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APPEAL TO THE U.S. CONGRESS
BY LEBANESE-AMERICAN
ORGANIZATIONS
February 13, 2009
Dear Member of Congress:
We, the undersigned
organizations, represent a broad
cross-section of
Lebanese-Americans and the cause
of a sovereign and prosperous
Lebanon in line with the best
interests of the United States.
On behalf of our members, we
thank the United States Congress
for its ongoing commitment to
peace, democracy, and human
rights throughout the Middle
East.
Several members of Congress
currently are preparing to
travel to Syria, and when they
meet with the Syrian officials
we hope that they keep in mind
some important principles:
1.
The UN Security
Council has passed
Resolutions 1559, 1680,
and 1701, which deal
with the disarmament of
armed groups in Lebanon.
Security Council
Resolution 1701
specifically calls for
the "disarmament of all
armed groups in Lebanon"
and "no sales or supply
of arms and related
materiel to Lebanon
except as authorized by
its Government." Syria
must comply with these
resolutions.
2.
Syria should
expedite the workings of
the Lebanese-Syrian
"Joint Commission on
Missing Persons," whose
mission includes
investigating the
hundreds of Lebanese
believed to be detained
in Syria, and promptly
release the findings.
3.
Syria should
expeditiously implement
the delimiting and
demarcation of its
borders with Lebanon in
accordance with the
declaration of Lebanon's
President Michel Sleiman
and Syria's President
Bashar Assad on August
14, 2008.
4.
Syria should
complete the
establishment of formal
diplomatic relations
with Lebanon and appoint
an ambassador to
Lebanon.
5.
All United
Nations member-states,
including Syria, are
required to cooperate
with the International
Independent
Investigation Committee
probing the
assassinations of
Lebanon's former Prime
Minister Rafik Al Hariri
and others and to
cooperate with the
Special Tribunal to try
those indicted in the
said assassinations.
Members of Congress who visit
Syria will have the opportunity
to raise the above issues
directly with Syrian officials,
and to make clear the interest
of the United States in the
well-being of Lebanon and its
people. We hope that visiting
American officials emphasize to
Syria that the United States
expects Syrian compliance with
UN resolutions and cooperation
with UN bodies as a precondition
to normalization in US-Syrian
relations.
Upcoming congressional visits to
Syria provide an opportunity to
deliver a clear message to
Syria's leaders that they must
respect the sovereignty of
Lebanon and respect the
independence and dignity of the
Lebanese people.
Respectfully,
-
American Lebanese Alliance
(ALA)*
-
American Lebanese
Coordination Council (ALCC)*
-
American Task Force for
Lebanon (ATFL)
-
Assembly for Lebanon (AFL)*
-
Lebanese Information Center
(LIC) *
-
Lebanon Renaissance
Foundation (LRF)
-
National Alliance of
Lebanese Americans (NALA)
*Member of the American Lebanese
Coalition |
