the recent unveiling of a terrorist Hezbollah cell in Egypt. They are either deceiving themselves and their people, or are totally detached from reality, residing on Mars. and not in the Middle East in general, and in Lebanon in particular.
For heaven's sake, whom are these officials, clergymen and politicians fooling? Is there no concerned individual in the whole Middle East, and in the free world countries who is not yet aware of the fact that Hezbollah is merely an Iranian militant brigade connected directly, and on level to the Iran's notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guards_Corps)
Who in Lebanon and in its neighboring countries does not know that Syria during its occupation era of Lebanon (1976-2005), had forced the armed Hezbollah organization on both the Shiite community, and the Lebanese people under the false disguise of resistance against Israel? Syria and Iran jointly orchestrated, by brutal and criminal means, the erection of a mini Hezbollah state in the Shiite suburbs of Beirut, South and Bekaa, and accordingly exempted it from being disarmed in 1990, after all other Christian, Druze and Sunni Lebanese militias were disarmed in accordance with the "Taef Accord," that put an end to the civil war in Lebanon.
Hezbollah from day one of its formation by the Iranian Mullah's in 1982 was, and is still being used by its two masters, Syria and Iran, to destabilize peace, democracy and freedoms in Lebanon, to carry against the Lebanese and the Arab countries all Iran's and Syria's dirty jobs of assassinations, kidnapping, smuggling, intimidation, drug trafficking and havoc.
Hezbollah, is not a Lebanese party by any means, but a mere Iranian armed proxy occupying by force and against the will of the Lebanese people, a big portion of Lebanon, and at the same time crippling its central government and destroying all its institutions, on all levels and in all domains.
Hezbollah's terrorism is now targeting the biggest and mightiest Arab country, Egypt. According to the Egyptian judiciary, government, security authorities, and media, a Hezbollah cell was uncovered. It was planning to execute very serious sabotage attacks in both Egypt and Israel.
Egyptian official reports stated that Hezbollah's General Secretary Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and his deputy Sheik Naiem Qssiem were personally directing, monitoring and supervising the cell's activities that included also extensive campaigns to convert Sunni Egyptians to Shiite denomination, and smuggling of weapons, money and men to the Palestinian Gaza Strip in a bid to support their ally, Hamas.
According to Egyptian police, the Hezbollah cell is headed by Sami Shihab, a prominent Hezbollah militant. and a Lebanese Shiite national. Egypt has been detaining Shihab for the last six months, and recently arrested 49 nationals of various Arab countries on suspicion of being members of a terrorist network on behalf of Hezbollah. The accused have allegedly planned to carry out attacks inside Egypt, including tourist sites frequented by Israelis.
Hezbollah's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah admitted publicly that Sami Shihab is a member in his organization, and that he was assigned by its leadership, "to help the resistance of Palestine," and, "to move military equipment and members to help the resistance" in Gaza.
During his live television address, two days after the cell was uncovered, Nasrallah denied accusations that his group is trying to harm Egyptian security, or is planning attacks on Egyptian targets, saying such claims, "are meant to sully the image of Hezbollah among the Egyptian people."
Nasrallah portrayed Hezbollah's actions as meant solely to aid the Palestinian people, saying; "if helping our occupied, battered, and hungry Palestinian brothers is a crime, than I confess to this crime." During the last Hamas-Israel war Nasrallah had called publicly on the Egyptian armed forces and on the Egyptian people to topple the regime.
Since its formation in 1982, Hezbollah has carried several deadly attacks in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestinian West Bank, Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Turkey, Argentina, and South America. The bloodiest attacks against the USA and French troops were executed in Beirut by Hezbollah in 1982.
One wonders why it took Egypt, whose intelligence services are so efficient, so long to uncover Hezbollah's cell? Definitely, no one will believe the Egyptian authorities' claim that they did not learn for years that all Iranian weapons smuggled to the Gaza strip (to Hamas) are funneled through the underground secretive tunnels digged by the Gaza Palestinians on the Egyptian-Gaza joined borders.
There is also no slightest doubt that Egypt knew for years that Hezbollah men have been in charge of the Iranian smuggling of weapons to Gaza, via Sudan-Egypt, in cooperation with the Sinai Bedouin smugglers and drug traffickers, and at times through the Egyptian sea territorial waters.
The basic and actual problem for the increase of terrorism and terrorists in the Middle East lies in the "Ostrich" policy that the Arabic regimes have been adopting since the early fifties. The rulers of these regimes have been practically burying their heads in the sand and keeping a blind eye on the terrorists' activities as long as they did not target directly their countries.
Sadly, even the U.S. and Europe followed the same "Ostrich" policy, and watched from far away terrorism influence grow and spread in many countries, especially in Lebanon. The USA and many European countries even traded with Syria and Iran intelligence information and expertise, in spite of the fact that these two oppressive regimes sponsor, finance, harbor, train and use most of the terrorist organizations among which are, Hamas, Hezbollah, Fateh Al Eslam, Jond Al Eslam, Al Qaeda, and many other Palestinian and Muslim extremists and fanatics.
The USA took terrorism threats seriously only after Al Qaeda's September 11/01 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks), devastating attacks. Meanwhile Europe is still indecisive, and mostly cajoling and appeasing the terrorists. In the Middle East, the majority of the Arab countries still do not only have an actual anti-terrorism policies, but finance, glorify, harbor and support the most lethal terrorism groups, Hamas and Hezbollah.
It is worth reminding the Arabs and the Western countries with the wise warning that was uttered in the late fifties by Lebanon's famous politician, thinker and philosopher, Charles Malek ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Malik), at a time when Lebanon was being devoured by terrorists and extremists, while the whole world stood idly watching.
Malek cautioned the western world saying: "Help Lebanon defeat the terrorists, extremists and fanatics while you can, because if you don't now, they will soon attack Europe and after that target the USA it self."
Hezbollah would not have dared to send his terrorist cell to Egypt or to threaten another Arab country if the Arab regimes did not help to keep Lebanon a battle field and an arena for their own wars, or if the Arab countries had helped in the liberation of Lebanon and not sided with its occupier, the Syrian Baathist regime for 28 years, or if the Arabs had not cowardly cajoled and appeased Hezbollah and glorified its big fabricated delusion and lie of liberating south Lebanon in year 2000, or if the Arabs had stood openly against Hezbollah in year 2006 after instigated a devastating war with Israel, and if the Arabs had seriously pressured Syria not to supply Hezbollah with 50 thousand missiles and had stopped the smuggling of men and weaponry through its boarders to Lebanon, and if the Arabs had faced steadfastly the Iranian expansionism schemes with unity and decisiveness.
The time has come for the Arab countries to stand firmly against terrorism and to eradicate its Iranian-Syrian tools, Hezbollah and Hamas, once and forever. To effectively do so they should first stop appeasing, protecting and financing Syria.
At the same time they should unite together to fight and abort the Iranian expansionism's vicious scheme that is targeting all their countries.
The Syrian regime must be given two options, either to cut all its terrorism ties with Iran and stop harboring and exporting terrorism, or face very strict Arab economic sanctions plus complete political isolation and severing of diplomatic ties.
It is time also for the Arab countries to put Hezbollah, Hamas and all other terrorist organizations on their terrorist lists, and deal with them accordingly, like the USA, Canada, Australia and some of the European countries.
Arabic laissez-faire and avoidance-avoidance attitudes in the face of Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas did not work and will never do. The Arab countries should talk with the Axis of evil countries and organizations the only language that they are able to comprehend, force and deterrence.
*Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/
Face Book LCCC group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17974722934
Monday, May 26, 2008
Was Lebanon sold to Hezbollah?
By: Elias Bejjani
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 BejjaniChairman 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
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 BejjaniChairman 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
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Introduction
Colonel Charbel Barakat is a retired Lebanese Army officer who had a vast first hand experience, education and knowledge on fundamentalism, terrorism and terrorists. He is a prominent author, writer, political commentator, expert on terrorism and human rights activist. In a recent political analysis he addressed in depth the latest Hezbollah coup d'état in Lebanon and dwelled extensively on its predisposing and precipitating factors. Our Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council (LCCC) Media Department translated the analysis from its original Arabic version, and I would like to share it with you.Elias Bejjani/LCCC Chairmanphoenicia@hotmail.com
He who plants the wind shall reap the storm
By: Colonel Charbel Barakat
May 28/08
“It was a forlorn day when the Lebanese agreed, albeit under duress, to the ‘Taef Accord”. It necessitated dismantling and disarming the militias in 1990. Syria, which at the time was occupying Lebanon, kept and retained Hezbollah, the one terrorizing Lebanon today, as the sole armed militia under the slogan of “fighting Israel”.
Syria set out and helped, in conjunction with Iran, to build a State inside a State, whereby the terrorist group, Hezbollah was founded and fostered in its fundamentalism to become a blight on Lebanon’s national landscape.
Some short-sighted Lebanese, especially inexperienced rookie politicians, believed Syria’s claim that Hezbollah militia would fight for Lebanon. This militia was always exclusively Shiite, connected to Iran in training, financing, armament, command and slogans. It was destined to be aloof of the Lebanese populace and determined to remain so.
Hezbollah never carried the Lebanese flag and has advocated since its beginning (1982) for an Islamic State a la Tehran. The majority of the smart Lebanese politicians failed to realize then that the beast they were raising would devour their children when its teeth are bared. Perhaps they misplaced their bet on time and good intentions, or perhaps on others.
The Syrian occupation imposed Hezbollah, this armed gang, which recognizes no-one, and none of the Lebanese values, it promoted it as a sacred hero, which it praised day and night. Inevitably, Hezbollah became intoxicated by the Syrian sycophancy to the point where it sees itself as the rightful ruler of Lebanon.”
The tide then turned, first against the abandoned people of the South who defended Lebanon with their lives and youths so that it could remain a dignified, democratic and free country. They did not surrender it to the Israelis as the Syrians, the Iranians and some ignorant and shortsighted Lebanese politicians falsely allege. The Southern people accepted the Israeli help after they were abandoned by their state, and were honest and free allies with Israel for 25 years. More than 800 hundred of their patriotic martyrs paid the ultimate sacrifice and were dressed in, and buried under the Lebanese flag.
The Southern Children chanted no national anthem, but that of Lebanon. While the treacherous Hezbollah aggressor played its liberation propaganda in insult to the real heroes, the children of the land, the Lebanese southerners waited vainly for years on an empty promise made by Lebanese President Elias Hrawi (1990-1998), to reintegrate them in the state without bloodshed.
Then the Lebanese State was distracted by reconstruction, unconcerned with the Beast (Hezbollah) that was growing in the house while ignoring completely the plight of our Southern brethren, who were orphaned when their mother (the state) fled from the Palestinian gangs. The southerners were left unprotected while their mother, (the Lebanese State) fooled around with the Syrians and others, so they grew in the care of the Israeli neighbor, which she called “enemy”.
Israeli PM Barak then decided to withdraw unconditionally from Lebanon, (in year 2000) as UN representative Terry Rod Larsen refused to hear the opinion of the southerners under pressure from the Syrians. No one accepted their offer to disarm their South Lebanon’s Army (SLA) simultaneously with Hezbollah in order to resolve all the problems of the south once and for all. “A burden they have come to regret”.
No one in Beirut was willing to admit that this offer was the last instrument in Lebanon’s favor, because the hatred planted by the suicidal party (Hezbollah) blinded the hearts of many, who thought the humiliation of our Southern brothers at the hands of Iran and Syria was a benefit to them, so they praised the beast, and carried it on their shoulders.
They even requested that the free world countries decline from receiving the southern refugees in the aftermath of the Israeli military withdrawal from their region in the year 2000. These victims who are from all Lebanese religious denominations had no other safe place to flee to, except to Israel. The majority of them are still living in Israel while the Lebanese state tags them as collaborators and traitors.
Meanwhile hundreds of the SLA members and their family members who took the risk and stayed in Lebanon after the Israeli withdrawal, or afterwards returned from Israel to Lebanon, were charged with treason, imprisoned and stripped of their civil rights.
Destiny however triumphed over all, as those Lebanese politicians and parties who falsely deceived themselves and thought they have pacified the beast were devoured by it, starting by the leader that defended it all over the world (late PM. Rafik Hariri), and protected them from offenses, then they rewarded him by facilitating his assassination in 2005, then proceeded to burn his dream of rebuilding the country.
And now here we are today regretting his passing, and the passing of other fallen ones, despite their shortsightedness. The beast has devoured the father and now turned on the sons.
One may wonder, what could Lebanon do in the face of this bloody and savage war that Hezbollah is waging against one Lebanese territory after another, spilling our people’s blood so that terror can establish its authority over our homeland?
How pitiful is a government that dares not support the Free world who prescribed the cure in the UNSCR 1559, in 2005, but instead volunteered to protect the beast in its cabinet statement and legitimize its terrorism and its state inside the state. And then failed to request international assistance to tame, disarm and contain Hezbollah after the destructive war it instigated against Israel in July 2006. It instead protected this beast and facilitated its big lie of the” Divine Victory” over Israel and chanted for this fatal deception.
One wonders what the solution is then. The answer is very simple. The Lebanese Government must recognize fully and seek the implementation of the UNSCR (1559 and 1701), and immediately officially request that the international body intervene militarily and by all other means to protect Lebanon and implement its resolutions.
The Lebanese Government must also put at the UN's disposal all its armed forces and services and coordinate with it to uproot this evil which has ravaged the life of civilians, burned neighborhoods, destroyed media outlets, and is indiscriminately spreading its hatred in all directions.
Will Lebanon’s PM. Mr. Saniora make a move and request publicly the aid of the Free world for his cabinet and for Lebanon? Or does he still thing that he can conduct a civilized dialogue with Hezbollah and its sponsors, Iran and Syria while the Lebanese people are slaughtered and the Lebanese territories fall to this axis of evil one after the other?
It is a mockery of fate that Larsen has been put in charge of the UNSCR 1559 implementation; after all, he was the one that rejected Lebanon Southerner’s and their SLA’s (South Lebanon’s Army) proposal of simultaneous disarmament with Hezbollah.
As it is an irony too that Barak the Israeli PM then, the defense minister now, surrendered the South Lebanon and its SLA to Hezbollah, which grew in power and attacked everyone. Will Larsen and Barak correct today, the fatal mistake they committed in the year 2000?
Will the Lebanese politicians and officials also correct their strategic mistake of calling Hezbollah a “liberator”, and “resistance” group, this beast that retarded the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon for 15 years, and is trying now to topple the country’s legitimate government and control the whole country by force?
Meanwhile will the Lebanese politicians and parities deal with reality and once and forever abandon the rhetoric fight against the state of Israel, and start building their real state which provides security to its entire people and seeks peace with all its neighbors, and fights terror regardless of its direction or source?
Or will they all, again, bear false witness to the birth of a Hezbollah state over the totality of Lebanon’s land, so that it spreads, not only as it did after the Israeli withdrawal of 2000, with a series of terrorist bombings in Israel, the Arab countries, and elsewhere that ultimately reached New York and European capitals, but to launch unconventional attacks this time, which will force the whole world to taste bitter and bloody experiences much more destructive than September 11, and what followed in Afghanistan or Iraq?
Lebanon will know no real stability until its leadership and politicians understand fully the meaning of peace, the value of nationhood, and the principle of cooperation.
When Lebanon thought that by adopting Hezbollah, it liberated its land and was surpassing the regions’ strongest nations; it was lying to itself then and believing the lie. Lebanon was like the one that planted the wind, and ultimately reaped the storm.
**Translated from Arabic by the Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council Media Department
To Read original Arabic commentary click herehttp://www.10452lccc.com/barakat/charbel12.5.08.htm
Colonel Charbel Barakat is a retired Lebanese Army officer who had a vast first hand experience, education and knowledge on fundamentalism, terrorism and terrorists. He is a prominent author, writer, political commentator, expert on terrorism and human rights activist. In a recent political analysis he addressed in depth the latest Hezbollah coup d'état in Lebanon and dwelled extensively on its predisposing and precipitating factors. Our Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council (LCCC) Media Department translated the analysis from its original Arabic version, and I would like to share it with you.Elias Bejjani/LCCC Chairmanphoenicia@hotmail.com
He who plants the wind shall reap the storm
By: Colonel Charbel Barakat
May 28/08
“It was a forlorn day when the Lebanese agreed, albeit under duress, to the ‘Taef Accord”. It necessitated dismantling and disarming the militias in 1990. Syria, which at the time was occupying Lebanon, kept and retained Hezbollah, the one terrorizing Lebanon today, as the sole armed militia under the slogan of “fighting Israel”.
Syria set out and helped, in conjunction with Iran, to build a State inside a State, whereby the terrorist group, Hezbollah was founded and fostered in its fundamentalism to become a blight on Lebanon’s national landscape.
Some short-sighted Lebanese, especially inexperienced rookie politicians, believed Syria’s claim that Hezbollah militia would fight for Lebanon. This militia was always exclusively Shiite, connected to Iran in training, financing, armament, command and slogans. It was destined to be aloof of the Lebanese populace and determined to remain so.
Hezbollah never carried the Lebanese flag and has advocated since its beginning (1982) for an Islamic State a la Tehran. The majority of the smart Lebanese politicians failed to realize then that the beast they were raising would devour their children when its teeth are bared. Perhaps they misplaced their bet on time and good intentions, or perhaps on others.
The Syrian occupation imposed Hezbollah, this armed gang, which recognizes no-one, and none of the Lebanese values, it promoted it as a sacred hero, which it praised day and night. Inevitably, Hezbollah became intoxicated by the Syrian sycophancy to the point where it sees itself as the rightful ruler of Lebanon.”
The tide then turned, first against the abandoned people of the South who defended Lebanon with their lives and youths so that it could remain a dignified, democratic and free country. They did not surrender it to the Israelis as the Syrians, the Iranians and some ignorant and shortsighted Lebanese politicians falsely allege. The Southern people accepted the Israeli help after they were abandoned by their state, and were honest and free allies with Israel for 25 years. More than 800 hundred of their patriotic martyrs paid the ultimate sacrifice and were dressed in, and buried under the Lebanese flag.
The Southern Children chanted no national anthem, but that of Lebanon. While the treacherous Hezbollah aggressor played its liberation propaganda in insult to the real heroes, the children of the land, the Lebanese southerners waited vainly for years on an empty promise made by Lebanese President Elias Hrawi (1990-1998), to reintegrate them in the state without bloodshed.
Then the Lebanese State was distracted by reconstruction, unconcerned with the Beast (Hezbollah) that was growing in the house while ignoring completely the plight of our Southern brethren, who were orphaned when their mother (the state) fled from the Palestinian gangs. The southerners were left unprotected while their mother, (the Lebanese State) fooled around with the Syrians and others, so they grew in the care of the Israeli neighbor, which she called “enemy”.
Israeli PM Barak then decided to withdraw unconditionally from Lebanon, (in year 2000) as UN representative Terry Rod Larsen refused to hear the opinion of the southerners under pressure from the Syrians. No one accepted their offer to disarm their South Lebanon’s Army (SLA) simultaneously with Hezbollah in order to resolve all the problems of the south once and for all. “A burden they have come to regret”.
No one in Beirut was willing to admit that this offer was the last instrument in Lebanon’s favor, because the hatred planted by the suicidal party (Hezbollah) blinded the hearts of many, who thought the humiliation of our Southern brothers at the hands of Iran and Syria was a benefit to them, so they praised the beast, and carried it on their shoulders.
They even requested that the free world countries decline from receiving the southern refugees in the aftermath of the Israeli military withdrawal from their region in the year 2000. These victims who are from all Lebanese religious denominations had no other safe place to flee to, except to Israel. The majority of them are still living in Israel while the Lebanese state tags them as collaborators and traitors.
Meanwhile hundreds of the SLA members and their family members who took the risk and stayed in Lebanon after the Israeli withdrawal, or afterwards returned from Israel to Lebanon, were charged with treason, imprisoned and stripped of their civil rights.
Destiny however triumphed over all, as those Lebanese politicians and parties who falsely deceived themselves and thought they have pacified the beast were devoured by it, starting by the leader that defended it all over the world (late PM. Rafik Hariri), and protected them from offenses, then they rewarded him by facilitating his assassination in 2005, then proceeded to burn his dream of rebuilding the country.
And now here we are today regretting his passing, and the passing of other fallen ones, despite their shortsightedness. The beast has devoured the father and now turned on the sons.
One may wonder, what could Lebanon do in the face of this bloody and savage war that Hezbollah is waging against one Lebanese territory after another, spilling our people’s blood so that terror can establish its authority over our homeland?
How pitiful is a government that dares not support the Free world who prescribed the cure in the UNSCR 1559, in 2005, but instead volunteered to protect the beast in its cabinet statement and legitimize its terrorism and its state inside the state. And then failed to request international assistance to tame, disarm and contain Hezbollah after the destructive war it instigated against Israel in July 2006. It instead protected this beast and facilitated its big lie of the” Divine Victory” over Israel and chanted for this fatal deception.
One wonders what the solution is then. The answer is very simple. The Lebanese Government must recognize fully and seek the implementation of the UNSCR (1559 and 1701), and immediately officially request that the international body intervene militarily and by all other means to protect Lebanon and implement its resolutions.
The Lebanese Government must also put at the UN's disposal all its armed forces and services and coordinate with it to uproot this evil which has ravaged the life of civilians, burned neighborhoods, destroyed media outlets, and is indiscriminately spreading its hatred in all directions.
Will Lebanon’s PM. Mr. Saniora make a move and request publicly the aid of the Free world for his cabinet and for Lebanon? Or does he still thing that he can conduct a civilized dialogue with Hezbollah and its sponsors, Iran and Syria while the Lebanese people are slaughtered and the Lebanese territories fall to this axis of evil one after the other?
It is a mockery of fate that Larsen has been put in charge of the UNSCR 1559 implementation; after all, he was the one that rejected Lebanon Southerner’s and their SLA’s (South Lebanon’s Army) proposal of simultaneous disarmament with Hezbollah.
As it is an irony too that Barak the Israeli PM then, the defense minister now, surrendered the South Lebanon and its SLA to Hezbollah, which grew in power and attacked everyone. Will Larsen and Barak correct today, the fatal mistake they committed in the year 2000?
Will the Lebanese politicians and officials also correct their strategic mistake of calling Hezbollah a “liberator”, and “resistance” group, this beast that retarded the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon for 15 years, and is trying now to topple the country’s legitimate government and control the whole country by force?
Meanwhile will the Lebanese politicians and parities deal with reality and once and forever abandon the rhetoric fight against the state of Israel, and start building their real state which provides security to its entire people and seeks peace with all its neighbors, and fights terror regardless of its direction or source?
Or will they all, again, bear false witness to the birth of a Hezbollah state over the totality of Lebanon’s land, so that it spreads, not only as it did after the Israeli withdrawal of 2000, with a series of terrorist bombings in Israel, the Arab countries, and elsewhere that ultimately reached New York and European capitals, but to launch unconventional attacks this time, which will force the whole world to taste bitter and bloody experiences much more destructive than September 11, and what followed in Afghanistan or Iraq?
Lebanon will know no real stability until its leadership and politicians understand fully the meaning of peace, the value of nationhood, and the principle of cooperation.
When Lebanon thought that by adopting Hezbollah, it liberated its land and was surpassing the regions’ strongest nations; it was lying to itself then and believing the lie. Lebanon was like the one that planted the wind, and ultimately reaped the storm.
**Translated from Arabic by the Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council Media Department
To Read original Arabic commentary click herehttp://www.10452lccc.com/barakat/charbel12.5.08.htm
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Iraqi Christians: Exodus, Ethnic Cleansing & Identity Annihilation
By: Elias Bejjani
April 07/08In Bagdad on Saturday (5 April 2008), another innocent Iraqi clergyman fell victim to the on-going persecution and ethnic cleansing of Christians in Iraq. Iraqi security sources announced that a group of unknown armed men gunned down Father Youssef Adel Aboudi, a Christian priest with Saint Peter's Assyrian Orthodox Church. He was murdered while on his way to the church which is located in the centre of Baghdad.
It is worth mentioning that last month, the body of Paulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Catholic archbishop of the Iraqi city of Mosul, was found in a shallow grave in the northern suburb of the city, two weeks after he was kidnapped. During Rahho's kidnapping by terrorists, three of his escorting deacons were murdered in cold blood. It is of great concern that Iraq's Christians, with the Chaldean rite the largest community, which were said to number as many as 800,000 before the American Liberation of Iraq nearly five years ago, is believed to have dropped to half that figure.
The Muslim fundamentalists in an apparent and avert venomous scheme masterminded, financed, orchestrated and executed by the Axis of evil countries and their armed terrorist tools (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah), as well as by Al Qaeda global armed militias, are all adamant to force the exodus or eradication of the Iraqi Christians.
What is going on in Iraq is an organized and systematic ethnic cleaning, targeting its historic Christian communities while the whole world is silent and indifferent.We repeat our urgent call that was made last month after the heinous murder of Archbishop Rahho and his deacons. We again call on all the free world countries, in particular the United States, moderate Arab countries, the European Union, Canada, Australia, and Russia, to end their shameful silence and come to the rescue of the Middle East Christian communities, especially the Iraqi Christian communities, before it is too late.
The United States and the rest of the world should know that elimination of Middle East Christian communities will put terrorist and fundamentalist criminals, with their savage anti-humanity plots and their sharpened swords of hatred, in complete control in those countries.
If the West remains silent and indifferent while the Christians in Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon and other middle East and Muslim countries are being eradicated from their own historic lands, the near future will bring many more days like September 11, 2001 in many Western countries.
The civilized communities of the world should understand that by defending and protecting the Christian communities of the Middle East, they will be defending and protecting their own national security. They should not sit idle, watching from a distance under the false belief that they are safe, while the education of death, suicide, hatred, intolerance and fanaticism is destroying the Middle East, and spreading.
This kind of education, spearheaded by Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda and the other terrorist and fundamentalist groups, must be totally uprooted, while its sponsors, protectors, advocates, proponents and financiers are brought to justice and put on trial on charges of premeditated murder against civilization and humanity.
As far as Iraq is concerned, it has become more than necessary for the Iraqi government, the United States, Britain, moderate Arab neighbors and the United Nations to take full and immediate action to end the horrible suffering of Iraqi Christians. Their safety and welfare is not a favor from anybody, but rather a holy duty and a national obligation that the whole world is ought to fulfill.
While we remind the world that the peace loving Lebanese people and their troubled country, Lebanon, are still the victims of this Iranian and Syrian satanic culture of death, fundamentalism and terrorism, we pray that Almighty God will grant the Iraqi Christian communities all the needed faith, hope and perseverance to enable them to endure with love and forgiveness this on-going nightmare that has been mercilessly targeting their peaceful people.
The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council, (LCCC) offers the Iraqi Christian Churches, communities, and father Aboud's family and friends its warmest heartily felt condolences. We ask Almighty God to grant them all patience, solace, and courage to endure this great loss with a forgiving spirit and solid faith.
We pray that the Father Aboudi's soul is now resting peacefully in heaven alongside all the other Saints and Angels.
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
April 07/08In Bagdad on Saturday (5 April 2008), another innocent Iraqi clergyman fell victim to the on-going persecution and ethnic cleansing of Christians in Iraq. Iraqi security sources announced that a group of unknown armed men gunned down Father Youssef Adel Aboudi, a Christian priest with Saint Peter's Assyrian Orthodox Church. He was murdered while on his way to the church which is located in the centre of Baghdad.
It is worth mentioning that last month, the body of Paulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Catholic archbishop of the Iraqi city of Mosul, was found in a shallow grave in the northern suburb of the city, two weeks after he was kidnapped. During Rahho's kidnapping by terrorists, three of his escorting deacons were murdered in cold blood. It is of great concern that Iraq's Christians, with the Chaldean rite the largest community, which were said to number as many as 800,000 before the American Liberation of Iraq nearly five years ago, is believed to have dropped to half that figure.
The Muslim fundamentalists in an apparent and avert venomous scheme masterminded, financed, orchestrated and executed by the Axis of evil countries and their armed terrorist tools (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah), as well as by Al Qaeda global armed militias, are all adamant to force the exodus or eradication of the Iraqi Christians.
What is going on in Iraq is an organized and systematic ethnic cleaning, targeting its historic Christian communities while the whole world is silent and indifferent.We repeat our urgent call that was made last month after the heinous murder of Archbishop Rahho and his deacons. We again call on all the free world countries, in particular the United States, moderate Arab countries, the European Union, Canada, Australia, and Russia, to end their shameful silence and come to the rescue of the Middle East Christian communities, especially the Iraqi Christian communities, before it is too late.
The United States and the rest of the world should know that elimination of Middle East Christian communities will put terrorist and fundamentalist criminals, with their savage anti-humanity plots and their sharpened swords of hatred, in complete control in those countries.
If the West remains silent and indifferent while the Christians in Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon and other middle East and Muslim countries are being eradicated from their own historic lands, the near future will bring many more days like September 11, 2001 in many Western countries.
The civilized communities of the world should understand that by defending and protecting the Christian communities of the Middle East, they will be defending and protecting their own national security. They should not sit idle, watching from a distance under the false belief that they are safe, while the education of death, suicide, hatred, intolerance and fanaticism is destroying the Middle East, and spreading.
This kind of education, spearheaded by Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda and the other terrorist and fundamentalist groups, must be totally uprooted, while its sponsors, protectors, advocates, proponents and financiers are brought to justice and put on trial on charges of premeditated murder against civilization and humanity.
As far as Iraq is concerned, it has become more than necessary for the Iraqi government, the United States, Britain, moderate Arab neighbors and the United Nations to take full and immediate action to end the horrible suffering of Iraqi Christians. Their safety and welfare is not a favor from anybody, but rather a holy duty and a national obligation that the whole world is ought to fulfill.
While we remind the world that the peace loving Lebanese people and their troubled country, Lebanon, are still the victims of this Iranian and Syrian satanic culture of death, fundamentalism and terrorism, we pray that Almighty God will grant the Iraqi Christian communities all the needed faith, hope and perseverance to enable them to endure with love and forgiveness this on-going nightmare that has been mercilessly targeting their peaceful people.
The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council, (LCCC) offers the Iraqi Christian Churches, communities, and father Aboud's family and friends its warmest heartily felt condolences. We ask Almighty God to grant them all patience, solace, and courage to endure this great loss with a forgiving spirit and solid faith.
We pray that the Father Aboudi's soul is now resting peacefully in heaven alongside all the other Saints and Angels.
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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