LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
FEBRUARY 19/2006
Below News From Miscellaneous Sources for 19.2.06
Geagea and Aoun Hold Talks with Sfeir on Ending Lahoud's Term-Naharnet
Bringing Down the Lebanese President is the First Blow to Hizbullah. By: Raghida Dergham Al-Haya 19.2.06
The Wall of Revenge- By: Zouheir Kseibati Al-Hayat - 19.2.06
Lebanon’s Lahoud told to resign in one month- Doha Time 19.2.06
Berri Announces National Dialogue as anti-Syria Alliance Seeks Lahoud's Ouster -Naharnet
Rice Says Mideast is Threatened by Iran-Syria-Hezbollah 'Nexus' -Naharnet
Jumblat: Lahoud is not a 'Lebanese President,' Should be Replaced -Naharnet
March 14 Groups Launch Plan to Oust Lahoud -Naharnet
Nasrallah Calls for Dialogue Despite Increasing Pressure Against Hizbullah -Naharnet

Geagea and Aoun Hold Talks with Sfeir on Ending Lahoud's Term
Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir has held separate talks with LF leader Samir Geagea and Gen. Michel Aoun about putting an early end to President Emile Lahoud's term and who his potential successor may be.
After his talks with the head of the Christian Maronite church Friday, Geagea said the issue of the presidency is "finished" and that Lahoud's successor would be announced soon.
"The replacement will be revealed before President Lahoud goes," Geagea said.
Asked if the Christian camp in Lebanon had already agreed on who the next president would be, he responded negatively saying that consultations were still going on.
"Until now no. Honestly, we will work on agreeing on an alternative," Geagea told Voice of Lebanon radio station earlier in the day, adding "I assure you that the replacement will please the Patriarch."
Sfeir had already given his blessing to remove Lahoud from office through legal means.
Geagea and Aoun, both Maronites, are eligible candidates for the presidency according to Lebanon's sectarian-based system that allots the top executive post to the Maronites, the position of Prime Minister to a Sunni Muslim and the post of Parliament Speaker to a Shiite.
Aoun, who later met with Sfeir for 90 minutes, made no statements to the press.
The talks in the Christian camp come after the anti-Syria March 14 coalition stepped up its campaign against the staunchly pro-Syrian Lahoud whom it accuses of serving Damascus' interests.
The alliance vowed to put an early end to Lahoud's term by March 14 that marks the one year anniversary of the 'One Million Man March.' The huge rally gathered Lebanese from across the country's political and ethnic mosaic to reject Syrian influence over the country and demand freedom and independence.
The historic march came exactly one month after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who died with 21 others in a huge Beirut truck bombing. The murder was blamed on Syria that denied the allegation.
Under intense international pressures and following the Beirut rallies, Damascus withdrew its forces from Lebanon in April ending 30 years of tutelage over the country.
However, the Syrian regime is still accused of meddling in Lebanese internal affairs especially through its relationship with Lahoud, whose term was extended under threat by Bashar Assad's regime for three years until 2007.
Geagea, a main pillar of the March 14 alliance, repeated the group's pledge to get rid of Lahoud through constitutional means. Although the alliance enjoys a majority in parliament, it does not command two-thirds of the 128 votes that is required to amend the constitution to reduce the president's term.
Some of the members of the coalition have said that they would try to win over Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement to their side in order to secure the extra votes.
Aoun was a key member of the March 14 movement but he broke with the camp during parliamentary elections in June and has recently signed a cooperation agreement with the pro-Syrian Hizbullah.
Asked if the anti-Syrian coalition may have to resort to a popular uprising to depose Lahoud, Geagea said he would give no details about the group's alternative plans.
"I will not reveal any of the points in our plan. All I want to say is that the issue is hot."
In an apparent first step aimed at increasing pressure on Lahoud, Geagea said that ministers of the March 14 alliance would boycott cabinet sessions that are held at the presidential palace. However, Premier Saniora said he had not been officially notified of the decision. Beirut, Updated 18 Feb 06, 13:11

Pope says church must participate in cultural debates
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic Church must participate in modern cultural debates, finding ways to present enduring truths in a serious, yet accessible way, Pope Benedict XVI said. The Pope met Feb. 17 with the editors and staff of La Civilta Cattolica, a Jesuit-run magazine founded by Pope Pius IX in 1850 and one that continues to be reviewed by the Vatican Secretariat of State before publication. By writing about cultural, social and political issues, the Pope said, the magazine helps the Catholic Church in its dialogue with the modern world, identifying positive trends and offering the guidance of the Gospel. Increasingly, modern culture is "closed to God and to his moral law, even if it is not always prejudicially adverse to Christianity," the Pope said.

Vatican official: Spiritual reform begins with religious
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI is seeking to revitalize the faith life of the church, a "spiritual reform" that must begin with the world's men and women religious, said Archbishop Franc Rode, head of the Vatican office that oversees religious orders. That means religious congregations must take stock, recover their "apostolic dynamism" and shed the excessive secularism of the post-Second Vatican Council period, Archbishop Rode said. Archbishop Rode, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, spoke with Catholic News Service about the challenges facing religious life and the directions being set under Pope Benedict. The 71-year-old Slovenian, a member of the Vincentian order, said the vitality of religious orders has always been essential for spiritual reform in the church. "Throughout the history of the church, religious orders and congregations were always the ones pushing forward, bringing dynamism and a call for holiness. They were always on the front lines," he said.

Church cautious about analysis of saints' possible remains
WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- A French church spokesman expressed caution about a forensic scientist's announcement that he would analyze what might be the remains of St. Joan of Arc. "The precise origin of these objects isn't known -- all we have are some fragments of cloth and human rib," said Bertrand Vincent, spokesman for France's Tours Archdiocese. "Even if these are confirmed as belonging to a young woman of the period, who was burned to death, this won't prove it's Joan of Arc. For now, the church is showing maximum prudence and reserve." Philippe Charlier, professor at Raymond Poincare Hospital, west of Paris, announced that he would analyze the fragments allegedly retrieved from below the stake in Rouen, France, where St. Joan was executed in 1431 at age 19. In a telephone interview with Catholic News Service Feb. 17, Vincent praised Charlier's "professional expertise and good intentions" and said that Tours would "take note" if the project were "conducted seriously, with proper results."

Bishops call for 'ethical commitment for Peru'
LIMA, Peru (CNS) -- With less than two months to go before the country's general elections, the Peruvian bishops' conference urged candidates, voters and the media to make an "ethical commitment for Peru." In a statement released Feb. 15, the bishops highlighted the country's major problems, including the persistent poverty affecting half the population, economic and cultural inequality, migration, unemployment, corruption, violence, drug trafficking, "attacks on the environment," weak democratic institutions, a shaky legal system, and "ethical relativism." "All the candidates must work for the common good and commit themselves to serving Peru and the Peruvian people," Archbishop Hector Cabrejos Vidarte of Trujillo, president of the bishops' conference, told reporters at a press conference to release the statement. The statement came a day after the leading presidential candidate, Lourdes Flores Nano of the National Unity coalition, announced that if she were elected her government would permit the use of the morning-after pill.

Lebanese prime minister, Pope discuss religious freedom
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A week after encouraging Christian and Muslim leaders in his country to promote tolerance and calm, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora met with Pope Benedict XVI. The Vatican said that during their 20 minutes alone Feb. 16 the Pope and prime minister discussed "the common commitment to working to educate the populations in reconciliation and peace, respect for human rights and, particularly, religious freedom." "Special consideration was reserved to the situation of Christians" in Lebanon and "to the contribution they intend to make to the progress of the country," the statement said. After meeting Pope Benedict, the prime minister also met with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state.

Bringing Down the Lebanese President is the First Blow to Hizbullah
Raghida Dergham Al-Hayat - 18/02/06//
NEW YORK-One million Lebanese marched to Martyrs' Square this week, sending an important message to those who say that bad stability is better than good chaos in the Arab region. A message saying that the Lebanese people have opted for a third path, the path of decisive lobbying for change from within, with firm support from the direct environment and the outside world. This path should be followed and should lead to curbing the passion of some governments in the region to maintain corrupt stability for ruling regimes, afraid of chaos, even if it brings a constructive result. Decision makers in the Arab region and the world have a moral responsibility to understand the cry for help that has come from the cries of one million Lebanese, "God protect you," to their political leaders at a time of assassinations, sabotage, burning embassies, and calling for regional wars.
The assassination of PM Rafik Hariri led to the issuing of UN Security Council Resolution 1595, which put Syria under international monitoring and forced Syrian troops to withdraw from Lebanon. Those who were assassinated after PM Hariri had stood with the two UN Resolutions (1559 and 1595) and later resolutions on Lebanon. The Security Council realized this and approved expanding the scope of the investigation into the assassination of Hariri to cover later killings, such as those of the prominent journalists Samir Kassir and Gibran Tueni, and the attempt on our colleague May Chidiac.
What these events led to this week promises coming assassinations, with the goal being to punish Lebanese leaders by crossing red lines, launching the spark of a Lebanese civil war, and summoning up a regional war that would shuffle the deck and divert attention from the international independent investigation.
This means that the resolutions and reports by the UN have become part of the policies that use assassinations as a means, to avoid the implementation of international resolutions. This precedent requires us to think in a new, and profound manner. The international community cannot sit and wait for another killing, especially since it certainly recognizes the dangerous dimensions of these assassinations, if they take place.
One of those whom the million Lebanese called on God to protect is the head of the Democratic Parliamentary Gathering, Walid Jumblatt, who said to his nervous bodyguards, who were afraid for him at the Freedom Tent near Hariri's tomb, "God is protecting us, relax a little," then exited the tent to see the people, waving with his smile and a red rose.
The fear for Walid Jumblatt grew on Tuesday despite the continuing fears for the other leaders, who gathered in Martyrs' Square, headed by MP Saad Hariri, the head of the Future Movement, and the head of the Lebanese Forces, Dr. Samir Geagea. This important tripartite alliance of Jumblatt, Hariri and Geagea confronted the understanding that had been reached two weeks earlier, by General Michel Aoun, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, and Hizbullah, over a statement of principles covering a number of divisive local issues.
The fear for Jumblatt has grown due to what was called crossing the red lines; Jumblatt responded to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's description of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora as a "slave of a slave," saying "Ruler of Damascus, you are a slave." Jumblatt also addressed President Emile Lahoud, calling him "the symbol of collaboration with the Syrian regime, sitting in Baabda," referring to the Presidential Palace. In a reference to the Shebaa Farms, which Damascus maintains are Lebanese, Jumblatt added, "We've come to say that we reject the pretext of Shebaa and the Syrian-Iranian alliance . . . Let's liberate Baabda Farms before Shebaa Farms."
In the tradition of Arab politics, when the so-called red lines are crossed, the security-intelligence apparatus moves to take revenge, whatever the price. What Jumblatt said automatically makes him a target for revenge, which is why one million Lebanese shouted "God protect you" and wept.
This crowd in Martyrs' Square, which came as a lovely surprise to the Lebanese political scene as the second biggest popular gathering in recent history, also sent a number of messages to various parties. The chants for Jumblatt, Hariri and Geagea require the Security Council to be wary of the coming assassinations and be proactive, instead of waiting for them passively.
The Security Council should issue a firm warning to anyone concerned, warning them of the political repercussions of any assassinations. It must set down a strategy for supporting Lebanese popular demands, which themselves are an expression of support for international resolutions. The huge crowd of one million Lebanese became a popular referendum to anchor "the majority." This was a respond to Syria's description of its rivals in Lebanon as a "transitory minority," and Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's remarks last week about an "illusory majority."
The priority of the one million demonstrators was clear: bring down Emile Lahoud, the crux of the problem when Syria imposed him as president despite the Lebanese Constitution.
The Security Council agrees that Emile Lahoud was not elected legitimately and has called repeatedly for new presidential elections. What the Security Council hasn't done, and must do now, is to pay the necessary attention to the presidency of the Republic in its resolutions. The masses in the streets of Beirut had a clear message for the international community and the United Nations in New York: it is time to bring down Lahoud. It is time for the Security Council to act seriously and innovatively from its position stipulating that Emile Lahoud's remaining in power is illegal and illegitimate. The man will not leave voluntarily so there is not choice but to force him to leave.
The anti-Damascus parliamentary majority and the huge crowd of support also called for disarming Hizbullah, sending a message to Michel Aoun, who has recently grown closer to Hizbullah, that his absence from Tuesday's gathering means that he and Hizbullah are standing with Syria, with the political message being: "You have made a mistake and underestimated the cohesive popular stand against a Syrian role in Lebanon, whether directly, through Hizbullah and the Palestinian factions, or any Lebanese groups in solidarity with Syria's allies." But the stronger and more important message was for Hizbullah. The mass rally announced that people supported the State as the "only weapon," which directly contradicts Sayyed Nasrallah's remarks that "the resistance's weapons are linked to a settlement, and not the Shebaa Farms."
In other words, the Secretary General of Hizbullah widened the role of militias affiliated with it, which Resolution 1559 says should be dismantled and disarmed. Now, Nasrallah is talking about more than the Shebaa Farms as a justification for retaining weapons, he is talking about the role of Hizbullah militias in a "settlement" for the region.
Whether there is war or peace, Sayyed Nasrallah wants Hizbullah to be a regional player in this settlement. He considers Hizbullah a part of the tripartite alliance with Iran and Syria. With his remarks, he works against be considered a local, Lebanese player, classifying Hizbullah as a group parallel to the Lebanese State and the Lebanese Army.
Hizbullah should not be allowed to play on two levels, to retain the "resistance card" while joining the Lebanese political process in Parliament and the Cabinet.
Prime Minister Siniora should move the dialogue with Hizbullah to the level of forcing the party to select either a role as a political party and player in the framework of the State and the Army, or an armed opponent of the State and the Army.
The Martyrs' Square gathering gave PM Siniora this authority, and the international community should help him with this. If it is proven that weapons are being transported to the resistance with the blessings of the Lebanese Army, this development should be dealt with immediately, either by issuing strict new laws or new leaders for the Army. There is also the need to bring down Emile Lahoud as quickly as possible, as well as do away with the "resistance card" so that only the Army carries arms and takes its orders from a legitimate government, and not an illegitimate president.
Supporting PM Siniora's efforts is necessary, regionally and internationally, especially since the report on implementing Resolution 1559 is coming up in April. The UN Secretary General's envoy, Terje-Roed Larsen, will tour the region next month. It would be best for all to convince Hizbullah to turn into a purely political party. The means to convince Hizbullah might exist in Tehran more than Damascus, but the means of pressure stretch from the international arena to the local one.
It is not in Hizbullah's interest to take a position hostile to the true parliamentary majority, after it informed the party that it was not at all illusory or transitory, and after it took on the responsibility of choosing between its national role and its regional one at the expense of Lebanon.
A civil war won't take place in Lebanon and neither will a sectarian one, unless Hizbullah wants such a conflict, to carry out the wishes of non-Lebanese parties. Hizbullah will not escape being held accountable for any assassinations of leaders hostile to Syria, even if it is innocent. It is now a party to the escalation and incitement to such dangerous excesses, if they take place. Hizbullah still has the opportunity to join its Lebanese identity, if it wishes. If it does so, the celebration and joy at such a decision will be the most beautiful rally for Lebanon.
Until then, a salute to every mother who brought her baby to the historic demonstration, to every young person who raised the cross and the Quran together, to every secular woman, and every woman wearing the hijab. Congratulations to everyone who had the opportunity to participate, without being kept away by threats.

The Wall of Revenge
Zouheir Kseibati Al-Hayat - 18/02/06//
The Lebanese Prime Minister was not mistaken when he anticipated more difficult times awaiting the country. He chose a silver-tongued expression, since he is a prime minister and not a party leader, favoring the least possible noise, in the midst of all the commotion, turbulent emotions and undiplomatic extremism, since he is known for being calm and wise… however, all this do not alleviate the concern of the Lebanese, who are fearing the great storm anticipating for yet another earthquake similar to the one that hit Lebanon 12 months ago with the murder of martyr PM Rafik Hariri.
Ii is indisputable, that the human tsunami formed by the hundreds of thousands who rallied to commemorate the crime rejects, akin to Saad Hariri, any "bargaining" over the martyrs' blood. Many of those present might agree with Samir Geagea in calling to "recuperate" the presidency. They understand Walid Jumblatt's rejection of the "farms pretext" and fear from being . Similarly, the Lebanese might fear being lured into the Iranian-American standoff, but all these positions do not remove any "slogan" away from the single word which has become the single unifying point, common to all Lebanese:" enough!"
There can be as many explanations of the word as there are parties and perceptions but in all cases, the word simply means: enough murder projects and assassinations, enough war scenarios or waging wars on behalf of others, enough charges of treason, calumnious accusations and humiliation campaigns. A single word sums up all these meanings because the great majority of Lebanese do not want another martyr on their hands, another absent leader, while stakes are high that the "national unity" is the biggest victim-to-be, no matter the side the martyr stood for, or against.
However, wishes are no facts. In political reality, all accusations of treason or slavery, or even "illusory sainthood" will only leave mountains of resentment behind. This is true at the level of both relations between Lebanese leaderships and what is left of the Lebanese - Syrian relations relationships and the remainder of the Syrian-Lebanese relationship. The renewed reciprocal accusations suspiciously outstripped the mere bursts of anger to reach a state of burgeoning revenge and hatred.
Should we express wishes to specific parties, they would be as follows:
*For the Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir to remove the "protective umbrella" covering President Emile Lahoud, to pave the way for the "battle" over his successor, from the Parliament to Baadbda. Yet, at what cost?
*For the international investigation committee to point to the names involved in the murder of former Premier Hariri, tripping the balance in favor of one side over another. Yet, who can guarantee that the conflict will not be stirred up to take an even bigger scale, since all parties have already concluded their alliances in advance?
* For Speaker Berry to succeed in establishing a dialogue that might dissipate doubts about the wish of some to go beyond the Taef accord, or amend some of its provisions to update them according to the "changes".
* For all the signs of war between Iran and the United States to be a mere screen to hide a dialogue, or even a deal, between Nejad and Bush. Some Lebanese hope to see very soon the signs of this deal- should it be the wish of Washington and Teheran - to relieve them from the nightmares of Bushar war, whose flames would surpass the Shebaa farms…
Most importantly, they believe that any deal will undoubtedly help Hezbollah in determining once and for all its alternatives seeking to safeguard the resistance's gains and rescue it by joining its forces with the army. They never doubt the shrewdness and pragmatic methods of Hassan Nasrallah, and especially his ability to respond to the accusations of monopolizing "the voice of an entire sect" and of taking an entire country "hostage".
*lastly, for Damascus to opt for wisdom to deal with the sequels of the Hariri assassination, refraining from any accusation of treason, blasphemy and insult. Since it is convinced of its innocence from the "Zionist scheme", our wish is that it promptly seeks to rescue both itself and Lebanon.
Any State is considered as such as long as it relies on institutions. Lebanese and Syrians shall remain partners; at least in bearing the losses in any other earthquake if the bickering and mutual accusations continue!
Mere wishes? Every party desires to "twist the cards"… the paradox is that the political rhetoric in the conflict with Israel is reversed becoming a normal speech between two countries, once brethren. Even if the intentions are remote and the unity of paths is a mater from the path, yet the defeat is one.
No matter how divergent the hopes are, the goals will never be realistic, just exceptions. PM Rafik Hariri's assassination unified the Lebanese's opinion on the meaning of their independence. An entire black year, rigged with explosions ever since 14 February 2005, makes all leaders responsible for the salvation, which can never be achieved through the language of revenge.

Lebanon’s Lahoud told to resign in one month
Published: Saturday, 18 February, 2006, - Doha Time
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, under pressure since the killing of ex-premier Rafik al-Hariri, is facing an unprecedented challenge to his grip on power after new calls for him to resign.
The anti-Syrian majority in Lebanon’s parliament, led by Hariri’s son, Saad, has vigorously campaigned over the past 10 months for Lahoud to step down. Late on Thursday it gave the pro-Syrian president a month-long deadline to resign.
Meanwhile, the head of Lebanon’s Maronite church gave his tacit backing to a peaceful and legal handover of power, calling for an agreement to be reached on the succession for Lahoud – also a Maronite.
Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir also made clear that he opposed an overthrow of the president through a popular uprising, calling on the parliamentary majority to use only “legal means within the framework of the constitution”.
“I am not against the law – if there are legal means, let the law take its course,” Sfeir told the leading An-Nahar daily.
He regretted that the “presidency of the republic should become the target of attacks. They do dishonour not only to the president but also to the Lebanese people”.
Under complex constitutional arrangements, Lebanon’s president is always chosen from the Maronite community.
After a meeting in Beirut, the leaders of the anti-Syrian camp called on Lahoud “to resign immediately” and gave him “until March 14” – the date of a mass rally held last year to commemorate the February 14 killing of Hariri.
They called on majority bloc MPs to sign a petition calling for the ouster of Lahoud, but crucially did not specify what measures they would take if Lahoud refused to budge.
Lahoud has been under severe pressure ever since Lebanese security officials close to him were arrested over the Hariri murder and a UN probe accused Damascus of being implicated in the assassination.
He lost important support with the departure of Syrian troops in April 2005 and the subsequent election victory of anti-Syrian forces, who rode on a wave of popular feeling after the Hariri murder.
The president, who has always insisted he would never be pressured into surrendering power, has so far succeeded in weathering the storm but the new calls appear to mark a new stage in the opposition campaign for him to go.
One anti-Syrian figure, who asked not to be named, said that “all options within the framework of the law are conceivable to obtain the resignation of Mr Lahoud”.
The anti-Syrian majority has 71 MPs in parliament, but it would need two-thirds of the votes in the 128-seat house, or 85 seats, to force the president’s resignation.
Lahoud’s critics regard as illegitimate a three-year extension to his mandate adopted in 2004, before Syria ended its three decade military presence in Lebanon.
According to legal experts, the anti-Syrian bloc would need to push through parliament a motion annulling the extension in order to force Lahoud to stand down.
They would still have to win the support of the bloc led by Christian hardliner Michel Aoun, with 21 seats, or the Shia Hezbollah-Amal coalition that has some 30 deputies.But Hezbollah backs Lahoud for having consistently supported the armed struggle against Israel while Aoun wants fresh parliamentary elections before any move is made to oust the president. A lawmaker from the majority told AFP the bloc is prepared to engage in debate with Hezbollah over their differences and expect that in return the militant group would support the drive to oust Lahoud. For his part, parliament speaker Nabih Berri said he was going to begin seven to 10 days of consultations with the country’s political parties and parliamentary blocs, beginning on March 2. Berri, who is also head of Amal, said the talks would focus on the Hariri murder investigation, Lebanese-Syrian relations and UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which calls for the disarming of Hezbollah and also the Palestinian militias operating in the country. – AFP

Who will replace Lahoud?
Saturday, 18 February, 2006 @ 8:40 PM
Sources: Naharnet , VOL
Beirut- Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir held separate talks with both Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Free Patriotic Front leader Michel Aoun about putting an early end to President Emile Lahoud's term and naming a potential successor.
Geagea said after his talks with the head of the Christian Maronite church Friday, that the issue of the presidency is "finished" and that Lahoud's successor would be announced soon. "The replacement will be revealed before President Lahoud goes," Geagea said. Asked if the Christian camp in Lebanon had already agreed on who the next president would be, he responded negatively saying that consultations were still going on. "Until now no. Honestly, we will work on agreeing on an alternative," Geagea told Voice of Lebanon radio station earlier in the day, adding "I assure you that the replacement will please the Patriarch." Sfeir on Thursday gave his blessing to remove Lahoud from office through legal means and warned about reverting to the street for action. Geagea and Aoun, both Maronites, are eligible candidates for the presidency according to Lebanon's sectarian-based system that allots the top executive post to the Maronites, the position of Prime Minister to a Sunni Muslim and the post of Parliament Speaker to a Shiite.
Aoun, who later met with Sfeir for 90 minutes, made no statements to the press. The talks in the Christian camp come after the anti-Syria March 14 coalition stepped up its campaign against the staunchly pro-Syrian Lahoud whom it accuses of serving Damascus' interests.The alliance vowed to put an early end to Lahoud's term by March 14 that marks the one year anniversary of the 'One Million Man March.' The huge rally gathered Lebanese from across the country's political and ethnic mosaic to reject Syria's influence over the country and demanded freedom and independence.
The historic march came exactly one month after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who died with 22 others in a huge Beirut truck bombing. Syrians were blamed for the murder but Syria denied any involvement.
Under intense international pressures and following the Beirut rallies, Damascus withdrew its forces from Lebanon last April ending 30 years of occupation. However, the Syrian regime is still accused of meddling in Lebanese internal affairs especially through its relationship with Lahoud, whose term was extended under threat by Bashar Assad's regime for three years until 2007. Geagea, a main pillar of the March 14 alliance, repeated the group's pledge to get rid of Lahoud through constitutional means. Although the alliance enjoys a majority in parliament, it does not command two-thirds of the 128 votes that is required to amend the constitution to reduce the president's term. Some of the members of the coalition have said that they would try to win over Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement to their side in order to secure the extra votes. Aoun who was a key member of the March 14 movement but has broken ranks with the camp during the parliamentary elections last June has recently signed an agreement with the pro-Syrian Hezbollah faction which was called "Memorandum of understanding.
Asked if the anti-Syrian coalition may have to resort to a popular uprising to depose Lahoud, Geagea said he would give no details about the group's alternative plans. "I will not reveal any of the points in our plan. All I want to say is that the issue is hot." In an apparent first step aimed at increasing pressure on Lahoud, Geagea said that ministers of the March 14 alliance would boycott cabinet sessions that are held at the presidential palace. However, PM Siniora said he had not been officially notified of the decision. The government has been meeting on a weekly basis, alternating between the Seray palace under Siniora and the presidential palace under Lahoud...
The alliance is stepping up its pressure on Lahoud to resign on his own...MP Walid Jumblatt has said that President Emile Lahoud does not qualify as a Lebanese head of state anymore because he only serves Syria's interest and that it was high time to replace him with a leader who would safeguard the country's independence.
"The current president's term was extended under duress exerted by the Syrian regime, whose interest he serves. He is not a Lebanese president," Jumblatt told the Voice of Lebanon Radio Station in an interview Friday.
"It is our responsibility to find a Lebanese president who would protect the constitution and Lebanon's independence and sovereignty," he added. Jumblatt is one of the leading members of the anti-Syria March 14 alliance that is spearheading a campaign to depose Lahoud through legal means. The group has called for popular support to put pressure on the president and given him until March 14 to step down. The date coincides with the one-year commemoration of a historic rally for independence. Jumblatt described Aoun as "democratic" and said that he was one of the candidates for the presidency. He said he wished Aoun had participated in the Feb 14 rally that commemorated the one-year anniversary of ex-premier Rafik Hariri's assassination. "We wish he had been with us at Freedom Square as he is a basic part of March 14," Jumblatt said.
Jumblatt, whose relations with the powerful Shiite group have been tense, said Hezbollah's military role was over after it succeeded in liberating the South from Israeli occupation
"We tell Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah that his duty is done and that his weapons have fulfilled their role by liberating the South," Jumblatt said. Turning to the issue of the disputed Shebaa Farms, the Druze leader said this matter can be solved through legal means after Syria admits that the border region belongs to Lebanon.
"The issue of the Shebaa Farms can be solved without arms in the international court," Jumblatt said. The controversial farms are the last post still held by Israel after it withdrew its forces from south Lebanon. The U.N. says the area belongs to Syria while Damascus says they fall in Lebanese territory. Jumblatt said the Lebanese army is capable of protecting the country's sovereignty and called on Hezbollah to lay down its weapons."Lebanon is able to protect its borders," Jumblatt said.
"We don't want to be part of the Syrian-Iranian axis that serves the ambitions of the Syrian regime to restore its domination over Lebanon," he added. The one million march of Feb 14, 2006 reinforced the importance of the majority in Lebanon. Hezbollah tried to play down the role of the parliamentary majority and claimed it represented an illusionary majority in Lebanon... the success of the 2006 demonstration by the majority was therefore a big blow to Hezbollah...the parliamentary majority once again proved it was the true majority in Lebanon... The second big blow to Hezbollah will be the removal of Lahoud from power. Hezbollah's Nasrallah admitted when he and Aoun linked their agreement that he supported Lahoud.
Will Hezbollah now realize it is time to lay down the arms and be an active member the true majority of Lebanon... to rebuild the country and make it a model for democracy ... or will it continue to play the role of an outsider through its alliance with Syria and Iran? Only Hezbollah can answer this question...
But one thing is sure to happen, Hezbollah will not have Lahoud for long, since it appears that the issue is no longer 'will Lahoud go?' the issue is now who will be his successor and as long as Hezbollah plays the role of the outsider, it will not be the party that will pick his replacement. The Lebanese only this time will decide who should replace Lahoud...