The erosion of respect for human rights as the first principle of civility was the precipitating cause for the disintegration of democracy in Lebanon. The restoration of a pluralistic democracy in Lebanon will follow a renewed commitment to respect human rights. Without the underpinnings of the freedoms of speech, press, worship, and association; without the integrity of the rule of law and independent and impartial judicial institutions the flowering of democracy as we have witnessed in the past month will be short lived.

The western media has focused more attention on Lebanon since the assassination of former Prime Minister Hirawi that it has in the past fifteen years. Unfortunately, its glance has been through lenses tinted by the color of American politics. Commentators and columnists divide between those who favor President Bush and those who oppose him. There seems to be more concern as to how much the "Cedar Revolution" signifies the success of the Bush Administration or how its failure may spawn renewed chaos in the vacuum absent the Syrian status quo.

What is happening in Lebanon today has much more to do with the Lebanese people than with America, the West, or even with Syria. If Lebanon is to be independent, its sovereignty recognized internationally, governed by democratic aspirations and institutions, it will be so because it exists that way first in the mind and heart and will of the Lebanese people. Freedom is a word that can be easily erased by any despotic bully at any time, but it is also an idea that is eternal. People who desire to live together in peace with themselves, governed by the principles of democracy, respectful of the rights of every person, practice universal human rights as fundamental and order themselves by the rule of law, will subject themselves to this desire alone, the desire to be free, resisting both oppressor from abroad and spoiler from within.

The case of the unjust arrest, political trial, and continued incarceration of Dr. Samir Geagea is iconic the situation of Lebanon itself. It must free itself from a legacy of expedient political actions, subversion of justice, and disregard of basic civil liberties. The Geagea case is in a sense a magnification of this legacy focused on one person. Amnesty International has issued an excellent report delineating how an independent judiciary was dismantled to achieve a political aim. Dr. Geagea is a political prisoner whose continued incarceration is an embarrassment to those who seek to reestablish the integrity of the Lebanese state. His Beatitutde Cardinal Sfeir was profound when he said that , "the persistent incarceration of Samir Geagea is a sin no longer acceptable and is a crime against the Lebanese people," and that his release, "is a precondition for a national reconciliation."

This one injustice enabled by so many other injustices testifies to the Lebanese malady; In one sense, Syria may have been the carrier that infected Lebanon with its present condition, but Lebanon's healing is dependent upon the patient's will to be well.

The road leading to national reconciliation and the restoration of Lebanon as an independent democracy is clear.

• Syria must totally withdraw its military and security apparatus from Lebanon

• There must be an unfettered national election and the reestablishment of a course to reinstitute an independent judiciary

• Political Prisoners such as Samir Geagea and Gergis Khoury must be rehabilitated. If the basic rights of one individual can be so grievously violated, how secure are the rights of everyone else.

• Syria must account for the numbers of Lebanese citizens who have disappeared after being arrested. Those who remain incarcerated in Syrian detention centers must be rehabilitated.

• Hezbollah must disarm. The argument that it must be armed to "defend Lebanon" is a shallow reliance upon the threat of armed violence as a substitution for democratic engagement. An armed Hezbollah is a disaster waiting to happen.

• Those who have been charged for crimes against Lebanon, such as

members of the South Lebanese Army must be restored.

• Lebanon should reestablish the 1949 armistice with Israel and initiate

further peace negotiations and economic relationships with its neighbor.

• There must be a commission established for the purpose of furthering national reconciliation.

Creating the environment for the restoration of Lebanese democracy is worthy of western support. In fact, western support for the efforts of the Lebanese people is crucial. There have been too many instances in the past when the West failed the people of Lebanon as they tried to incubate a democratic movement. This time is different, not only for the Lebanese, but also the West. There is a new paradigm operating in the Middle East. Prior to 9/11 political decisions were largely governed by geo-politics concerns about oil, or reflected the remnant obligation of Cold War alliances. After 9/11 Congress and the Administration began to understand that American interests must be broader. The Middle East dominated by tyrants and terrorists was destined to continue as a breeding ground of anti-American hatred and terrorism against it. Creating the conditions for a just and peaceful Middle East through the promotion of freedom and democracy is in the best interest of America. Flannery O' Conner wrote, "All things rising must converge." There is a convergence. The Lebanese people's desire for independence and America's commitment to a Pax Democracy, a promotion of democratic ideals and institutions are meeting and will be an irresistible force for a new era in Lebanon, and beyond. Lebanon today, Syria tomorrow. Abraham Lincoln wrote that, "Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it."

The panel on human rights will raise many issues related to human rights abuse in Lebanon under the Syrian occupation and about the Geagea case. This discussion is a fundamental first step in the national healing process.