Lebanon Remains a prey for axis of evil powers
By: Elias Bejjani
December 30/2005

Numerous puzzling questions are on the horizon in the aftermath of the recent military escalations that took place on the Israeli-Lebanese border. Six rockets were fired by an unidentified terrorist organization from inside Lebanese territory targeting Israeli
residential communities. This unjustified infringement has instigated an immediate Israeli retaliation with an air raid on a Palestinian military base located in a coastal Lebanese village south of the capital, Beirut.

This base, like many similar others in the Bekaa valley and in the north of the country, were erected by Baathist Syria during its occupation to Lebanon. All these bases are still under Syria's full control through surrogate Palestinian armed militias. The
Lebanese central government does not exercise any kind of control or authority over those military bases, nor does it have any control over the other twelve Palestinian Refugee camps that host around four hundred thousand residents These camps are a haven for dozens of armed militias and Jehadist organization, including Al Qaeda.

Meanwhile, a futile internal Lebanese power struggle and bickering among the country's main ruling political and sectarian officials has reached a point of no return. Hezbollah and its partner, the Amal Shiite movement, have put the activities of their five ministers in the current Siniora cabinet on hold, demanding before their return a public declaration from the central government stating that all clauses of UN Resolution 1559 have been implemented, and accordingly Hezbollah will maintain its weapons as well as its full military and administrative control on the Lebanese-Israeli border, the whole southern region of the country, the southern Beirut suburbs and a big portion of the Bekaa Valley.

The Beirut government, made up of representatives of the ruling coalition, is an unworkable marriage between what is known as the "Forces of March 14" and the "Forces of March 8". Regardless of such classifications, members of the cabinet are divided into two broad camps: the Hariri-Jumblat camp on one hand, and the Berri-Hizbullah camp on the other. Meanwhile, the Christian ministers in the cabinet who belong to both camps are completely marginalized and not involved in the decision-making process, while all the portfolios they hold are not key ones.

What is happening on the border and inside the country is greatly disappointing, a sad sign of the Beirut government's helplessness and a high dose of reality for all those Lebanese and non Lebanese good wishers who envisaged with hope and faith a quick full triumph over the axis of evil and its rogue powers of terrorism and darkness. The Lebanese have been longing
for a new Middle East and a new Lebanon with a leading role model of democracy and human rights.

The unfolding criminal events that have been targeting Lebanon's stability after the Syrian military withdrawal and striking hard at the Lebanese people and their patriotic leaders one after the other is a clear indication that under the imposed current
internal and regional status quo, Lebanon remains, and will remain, a hostage to terrorism and terrorists.

The recent military escalations on the border once again delineates to the whole world that Lebanon is still used as a battlefield for the wars of others and a mail box for exchanging fiery criminal messages between Baathist Syria, Israel and other regional and international countries and powers. These powers have been for the last thirty years engaged in an ongoing war at the expense of the interests of the Lebanese people and the independence, sovereignty, security, and stability of the country.

Once again and in spite of the Syrian military withdrawal earlier this year, the Beirut government is powerless, stagnating in an idle position as was the status of all its predecessors since 1990 under the Syrian tutelage and dictatorship. The Beirut
government is completely paralyzed, manipulated by non Lebanese agendas that are adopted and advocated by most of its members whose loyalty is not for Lebanon or its people, but for foreign countries that some of them are members of the axis of evil.

This Beirut government is divided on almost every issue. It is far from being a governing body. It is merely a bunch of politicians striving to maintain the bizarre status quo of the "no central state authority" and the cantons and states inside the state. It has proved without a shred of doubt its blatant inability to rule effectively because its ministers do not see eye to eye on any crucial matter, especially UN Resolution 1559 that calls for the disarming and dismantling of all armed militias and the spread of the central government's authority through its own armed forces all over the country's territory and borders.

Lebanon, if not urgently rescued by the international community through the United Nations, will remain a haven for terrorism and terrorists and a breeding field for fundamentalists and Jihadists. It will fall far short from emerging as an independent, peaceful and democratic country. Meanwhile, an unstable Lebanon is going to negatively affect progress on peace and
stability in the entire Middle East.

No more time should be wasted in vain: Lebanon needs a forceful, immediate and decisive international military intervention and an administrative custody for as long as is needed for laying down the foundations of a strong central government,
particularly in the areas of security and the judiciary.

The Free World should come to the rescue of Lebanon before it is too late.

Elias Bejjani
*Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
*Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
*Media Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com