Joseph Gebeily, MD
President, Lebanese Information Center in the US
Opening Remarks -
Keeping Lebanon’s Freedom and Democracy Alive: Can
Iranian and Syrian Schemes be Stopped?
Thursday, January 4, 2007. The Hudson
Institute.
Good afternoon, and thank you all for coming,
Today, we are discussing why we should, and how we
could Keep Lebanon’s Freedom and Democracy Alive
Let us begin by asking why is it so important to save
Lebanon? After all, it is a very small country of
4,000 square miles, 4 Million people and hardly any
natural resources?
Besides the moral obligation of the Free World to end
decades of Lebanese suffering from regionally incited
conflicts, what more should impel us in the United
States to insist on saving Lebanon?
Well, saving Lebanon is indeed important to the United
States and to the World for 3 main reasons:
1. The Middle East peace:
The Arab Israeli conflict is an enduring problem that
is at the center of most regional instabilities and
that has global reaching repercussions. The
disintegration of the Lebanese state has led to
Lebanon becoming a major player in this conflict. When
Lebanon had a sovereign government, it enjoyed 20
years of peaceful borders with Israel following the
1949 armistice agreement. Once its sovereignty was
nibbled by various factions, Lebanon became a
deflagration point used by Syria, by Iran, by
Palestinian groups and the various forces who oppose
any solution to the Arab Israeli conflict. In
addition, the Lebanese borders with Israel were
ignited wantonly either to blackmail the international
community or to divert pressure for example on Iran
similar to what happened in this past summer’s war.
2. The cause of Democracy:
Lebanon has been a democratic oddity in its
surroundings. While autocratic and theocratic regimes
are the norm in the Middle East, Lebanon started
applying a democratic parliamentary system since 1926.
It was an oasis of political and religious freedoms, a
model of moderation and openness, and a crossroads of
civilizations between East and West.
Therefore, it would be illogical and unreasonable to
expect Democracy to flourish in the Arab world if it
withers in Lebanon.
3. The Religious experience of co-existence between
Christianity and Islam.
In a region where religious and sectarian beliefs
permeate all aspects of life, Lebanon symbolizes a
unique experience. A country of two major religions
and of 17 confessions, Lebanon was able to create an
acceptable system of multi-confessional coexistence.
The Lebanese revival will be an inspiration for other
nations of the region, such as Iraq, to find an
already tested precedent in a multi-communal
pluralistic democracy.
For these 3 reasons it is imperative to save Lebanon.
If Lebanon falls, the hope for a peaceful and
democratic Middle East will crumble.
So how can Lebanon be saved?
And to start, what are the actual problems facing
Lebanon?
Historically there have always been 2 elements behind
the conflict in Lebanon:
- an internal one, defined by the inter-religious
frictions and disputes,
- an external one, manifested by the interferences and
the invasions of regional players, exemplified today
by Syria and Iran.
In the recent years beginning in 1975, Syria ignited
the conflict inside Lebanon by cunningly sabotaging
the Lebanese mosaic, undermining the fragile religious
balance, and manipulating Palestinian and other
radical groups to erode Lebanon’s sovereignty and to
terrorize the Lebanese population.
After 1979, with the advent of the Iranian Islamic
Revolution, the Syrian Baathist Regime forged an
alliance with Iran, nurturing Hezbollah and other
radical militias within Lebanon to maintain a state of
terror and instability on the Lebanese land and in the
Region.
This evil alliance transformed Lebanon’s particular
mission and tradition of inter-religious dialogue,
openness, harmony, and cooperation into a culture of
violence, intolerance, and fanaticism; a culture
infecting the whole Middle East and radiating hatred
and abomination; a culture that threatens world peace
and stability; a culture that breeds Global terrorism.
And until recently, the United States and the rest of
the World stood watching the demise of the sovereign
Lebanese Nation.
Fortunately, starting in 2004, and after the passage
of the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty
Restoration Act by the US Congress, and thanks to the
better understanding of the Lebanese situation by the
Administration and influenced by the opinions and the
expressed will of the US citizens of Lebanese origin,
the support for a free and sovereign Lebanon finally
has become a clear and determined US Policy.
Following that, we witnessed the efforts made at the
United Nations to issue UNSC Resolution 1559 which
calls for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from
Lebanon, the disarming of all militias, and the
respect of the Lebanese Constitution.
Soon after in Lebanon, the assassination on February
14, 2005 of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri,
sparked the fire of revolt among Lebanese youth. A
million and a half Lebanese, a quarter of the
population, from all sectarian and social backgrounds,
took to the streets to declare their united stand
against occupation, and the Cedar Revolution was born.
Finally, under arab and international pressure and
with Lebanese persistent public outcry, the Syrian
Forces were compelled to withdraw from Lebanon.
But the fight for a free democratic Lebanon is not
over.
During the years of occupation, the Syrians have built
a far-reaching system of collaborators, corrupt
politicians, security agencies, rogue armed groups and
militias, and a host of unfair treaties in order to
entrench their stronghold and legalize their
occupation. Now that the Syrian army is out of
Lebanon, this system remains in place.
Despite the grand achievements in the last 2 years, we
have been witnessing the desperate attempts of this
system to bounce back from international pressure and
regain power, in the hope of a return of the Syrian
influence. Assassinations, bombings, the continuous
presence of Lebanese and non-Lebanese armed groups,
especially those supported by Syria and Iran, are
still pulling the sectarian nerves and threatening the
fragile state of security and peace in Lebanon.
Therefore, we should remain vigilant and never rest
until this whole Syrian-made and Iranian inspired and
financed system is extracted completely from Lebanon.
We owe it to the million Lebanese who bravely united
against tyranny and to the thousands who sacrificed
their lives over the years fighting the occupation
that we do not stumble and lose our resolve. If we
allow the Syrian and Iranian regimes to regain their
footings this time, Lebanon will turn into a satellite
of the Iranian extremist ideology.
It becomes obvious then that the way to keep freedom
and democracy alive in Lebanon is by sheltering
Lebanon from the intrusions of Iran and Syria.
4 years ago, in early 2003, I was invited by the
Hudson Institute and the Foundation for the Defense of
Democracies, and on behalf of the Lebanese Information
Center in the US, outlined a plan for restoring
Democracy in Lebanon, starting with the respect of its
sovereignty. Today and although major improvements
have taken place, Lebanon’s sovereignty is still
violated. Despite the fact that from the
internationally supported Taef Accord of 1989, to the
numerous UNSC Resolutions, particularly 1559, 1680,
1701, the world has been calling for the respect of
Lebanon's sovereignty, political independence and
territorial integrity. The overwhelming majority of
Lebanese, as expressed in the Cedar Revolution
movement, are rejecting Syrian and Iranian
interferences. The US Administration and the US
Congress have committed to defend Lebanon's
independence and freedom. Still Syria and Iran stand
in defiance rejecting the Lebanese choice and the
International will and continuing to threaten Lebanon
through political assassinations, through arming and
financing militias, and even through fomenting a coup
d’etat in a malicious effort to kill Lebanon's freedom
and democracy.
Isn’t it time to stand up to stop Syria and Iran and
to save Lebanon, for the sake of US national interest,
for the sake of regional peace, and for the sake of
world justice?
I think it is. Thank you very much.
