LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
All that was published in coverage for General Aoun’s visit to
that took place between December 3-7/08
Aoun After Open Heart
Talks with Assad: Those in Beirut Should Apologize to Syria First
Naharnet/Change and Reform Bloc leader Michel Aoun on Wednesday said he held
"open heart" talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad and advised
"those in Beirut" to apologize to Syria first. "Did those in
"Those in
Aoun said he was offering his "friendship to
"Committees are tackling this issue. They are achieving progress and,
certainly, they would reach a result," Aoun said. He said relations with
Lebanese Christian
leader reconciles with Syria
The Associated PressPublished: December 3, 2008
DAMASCUS, Syria: A prominent Lebanese Christian leader who fought and lost a
bloody battle with Syrian troops in Lebanon nearly two decades ago received a
red carpet welcome Wednesday by Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Michel Aoun's visit comes as the two countries are trying to establish harmonious
and friendly relations. Apart from meeting Assad, Aoun will also hold talks
with Syrian officials and leaders of
But the visit has been criticized by anti-Syrian Lebanese politicians, many of
whom urged Aoun to cancel the trip. Aoun said his animosity ended when Syrian
troops left
As acting prime minister and military commander in 1989, Aoun fought against
Syrian troops in
Later, Aoun entered an alliance with the pro-Syrian Lebanese militant group
Hezbollah in its confrontation against
Relief as Thai airport reopensAfghan refugees return home to a life of
desperationA touchy path for Obama: Taking charge of the CIAHe now heads the
largest Christian bloc in the Lebanese parliament. Other Christian groups and
Sunnis have criticized his alliance with the Hezbollah. Those ties boosted
Aoun's standing within
"I am very happy with this visit and hope it will be the beginning of a
bright period in the history of Syrian-Lebanese relations,"
After a two-hour meeting with Assad, Aoun told reporters at the presidential
palace: "We spoke with open hearts and minds in order to clear the
Lebanese-Syrian conscience. The person who clings to the past cannot build a
future."
In the past, Aoun angered
His visit Wednesday comes six months before
Aoun's showing in the 2009 vote could determine who wins a parliament majority
and forms the government. It is believed that the main election battles will be
in the Christian regions and over the seats he controls. His opponents contend
that Christians won't back him because their mood is not pro-Syrian.
In their meeting, Aoun and Assad are also believed to have discussed the fate
of Lebanese missing since
MP Qabbani: Aoun's
Visit to Syria Does Not Launch New Relations
Naharnet/MP Mohammed Qabbani said Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun's
visit to Syria does not launch a new chapter of relations between Beirut and
Damascus.Qabbani, in a radio interview, said the visit reflects a new chapter
in relations between Aoun and Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.
Relations between states, according to Qabbani, are set by state
representatives, not by politicians and political factions. On other issues,
Qabbani said the international tribunal that would try suspects in the 2005
assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri has become a reality. He said the
March 14 forces do not intend to invest the international tribunal in their
parliamentary elections campaign.
Geagea Hammers Aoun
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized Change and Reform Bloc
leader Michel Aoun for seeking to clear Lebanon's conscience in Damascus prior
to settling Lebanon's differences with Syria. "The President of the
"We want to overcome the past. But how should we handle out present
status?" Geagea asked. He said "hundreds of Lebanese citizens are
jailed in
Aoun After Open Heart
Talks with Assad: Those in Beirut Should Apologize First
Naharnet/Change and Reform Bloc leader Michel Aoun on Wednesday said he held
"open heart" talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad and advised
"those in Beirut" to apologize first. "Did those in
"Those in
"We are turning a new page where there is no victor, no vanquished,"
Aoun said. "This is a return to normal relations." Aoun said he was
offering his "friendship to
Ignoring criticism of his visit from the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority
March 14 coalition, Aoun said his trip was justified now that Lebanese-Syrian
diplomatic ties have been established. He expressed confidence in resolving any
problem between
He said relations with
Aoun Lectures in
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, lecturing at
The understanding with Hizbullah "empowered us against external threats …
and despite all obstacles we achieved national harmony around the resistance,
its principles and targets." Aoun praised the "miracles achieved by
resistance fighters" against
Aoun declares 'new page'
in relations with Damascus
Previous enmity 'is an old story that is now over'
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Michel Aoun on Wednesday predicted a
"bright future" for ties between Lebanon and his former foe Syria
after talks in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Assad. "We are
turning a new page where there is no victor and no loser. This is a return to
normal relations," Aoun told a news conference on the first day of a visit
to the Syrian capital.
"Our discussions hold the promise of a bright future" for the two
countries, he said of his meeting with Assad, voicing confidence that any
problems between
Forced out of the Presidential Palace in October 1990, he went into exile in
He added: "I am a military man and I do not have hatred for any party with
whom I fight. The reason is that wars always end in negotiations and
agreements."
"Today, we are opening a new page in history," he stated.On the
Syrian side, Assad political adviser Buthaina Shaaban said that Aoun's visit
represents "a new era between Syria and Lebanon that will serve the
interests of the two countries and the two peoples."
Aoun also told reporters he hoped for a rapid solution to the issue of Lebanese
"missing" in Syria, whom support groups in Beirut number at 650 but
whom Damascus denies holding.Asked about the priorities to restore the
Lebanese-Syrian relations, Aoun said: "We have exchanged viewpoints and
showed good will, but there were no demands by any of the two parties and we
did not set a schedule for priorities."
On the political front, he said
"
During his meeting with Assad, Aoun discussed the "positive developments
in the Lebanese-Syrian relations" and the situation in
A report by
He also caused a stir by visiting
In a related development, Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea reiterated
on Wednesday that he disapproved of Aoun's visit to
Commenting on Aoun's statement that
Geagea, a member of the March 14 Forces, added that "the Lebanese did not
ask Aoun to purify souls between
"This is a task that only the Lebanese president is entitled to do,"
he said.
In other remarks about Aoun's visit, LF MP Antoine Zahra said on Wednesday that
Aoun had "rushed" his trip to
In an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio station, he said: "I think
that the visit was rushed after the painful history of the Lebanese-Syrian
relations."
"Opening a new page falls within the competence of constitutional
authorities and not political parties," he added.
Also on Wednesday, the head of the National Liberal Party, Dory Chamoun, said
that Aoun had visited
"Late Pope John Paul II would have been very happy to see Aoun visiting
Aoun's trip to Syria seen as bid to corner more votes in Lebanon
Analysts say visit could backfire in polls scheduled for next year
By Michael Bluhm /Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Analysis
BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun traveled to Syria on
Wednesday in a bid to position himself as supreme leader of Lebanon's
Christians ahead of next year's pivotal elections, but questions remain whether
his sojourn will win him any more votes or followers, a number of analysts told
The Daily Star.
"He is putting himself as the sole speaker of the Christian community in
"He is putting himself above all parties in
Aoun will spend several days in
The reception being accorded to Aoun in Syria signals that, despite the history
of violence between the former general and Damascus, Aoun is cementing his
status as Syria's most important Christian partner in Lebanon, said Oussama
Safa, executive director of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies.
"It's out in the open now that he is
Aoun is also using the visit to promote an image as chieftain of all Christians
in the Middle East, with his tour including several Christian sites and
gatherings with the Syrian faithful, said Paul Salem, director of the
"The part has not been played before, really, in this way,"
Aoun is traveling to
"He is playing it regionally for local politics," Hanna said.
Indeed, the sight of Assad and Aoun smiling together might score votes for the
former general outside his traditional Christian base,
In any case, the visit tightens the bonds between Aoun and his allies in the
Syrian-backed March 8 camp, who seem more skilled than their opponents in the
March 14 alliance in matters of planning and execution, Safa said. For the
March 14 Forces, seeing their archenemy
But other analysts questioned whether Aoun's Syrian gambit might cost him the
support of some Christian voters, who have long viewed Syrian interests in
"He is a stubborn guy," said Hanna, who fought with Aoun against
Syria. "He is narrow-minded. He miscalculated his war of liberation. When
all the world wanted
Hilal Khashan, chair of the department of political science and public
administration at the
"
Throwing in his lot with
"Michel Aoun has been eager to ally himself with anybody if this would
allow him to make any gains," Khashan said. "He is a maverick
politician who doesn't understand the intricacies of the Lebanese political
system. The Lebanese system is based on balances, very delicate balances. Aoun
can never be part of a balance. Wherever he operates, he wants to
predominate."
Although
In addition, the mere fact that a former foe such as Aoun has come calling on
Assad also means a "feather in his cap" for the Syrian president,
And when the past Syrian enemy remains a powerful figure in
"It's a golden opportunity for them to grab a major Christian ally,"
he said. "It comes at a time when
Michel Aoun's
minority package tour
By Michael Young
Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 04, 2008
You have to hand it to Michel Aoun, he never goes half-way. Here was everyone
else staying in Syria for a few hours, two days at the most, and here is Aoun
opting for the full four-night, five-day holiday package tour, including visits
to religious sites, open buffets, Damascus by night, and an audience with the
dictator, all for the low price of his mortal soul.
There will be much dispute over Aoun's choices as he "reconciles"
with his old Syrian enemy - his partisans applauding the general, his adversaries
finding fault. But a more obvious question is what does Aoun gain from this
trip that he didn't have before embarking on the road to
To the first question, the easy explanation, an electoral one, is unconvincing
on its own. If Aoun's gambit is that he has to become friendly with Syria to be
assured that his candidates will be given more room on electoral lists in
predominantly Shiite constituencies, as well as Jezzine, then he has already
forfeited enough politically to achieve that. Rather, the general's deeper
ambition (if "depth" can in any way reasonably be applied here) is to
become the primary mediator between the Christians and
If there are any doubts about this, the symbolism of Aoun's visit is there to
dispel them. The point of the general's planed excursions to Christian shrines
in
To the second question - what does Aoun have to lose by so flamboyantly
settling his differences with a regime accused of systematic murder in the past
three years? - the answer is: quite a lot. Through this gesture, the general
has taken his followers farther than ever in their divorce from the Lebanese
sectarian consensus. Aoun has repeatedly sold his alliance with Hizbullah as a
successful effort to preserve that consensus following the 2005 Independence
Intifada. That would only be true had Aoun remained a bridge between Sunnis and
Shiites. Instead he took sides, and is now thumbing his nose at the Sunni
community once more by effectively absolving the Syrian regime of guilt in the
Hariri murder; or worse, making it plain that he cares little about that guilt.
But it's the Christians who will ultimately have the most forceful say on
Aoun's
Self-interest counts for a lot, but there is also the matter of principle. It
sends a very different message when Lebanese officials, mandated by the
government, meet with their Syrian counterparts, and when a parliamentarian
like Michel Aoun does so. That's not to say that Aoun had no right to visit
Damascus, only that by doing so outside the confines of formal state-to-state
relations - the desirable framework for ties between Lebanon and Syria - he
injects a form of unilateralism into his act that demonstrates he will ignore
Syrian behavior in Lebanon, regardless of how it violates Lebanese sovereignty
and United Nations resolutions. That's why Aoun's defending his visit as
representing a new page in Syrian-Lebanese relations is so manifestly vain.
Aoun claims to be representing all of
Why should that matter? Because it would have been useful, just this once, for
the Lebanese to be united around their victims. Aoun's political career since
his return to
Egoism is sometimes a quality of great men. Aoun would agree after placing
himself at the same altitude as Charles de Gaulle reconciling
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
By Sami Moubayed
DAMASCUS - When I lived in
This referred to former army commander and prime minister Michel Aoun, who was
ousted from
Nations Security Council Resolution 1559, which demanded an end to its
decades-long occupation of
He ran for parliament in 2005, won with a landslide victory, and ran for president
in 2007, but was defeated by current President Michel Suleiman in a parliament
vote in May this year. Aoun had returned to
It did not bear the hallmarks of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime
minister assassinated in 2005, yet, all the actors of Beirut 1990 are still
there and most of them have been more than troubled by his comeback.
They were even more alarmed by the 73-year-old's groundbreaking five-day visit
to
At Beirut airport on his return on May 2005, Aoun told the masses, most of whom
were too young to remember the civil war, that Lebanon would never be governed
again by "political feudalism" and a "religious system that
dates back to the 19th century". This, his first encounter with the press
and well-wishers, was less than diplomatic, when annoyed with all the commotion
the ex-general barked at those welcoming him, claiming they were noisy.
He then called for an end to the "old fashioned prototypes which represent
the old bourgeoisie which persists without any questioning", effectively a
promise to strike back at
Aoun’s Syria trip is scheduled to include a visit to the "Street called
Straight", the Roman street that runs from east to west in the heart of
old Damascus; churches throughout the Syrian capital's Bab Touma neighborhood;
and the Grand Umayyad Mosque that was visited by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
He is also slated to speak to students at universities, and tour Christian
villages in the countryside, where a grassroots welcome is awaiting him.
Although officially only a party leader (the Free Patriotic Movement) and
member of parliament, who commands the largest Christian bloc, he was welcomed
at
"We spoke with our hearts and minds ... so there remains no trace of a
past in which there are many painful things," said Aoun after meeting
Assad, in reference to his former "war of liberation" against Syria.
"I left behind the past when I came to
Aoun added, "What was once forbidden has now become halal - very
halal," claiming that his visit turns a new page in Syrian-Lebanese
relations.
Before returning to
Aoun last year made a pact with Nasrallah, pledging to support Hezbollah and
its war against
A long road for Aoun
Aoun was born in 1935 to a poor family in Haret Hraik, a Shi'ite neighborhood
that is currently a stronghold for Hezbollah. Aoun attended Catholic schools,
lived with a religious family, but declared years later that he "never
differentiated between Ali and Peter, or between Hasan and Michel".
One of the first questions fired at him by a journalist on his return to
Aoun finished high school in 1955, enrolled at the
When Aoun was 40, his country descended into civil war, as the Palestinian
Liberation Organization (PLO) of Yasser Arafat fought with the Muslims of
Lebanon against the Maronite forces of Pierre Gemayel, who were backed by
That same year, Aoun created the 8th Brigade, which fought the Syrian army in
the Souk al-Gharb pass overlooking
Aoun complied, but took no part in politics, giving no press interviews between
1984 and 1988. In September 1988, 15 minutes before the end of his term,
president Amin Gemayel appointed Aoun prime minister, breaching the National
Pact of 1943, which said that a prime minister had to be a Muslim Sunni, and
the president's office could be occupied exclusively by a Maronite Christian.
When he came to power, Aoun only controlled limited areas of
Aoun ordered 15,000 of his troops into action and wrestled the
He even opened channels with
Aoun's "rebellion" ended rapidly when in August 1990, his friend
Saddam invaded
It found no better way to achieve that than through an alliance with
Aoun remained in exile during the 1990s, when Hariri ruled
He failed to become president in 2007, but the March 14 coalition said it would
never accept him - for different reasons. Muslim politicians like Hariri and
Siniora feared a strong Christian president like Aoun would overshadow their
Sunni prime minister. The same applied to Jumblatt, and Gagegea, who saw
himself - being the other Christian heavyweight - as the best candidate for the
Lebanese presidency.
To understand Aoun one must understand how faithful his supporters have been in
backing him. When he wanted to fight the Syrians, they were anti-Syrian to the
bone. When he wanted to ally himself with Hezbollah, they became strong
supporters of what the general was telling them to do. They support anything he
tells them. It's that simple. Such strict adherence to a political leader who
is not leading a confessional group and one who is switching sides so very
dramatically is rare even in a country like
Aoun has no states supporting him or furnishing him with money, like Saad
al-Hariri, the politician son of the assassinated premier, and
He is now bracing himself for the upcoming parliamentary elections of 2009,
which he plans on tackling with Hezbollah. Aoun realizes that he cannot rule
Depending on who you talk to in Lebanon, Christians are either still enchanted
with "the general" or have began to hate him, because of his alliance
with Hezbollah and his latest cozying up with Iran and Syria. Shortly before
his
Sami Moubayed is editor-in-chief of Forward Magazine in
(Copyright 2008
Aoun uses Syrian
stage to accuse UN of coddling Israel
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Friday, December 05, 2008
Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Michel Aoun accused the United Nations on
Thursday of "covering up all harms committed by Israel against the
Palestinian people," adding that the world body "resolves world
problems based on the will of great powers." "The United Nations has
always failed to condemn
"Some [powers] are exerting pressures to abrogate the Palestinians' right
of return to their homeland," he added.
He also accused "major powers of playing a role in preventing the return
to normal relations between
The FPM leader also defended his memorandum of understanding with Hizbullah,
which was signed in early 2006, saying it "reflected on our community,
enabled us to maintain our national unity and helped the resistance achieve
victory in the most ferocious war staged by
The understanding "empowered us against external threats ... and despite
all obstacles we achieved national harmony around the resistance, its principles
and targets," he added. Aoun also praised the "miracles achieved by
resistance fighters" against
He added that "terror groups in
Aoun arrived in
Aoun also clarified remarks he had made the previous day, in which he
reportedly urged Lebanese to apologize to their compatriots before asking for
"When I called on the Lebanese people to apologize, I meant that they
should apologize to the Free Patriotic Movement, not to Syria; but some biased
media outlets tried to distort my speech," Aoun said. On Wednesday, Aoun
met with Syrian President Bashar Assad and told reporters afterward that before
Aoun's remarks, which were interpreted by some as a call for the Lebanese to
apologize to
In an interview with Future news television, Progressive Socialist Party leader
Walid Jumblatt said: "Aoun should have rather asked the Syrian regime to
apologize to the Syrian people for the massacres that it has committed in the
past; he should have also asked the Syrian regime to apologize for invading
Hizbullah's number two, Sheikh Naim Qassem, defended Aoun's visit to
But MP Nayla Mouawad said the visit was an "insult to
In a statement released on Thursday, she accused Aoun of undermining efforts to
reach balanced relations between two free, independent and sovereign countries.
"No one asked Aoun to represent Eastern Christians and usurp the role of
Bkirki," Mouawad added, referring to
Another March 14 MP, Samir Franjieh, accused Aoun on Thursday of trying to
"link the Christians with the Syrian-Iranian coalition and isolate them
from the Arab and international communities." - Agencies, with The Daily
Star
Making sense of
Aoun's latest gambit
By Marc J. Sirois /Daily Star staff
Friday, December 05, 2008
There is more than a dash of spectacle in Michel Aoun's visit to the capital
that forced him out of his homeland for a decade and a half, but the reaction
of his critics back here in Lebanon is every bit as entertaining. In
It is often difficult to reconcile the "statesman" bit with the
former general's mercurial personality, but from one perspective, his politics
have been amazingly consistent for a very long time. No one familiar with
Aoun's longing for the presidency and his talent for caste-based politics can
doubt that he is a product of his country's political system, and of his
Maronite sect's favored status within that system. But he and his allies would
have it that unlike most of his rivals for primacy of place within that
community, the FPM leader is not a prisoner of the system, that his priorities
are national rather than tribal ones. To those who accuse Aoun of not
understanding the need for "balance" in Lebanese politics, or of
wanting to annul the shotgun marriages that make up the various editions of the
Lebanese Constitution, the rejoinder of his supporters amounts to an
attestation that none of these "rules" is sacred, especially since
they were written in blood on stolen paper.
According to this line of reasoning, Aoun's alliance with Hizbullah was a
confirmation of, not a departure from, the staunch opposition to Syrian control
over
For a variety of reasons, it is unfortunate that the first Lebanese Maronite
leader of real heft who really reached out to the country's Shiites was Aoun.
His own nature opened him up to the charge of having allowed naked ambition to
eclipse his earlier principles - and his Shiite allies to that of wanting to
use him as a fig-leaf. It also invited accusations that his choice of allies
was influenced by his own authoritarian tendencies. In addition, the nature of
Lebanese politics, especially within the fractious Maronite community, meant
that virtually everyone else would gang up on him no matter what he did just
because he was seen as a frontrunner for the presidency. Nassib Lahoud, long a
high-powered candidate for the presidency, fell victim to this very same
tendency in 2005, when his "allies" were successful in seeing to it that
he lost his own seat in Parliament.
All of this enrages Aoun's foes in the March 14 Forces. They swear by
"balance" (when stasis favors their continuing empowerment) and
pledge allegiance to something called a "sectarian consensus"
(ignoring those who disdain it as apartheid with a smiling face). Many of the
same people deny ever having wanted the Syrians here (although this did not
stop them from imbibing the rewards of power and wealth that went along with
going along).
Now the March 14istas are in a couple of different pickles.
Domestically, they publicly treat Aoun's diminished electoral prospects as
received wisdom, reasoning that after Hizbullah's heavy-handedness last May,
Christians voters will desert him in droves during the parliamentary elections
scheduled for next May. They might well be right, but behind the scenes, they
are also deeply worried. The Sunni and Shiite outcomes of the polls (a virtual
carbon-copy of today's) were largely determined by the Doha Accords that
followed last May's deadly clashes, but the myriad potential contestants on the
Christian side, most of them aligned with March 14, make races there highly
susceptible to fratricide and therefore inherently unpredictable.
In addition, many Lebanese have learned from their leaders that sometimes it's
just easier to go with the flow. Large numbers of voters take their cues from
family patriarchs, and one of the standards by which these determine their
"preferences" is by answering a simple question: Who's going to win?
March 14 strategists who think about such things consequently worry that if
Aoun and his partners in the March 8 camp give off even a whiff of
inevitability, the election will be over before it starts.
As far as
There are solid arguments against these claims, but March 14 has yet to pick
them up with uniformity. Instead, they spend their time calling him a traitor
(to
As far as Aoun is concerned, most of his critics today are the same people who
failed to be by his side when he tried to drive the Syrians out in 1989-1990,
then spent the next 15 years making regular treks to Damascus (or even more
inglorious hikes to Anjar) to receive their orders while he was exiled in
Paris. To those who defend their actions during this period by arguing that his
venture was suicidal and they had no choice but to play ball with Damascus, the
Aounists will tell you their hero was anti-Syrian when anti-Syrian wasn't cool,
so don't start telling him now how to pluck the strings.
**Marc J. Sirois is managing editor of THE DAILY STAR. His email address is
marc.sirois@dailystar.com.lb.
UALM Supports General Michel Aoun’s historic visit to Syria
UALM: Any initiative aimed at improving relations between neighbours is
encouraged
4.12.2008
For Immediate Release
Sydney, Australia : The United Australian Lebanese Movement (UALM) affirms its
support for the visit of Lebanon ’s former Prime Minister, Army Commander and
current MP Michel Aoun to Syria . The UALM firmly believes that the visit will
have positive ramifications for
The UALM considers the visit of General Aoun to
The UALM welcomes General Aoun’s statement’s concerning several issues namely
the matter of the Lebanese missing in
Aoun who heads the largest Christian Bloc in Lebanese Parliament and leads
This historic visit has come after 30 years of conflict between the two nations
and ended after Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2005, the UALM sees this
turning of a new page as a model for a way forward for the region as a whole.
Media contact:
Charlie Khouri
P :( 02) 9687 0518
F: (02) 9687 0975
M: 0411 868 222
E: pressoffice@ualm.org.au
A: P O Box 3157 Parramatta NSW 2124
Aoun's Third Day Tour
of Syria, Religious Visits And Talk of New Beginnings
Naharnet/Head of Change and Reform Parliamentary Bloc MP Michel Aoun's visit to
Syria included on its third day a tour of religious sites in Saidnaya and Homs,
and a traditional Arab Abaya (Cloak) that was presented to him. On Friday, Aoun
visited the Catholic archdiocese of Our Lady of Peace in
When presented with the archdiocese's medal and icon, Aoun said:" You want
us to bare another cross, yes we can do so.""There is the great cross
on which Jesus Christ was crucified, there is also the cross of great causes in
which many suffer and die for. It is a message of salvation," He said. He
added: "This is nothing new. Our heart is open and it carries with it
other open hearts that have the same emotions and feelings that you all
feel." "We are in
" We cannot forget the past but we have to think about it, so as not to
repeat past mistakes. If we remain in the past we bury ourselves in it."
He said.
Aoun later paid a visit to the
Harb: Aoun's Syria
Visit Contradicts History
Naharnet/MP Butros Harb said Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun's
ongoing visit to Syria has succeeded for being a "controversial
development that contradicts the course of history." "Did
Hoss Praises Aoun's
Syria Visit
Naharnet/Ex-Premier Salim Hoss on Saturday praised Free Patriotic Movement
leader Gen. Michel Aoun's visit to Syria, saying it reflects a "brave
decision by a leader." However, Hoss criticized Aoun's call for Amending
the Taef Accord. "Had it been implemented, there would have been no need
for its amendment," Hoss said of the Taef accord that ended the Lebanese
civil war. "Had the Taef been fully implemented, we would have managed to
achieve major progress in overcoming the factional status," Hoss noted.
Harb Ridicules Aoun
Naharnet/MP Butros Harb on Friday criticized Free Patriotic Movement leader
Michel Aoun's call for amending the Taef accord, warning that it would hurl
Christians into "civil war" that they oppose. "The Christians would
not agree at all to a distribution of powers along the lines of a tripartite
concept," Harb told reporters after meeting Lebanese Forces leader Samir
Geagea at the latter's residence in Meerab. "Had it not been for Aoun's
wars against
." "We must achieve reconciliation," Qabalan stressed.
Pope of the Orient!
Naharnet/The Arab Socialist Baath Party in
Hizbullah Proud of Aoun's Courage
Naharnet/Hizbullah on Friday said it feels "proud" of Free Patriotic
Movement leader Michel Aoun's "courage, and honesty." Hizbullah's
parliamentary bloc, in a statement after its weekly meeting, also paid tribute
to Aoun's "courage and clear approach to the needed relations with
Pay Attention to
Lebanon’s Presidency
06/12/2008
Asharq Al-Awsat,
By: Tariq Alhomayed/the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat,
I do not believe that Lebanese President Michel Suleiman was irritated by the
reception received by Michel Aoun in Syria even though Suleiman spoke to Arab
ministers in Berlin only recently about the importance of Arab states and
Lebanon cooperating through the Lebanese presidency.
The reception that Aoun received in
Even if it is impossible for him to say so, the Lebanese president is beginning
to realize that the Syrians and their allies in
The way that the Syrian President received Chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces
[Jean Kahwaji] and the issuing of a statement were salient matters, as the
Lebanese military commander suddenly jumped onto the political scene through
the gates of
Therefore, the way that Aoun was received in
This alliance is simply the encircling of the Republic’s president, the
constricting of his role and the deduction of the international momentum that
he acquired as a consensus president. When the international centers of power
feel that the president’s role within
However the plan has changed today as
Accordingly, it is not in the interest of
Therefore, one must state that it is crucial now to pay attention to protecting
the Lebanese president politically and with regards to security, as all
indicators show that an alliance is forming in
Either Michel Aoun will become the new Emile Lahoud or the center of power will
be devoid of its value and will be encircled by alliances, making the
president’s role secondary. The latter, regrettably, is in the nature of
The Guardians of the
Cedars Party issued the following weekly communiqué:
The decision to open up to the Syrian regime, as is currently happening in
special commissions which, truth be told, specialize in covering up and
stonewalling the issue in order to dilute it out of existence.
The argument for mending relations with
And if the intent of this openness is to give the Syrian regime a free
exoneration from the many crimes it committed in
As for the claim that opening up to the Syrian regime leads to bolstering the
influence of “the Christians of Lebanon”, it simply is refuted by reality and
history. No one has suffered more at the hands of the Syrian regime than the
“Christian Lebanese”, not to mention that regime’s sponsorship of the Taef
Agreement which has voided the authority of the Presidency of the Republic,
which is the “Christians” highest post in the State, and the Syrian regime’s
invasion of the Christian regions of Lebanon, which eliminated what was left of
their political influence. Those clamoring for reconciliation with
Abu Arz
December 6, 2008
Aoun: Lebanese-Syrian Relations Today Stronger than Past Period
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun has said
Lebanese-Syrian relations today are much stronger than in the past.
"The decision taken by
"Lebanese society is plural and multiple, some of its components might
differ however, this does not mean that it has an inclination to
terrorism," said Aoun.
He added that
Aoun said he does not support the chaos of Palestinian arms and the security
independence they enjoy at Palestinian refugee camps in
"Settling the Palestinians in
On Saturday, Aoun visited
A Special Tribute to
Aoun… and a Bad One for Lebanon
Elias Harfoush Al-Hayat - 07/12/08//
We have no intention of evaluating the visit of MP Michel Aoun to Syria, and
the soundness of the comparison he made between the regime which spread the red
carpet for him in Damascus and the German regime visited by Charles De Gaulle
after the fall of Nazism (against which the war was being waged) and the
establishment of a new democratic government in Germany on its ruins.
Such evaluation and comparison are left to Aoun's supporters and to the
Christian popular base which will voice its opinion of his choices in a few
months, if circumstances permit. When we speak of a Christian popular base, we
do not mean to give Aoun's choices or the support he enjoys a sectarian
character, but merely repeat the slogan he himself raises these days, as he
considers himself to be the spokesperson and protector of the Christians, not
only in
Nevertheless, what matters to us is the negative impact left by the special and
exceptional welcome the Lebanese MP received in Syria on the form being sought
for normal relations between Lebanon and Syria, relations which Aoun's visit
was said to aim at returning to the right track. Such relations are usually
forged, as in all other countries, between representatives of the state and its
symbols. However, when a political figure, from any level, intends to visit a
country, the tribute they receive there should not exceed that granted to
representatives of the state themselves. A recent example would be the tour
made by candidate Barack Obama in a number of European countries on the eve of
US elections. Would it have been possible for Obama to be welcomed on Downing
Street or at the
Normalized relations between countries have certain recognized standards, and
there is no need to discover them anew, at a time when the Lebanese and Syrians
claim to be preparing to open embassies between their countries and to close
the chapter of past mistakes. Such standards do not include the tribute granted
to a Lebanese MP and party leader, regardless of the size of the party he
represents, exceeding that granted to the President of the Republic himself,
who visited that same country a short while ago. However, when such a
transgression does take place, the question which should naturally arise, and
which perhaps Aoun should have been the first to ask, being preoccupied with
"preserving sovereignty" the most, is the following: Is this the kind
of normal behavior that would indicate good intentions in building relations
based on mutual respect between Lebanon and Syria?
What will Lebanese Christians' choices be?
Dr. Salim Nazzal/Al-Arabiya
Separate visits by two major Lebanese Christian leaders to
The first visit was made by General Michel Aoun, the leader of the liberal
trend, which adopted a strongly supportive position regarding the Hezbollah-led
Lebanese resistance.
The second visitor was the president of the Lebanese republic, Michel Suleiman,
who is a traditional Christian Maronite. Despite the fact that he visited
As we must always look to history when we need to understand the present, let
me explain two apparently contradictory factors in the history of the Lebanese
Christians, in particular the Lebanese Maronite who form the majority of the
country's Christians and who played a major role in the creation of modern
Lebanon, particularly during the period of the patriarch Areeda in the First
World War.
The first fact is that Lebanese Christians (and the Christians of historical
Though it is beyond the aim of this article to cast much light on the history
of these two factors, one cannot help but point out briefly that both were the
product of the Ottoman period. During this era (though varying from period to
period) Christians found themselves dealt with as second-class citizens which
made some of them look for protection from the Western forces which were ready
to help within the framework of Julius Caesar's (divide and rule) famous
principle, dividing to influence during the Ottoman period and dividing and
ruling in the post-Ottoman period. The Lebanese Maronites' leading role in
reviving Arabism in a secular form arose not only from their early contact with
Western culture but was also a self-defense mechanism conceived to contribute
towards making a state for all
The pan-Arab thinker Constantine Zurich, who came from a Syrian Christian
orthodox background, has emphasized the importance of modernizing and
democratizing the Arab world, arguing that doing so would reduce the
traditional concerns regarding the creation of a state for all its citizens on
an equal footing. He summarized this point in asserting that the majority must
ensure that the minority feels secure, while the minority must not look outside
the country for help and protection.
A number of issues, recent and historic, have, in my view, consolidated the
Lebanese Maronites’ tendency towards openness: the first of these reasons is
the defeat of the aggressive Bush-era neoconservative policy in the
Secondly, past experience has shown that those Lebanese Christians who allied
themselves with
Thirdly, the violence in
In the light of this history, General Aoun's visit to
Yet while this open attitude is a move towards returning the Lebanese Christians
to their historical role as pioneers in Arab progress, a skeptical tendency has
reappeared among other Christians in the country. At a meeting held by the
Phalange party on its 72nd anniversary, Amin al-Jumayl, the Lebanese President
between 1982 and 1988, previously known as a moderate Maronite leader, called
for the establishment of federation in Lebanon, an idea which might have
surprised many observers less had it come, for instance, from the leader of the
Lebanese forces Samir Geagea, who is known to hold a more radical right wing
stance.
It is obvious that while the 8th of March Christians have chosen to follow the
Vatican's guidance and resume the liberal traditions of their 19th century
forbearers, another faction has chosen to stick with the old-fashioned
skepticism which has cost the country's Christians and the Lebanese generally
so much blood and suffering previously, especially during the civil war of
1975.
The question of which group will have the upper hand in the future is difficult
to answer. There is increasing evidence, however, that the progressive, open
faction is getting stronger. This week, General Aoun begins a historic visit to
It is certain that this argument is highly unlikely to convince those
politicians who are still prisoners of the past and thus unable to search
sincerely for a better political formula to resolve Syrian-Lebanese relations.
Indeed, criticism of Aoun's Syrian visit came quickly from the 14th of March
Christians who still hold the same old hostile position towards
However, apart from the daily politics and amid the talk about a dialogue
between cultures the Lebanese and the Arab Christians, as the previous Phalange
Party leader Karim Bakradoni said, can play an important role in creating real
dialogue between the East and the West.
Yet this cannot happen without the adoption of a stronger Arab and Muslin
position in condemning the murders of Iraqi Christians and without providing
the Arab Christians with all the support needed to help them assuming their
illuminating role in the Arab Orient. A strongly supportive Arab position would
certainly weaken the skeptical voices among some Lebanese Christians who still
believe that their security comes from outside the region. Although the
Lebanese Christians' choice is first and foremost the responsibility of their
leaders, it is also crucially related to the availability of greater choice in
the region; more democracy and more progress towards creating a state for all
citizens would no doubt empower Lebanese Christians, who view themselves as
Arabs who would defend the Arab causes, with Palestine being foremost among
these.
*Written exclusively for AL ARABIYA. Dr. Salim Nazzal is a
Palestinian-Norwegian historian in the
Flirting with
08/12/2008
By Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Alawsat
It was hard to believe the recent news reports that General Michel Aoun had
landed in
Aoun chose to take an old and traditional route of Lebanese politics; that
decisions in
There is no enduring animosity, but there are enduring interests. This is a
slogan of the
Michel Aoun was the spiritual father of the Syria Accountability Act [Syria
Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, December 12, 2003]
which was passed by the United States Congress, and which Aoun personally
pursued along its various stages. Aoun built up his reputation as a leader in
Lebanon through his firm stance of rejecting Syrian presence in any way, shape,
or form on Lebanese territory. However he has now become a representative of
this approach.
Since General Michel Aoun’s return to
Miqdad:
Naharnet/Syrian
Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Miqdad stressed that
"In return, it is normal for the Syrian people and Syrian officials to be
across
factions.
Moussawi: Hospitality in
Receiving Aoun is a Celebration of the Resistance
Naharnet/Hizbullah's International Relations official Nawaf Moussawi said the
hospitality with which Gen. Michel Aoun was received in
Aoun from
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun ended his five-day visit to
"There is nothing between the Christians that calls for reconciliation,
because differences are part of the democratic process," Aoun said before
leaving
"We are reconciled with ourselves and I don't think we will differ over
St. Maroun," he said. "We thought the distance between Mount Lebanon
and
Aoun has become that
which he long claimed to disdain
By The Daily Star
Monday, December 08, 2008
Editorial
Ever since he returned to Lebanon in 2005, Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader
Michel Aoun has professed a desire for sweeping reforms and a commitment to
working through the institutions of the Lebanese state. For much of that time,
the fact that he accomplished so little on either front could be explained away
by his party's absence from the government. Today, however, the FPM has a
significant presence in Cabinet to go along with its large representation on
Parliament, which means it no longer has so convenient an excuse.
One might have hoped that Aoun would use this enhanced position to advance his
agenda by using all of the legitimate avenues at his disposal. Instead of
having the FPM bring concrete legislative and policy proposals before
Parliament and Cabinet, however, the former general has continued to work
outside the system - and now, outside the country itself. He could not have
picked a worse venue than
He also could not have picked a worse cause than that of enhancing the powers
of the presidency: Taif has flaws and its implementation has been so spotty as
to obviate most of its qualities, but that only means there are several
high-priority changes that can and should be discussed via the proper channels
and at the proper time. Providing solutions in areas like the rule of law, the
independence of the judiciary, and ending sectarianism would benefit all
Lebanese. Instead, Aoun's emphasis on presidential powers looks a lot like a
cynical (not to say dangerous) ploy to capture the votes of Christians in next
year's parliamentary elections.
Taif and the presidency are not subjects to be trifled with, a fact evinced by
how little support has greeted Aoun's recommendations. The current president,
Michel Sleiman, has not demanded more authority - only more respect from
foreign governments accustomed to "dealing with
Aoun's calls for a new way of doing politics in this country were once a breath
of fresh air. But his consistent failure to engage in the necessary legwork,
his frequent recklessness in pursuit of his own aggrandizement, and his
penchant for character assassination have combined to make him look and sound
like something he has always claimed to abhor: just another Lebanese politician
with a successful cult of personality but none of the discipline and vision
demanded of actual statesman.
Interfaith dialogue,
hypocrisy and private lives
By Talal Nizaneddin -Daily Star
Monday, December 08, 2008
I am suffering from a total state of agnosia. Is this the same Michel Aoun who
angrily vowed that he would break the head of the Syrian regime? Is this the
same Syrian regime that pacified the Lebanese Army soldiers fighting under
Aoun's command and waged a ruthless campaign for 15 years to marginalize the
idealistic Free Patriotic Movement supporters? At least I am almost sure that I
haven't been afflicted by amnesia. I remember when the Lebanese felt the thrill
of defiance when they beeped their car horns driving through the Nahr al-Kalb
tunnel leading to Jounieh from
Letting bygones be bygones and forgiveness is a treasured feature of human
nature and being an optimist, I say whatever breaks the ice and allows people
to move on from a painful past should be welcomed with open hearts. But the
process of forgiveness is a long and arduous one. In Judaism, Christianity and Islam
it must begin with honesty, leading to confession and then as a final step
absolution becomes meaningful. On a human level, in a one-to-one conflict, a
discussion must take place that expresses the pain of each side so that there
is an understanding of the hopes and fears of the other side before saying
sorry reaches a level beyond words and touches the human within us.
It is said that since the end of the Cold War we have been living in the age of
the clash of civilizations and the dialogue of faiths. In the Western and
pro-Israeli media, Islam is the culprit, with the image of bloodthirsty mad
Muslims rampaging through Mumbai killing randomly all those around them the
latest episode of terror that does nothing to the great religion they claim to
be fighting for. Among Arabs and Muslims it is the Jews who have manipulated
the Holocaust tragedy to inflict suffering on Palestinians and Arabs. The
Christian West is also blamed for a low-burning decadence that over time has
led to the collapse of the world financial markets due to greed and the neglect
of the poverty and misery of the so-called
What is strikingly noticeable about Aoun's visit is the tour of the historic
churches of
In fact, the Saudi monarch courageously endorsed a United Nations gathering to
promote dialogue among the world's great religions despite criticisms from no
other than Aoun and his comrades in March 8. Despite the good intentions, the
Saudis may however be wasting their time. By entering into such discussions the
world risks mirroring the same Lebanese facade that religious belief somehow
lies at the source of conflict. It evades the powerful economic explanations
and the fact that there is a huge gap in wealth between states and between
individuals in the world we live in. It also, and just as importantly, diverts
attention from the lack of representation, the lack of personal freedoms and
the lack of human rights most people in the world endure on a daily basis.
Blatant injustice, economic and political, creates extremism and not religions.
The West should not feel too self-satisfied about its state when there are
calls for more social justice and greater freedoms. In Britain, as an example
of an advanced European country, the state has been shown to fail time and time
again in protecting children with one in four children according to a recent
study suffering from sexual abuse. Crime is rampant and ethics are barely
visible in the business and political realms. As in the
If most sensible people agree that finding a solution to the Palestinian
problem, which has nothing to do with religion, will make the Middle East and
the world a better place, why on earth has it been so difficult for the world's
only superpower to convince Israel to accept a neighboring viable Palestinian
state on the West Bank and Gaza? If the
Nowhere has the mythology of sectarian and religious warfare been more
prevalent than in
In
Some Western political theorists have even called for a return to communalism
as a result of the social failures of the modern state. The Lebanese model
offers the opportunity of creating a political system that safeguards
communities and also protects the rights of individuals living within them
because the hypocritical and simply false pretense of a unified centralized
state has been unworkable and shows no signs of succeeding. The Lebanese want
their personal liberty, social justice and their community at one and the same
time. It is no easy task but where there is a will there is a way and
**Talal Nizameddin wrote this article for THE DAILY STAR.
Aoun uses Syrian stage to accuse UN of coddling
Israel
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Friday, December 05, 2008
Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Michel Aoun accused the United Nations on
Thursday of "covering up all harms committed by Israel against the
Palestinian people," adding that the world body "resolves world
problems based on the will of great powers." "The United Nations has
always failed to condemn
"Some [powers] are exerting pressures to abrogate the Palestinians' right
of return to their homeland," he added.
He also accused "major powers of playing a role in preventing the return
to normal relations between
The FPM leader also defended his memorandum of understanding with Hizbullah,
which was signed in early 2006, saying it "reflected on our community,
enabled us to maintain our national unity and helped the resistance achieve
victory in the most ferocious war staged by
The understanding "empowered us against external threats ... and despite
all obstacles we achieved national harmony around the resistance, its
principles and targets," he added.
Aoun also praised the "miracles achieved by resistance fighters"
against
He added that "terror groups in
Aoun also said he had "many reservations about the Taif Accord because
there is no equality between constitutional institutions, especially between
the Lebanese presidency and premiership."
Aoun arrived in
Aoun met on Thursday with Information Minister Mohsen Bilal and visited the
Ummayyad Mosque in
Aoun also clarified remarks he had made the previous day, in which he
reportedly urged Lebanese to apologize to their compatriots before asking for
"When I called on the Lebanese people to apologize, I meant that they
should apologize to the Free Patriotic Movement, not to Syria; but some biased
media outlets tried to distort my speech," Aoun said.
On Wednesday, Aoun met with Syrian President Bashar Assad and told reporters
afterward that before
Aoun's remarks, which were interpreted by some as a call for the Lebanese to
apologize to
In an interview with Future news television, Progressive Socialist Party leader
Walid Jumblatt said: "Aoun should have rather asked the Syrian regime to
apologize to the Syrian people for the massacres that it has committed in the
past; he should have also asked the Syrian regime to apologize for invading
Hizbullah's number two, Sheikh Naim Qassem, defended Aoun's visit to
"Many of those who visited
But MP Nayla Mouawad said the visit was an "insult to
In a statement released on Thursday, she accused Aoun of undermining efforts to
reach balanced relations between two free, independent and sovereign countries.
"No one asked Aoun to represent Eastern Christians and usurp the role of
Bkirki," Mouawad added, referring to
Another March 14 MP, Samir Franjieh, accused Aoun on Thursday of trying to
"link the Christians with the Syrian-Iranian coalition and isolate them
from the Arab and international communities." - Agencies, with The Daily
Star
I thank God I live in the era of Michel Aoun
By Labib Chemali
11/12/08
Few figures throughout the pages of historical account have been able to stand
out from the rest whilst maintaining their Integrity and Honour; I have had the
privilege to meet with such a figure, General Michel Aoun (Lebanon’s Former Army
Chief, Prime Minister and current Member of Parliament).
A quick glance at his history shows that he has worked tirelessly behind the
scenes to hold together the Lebanese Army in the 1970’s, 1980’s and contributed
to thwarting the regional plan to topple the Government of Lebanon and have it
transformed into a substitute homeland for the Palestinians at the expense of
the Indigenous Lebanese population.
At the end of the 1980’s when he was appointed as Prime Minister of Lebanon he
worked on rebuilding the Lebanese state; free of militias and free of the
Syrian and Israeli military occupation of this small Eastern Mediterranean
Nation.
He fought for a Free, Sovereign Independent Lebanon and was thusly exiled by
joint Syrian Army and a multiple Lebanese Militia military offensive that had
the blessing of the International Community all the while insisting that he
wanted the best relations with
During his 15 year exile he campaigned tirelessly; his testimony to the United
States Congress and his diligent work resulted in the Syria Accountability and
Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, and later United Nations
Resolution 1559 in 2004.
These acts drew the ire of the ruling class that had embedded itself as
He returned to
It is significant to note that his most fierce critics against the stand that
he took, and continues to take are the very proponents of foreign intervention
in Lebanon and once camped out on the doorsteps of Syrian leaders in order to
secure places for themselves in the Lebanese Parliament and Cabinet; they used
to shower the Syrian occupation with praises and tenaciously defend its
presence at the expense of their own people and their own country. We are still
unsure to this day whether it is the fear of Change and Reform which would
inevitably threaten the pockets of this ruling class or the preference for
foreign intervention as a means to subjugate their own people and thus cement
their positions of leadership; as a genuine democracy in Lebanon seems would
strip them of that right. My belief is that it is a combination of both.
In 2006 Aoun signed the historic Memorandum of Understanding with Hezbollah
that addressed all of
2007 signified his signing of the Christian Pact aimed at restoring the
traditional Christian role in
In 2008 he visited
His reception in
There will come a time in the East where like in the West we can see Churches,
Mosques, Synagogues and Temples lined side by side on the street; with
coexistence and the right to live in dignity a secured right of the populace,
and we will look back at this period in history and thank God we lived in the
era of Michel Aoun.
Labib Chemali
The United Australian Lebanese Movement
Churches of the East: At the Service of Oppression
12/12/2008
By Tariq Alhomayed/ the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat,
Carlos Edde, head of the Lebanese National Bloc party made
some important comments regarding Michel Aoun’s recent visit to
This means that Aoun’s alliance with
Since the establishment of the Arab states in their modern
form, the Christians of the East, as a whole, have played an important, active
role. They have fulfilled a constructive role as political, cultural and
economic symbols in most of the Arab world. The pan-Arab Christian role was an
important one even as part of the armed resistance in
Today, through his alliance with Syria and Iran, Aoun has
turned things around and placed the Christians of Lebanon, and the East, in the
line of fire, especially as we are witnessing the Arab countries fighting an
ideological and physical war against extremists and confronting them in a
continuous manner. So how can Aoun throw himself into the arms of Syrian
political extremism and religious fundamentalism in
Baathist
Aoun is moving away from his violent hostility towards
Moreover, Aoun is forming an alliance with
Just picture the scene: Aoun standing with Hassan Nasrallah,
Khaled Meshal, Muqtada al Sadr and the Quds Force. Furthermore, the timing of
the alliance with
For proof of the danger in Aoun’s actions, we only need to
look at two recent events that took place on the same day in
Aoun is allied with the first image; the image of Mullahs protesting against inter-faith dialogue and peaceful coexistence with others. He is not forming an alliance with the second image; the image of those calling for democracy and a dignified life. If the Iranians themselves are demonstrating against Ahmadinejad’s regime, then how can Michel Aoun ally himself with one who harms his own country and nation?
This is where the importance of Carlos Edde’s comments lies; he highlighted the threat and warned against the danger of churches in the East becoming a tool to serve oppressive regimes