Former Lebanese Prime Minister Michel Aoun
Posted on 02/25/2005 10:57:00 AM PST by JohnHuang2
Friday, February 25, 2005
FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU
'U.S. will get Syria out by May'
Former Lebanese PM says war in Iraq will allow his country to be free
By Aaron Klein
JERUSALEM -- The U.S. led war against terrorism and its advances in Iraq and Afghanistan have enhanced the climate in the Middle East and will enable the international community to force Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon likely by May, former Lebanese Prime Minister Michel Aoun told WorldNetDaily today in an exclusive interview.
"The U.S. and EU are backing us in our movement to free Lebanon," said Aoun, speaking to WND from France. "They are interfering through diplomacy and threats of sanctions, and the situation is such today that Syria must comply. If the U.S. and Europe follow through, Syria will be obliged to withdraw before Lebanese elections in May."
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Former Lebanese Prime Minister Michel Aoun |
Without offering a timeline, Syria announced Wednesday it will withdraw its troops from Lebanon to the eastern Bekaa Valley on the Syrian border in accordance with a 1989 agreement that requires Damascus to remove its nearly 20,000 soldiers.
The decision followed increased international pressure on Syria amid a mass civil uprising to free Lebanon from Syrian occupation launched after the assassination last week of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, an advocate of Lebanese independence.
Many opposition figures have said they are skeptical of the Syrian withdrawal announcements, particularly because Damascus has not offered a timetable.
But Aoun, who was prime minister when the 1989 withdrawal agreement was signed, told WorldNetDaily the climate in the Middle East now requires Syria to comply.
"The U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan have changed the Middle East. Not only the attacks to oust the rulers of those countries, but the consequences of the attacks changed things as well. They are democratizing the region and this will put pressure on [Syrian President Bashar] Assad to follow through," said Aoun.
"All these changes in the Middle East make obsolete the previous ways of Syria in dealing with Lebanon and Syria's involvement with political terrorism, which is not accepted anymore."
Aoun is no stranger to revolt against Syria. While prime minister in 1989, he launched a "war of liberation" against Syrian military forces which had earlier invaded Lebanon. The war was highly popular with Lebanese citizens, but failed to garner the international opposition needed to successfully oust Syrian troops. It ended in a cease fire and the signing of the American and Saudi backed Ta'if accord, which required Syria to redeploy its troops to the Bekaa valley and confer with Lebanon on further redeployments.
Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, the American government garnered Syria's participation in the U.S.-led coalition against Baghdad, and critics charge in return the previous Bush administration gave Damascus a green light to complete its conquest of Lebanon, allowing it to launch an invasion of East Beirut and the surrounding areas controlled by Aoun's government.
The invasion forced Aoun into exile in France. But the former prime minister said this time Syria will withdraw: "The situation today is totally different. They (the international community) are on our side."
Aoun said the opposition has no plans for violence or war.
"It's not needed. We are making a peaceful movement against Syrians. Having demonstrations, sit-ins, protests. And most importantly, we are heard and listened to by the international community, especially the U.S. and EU. They are backing us and interfering through diplomatic ways," he said.
Analysts explain the loss of Lebanon could devastate the current Syrian regime. They say Assad considers his influence in Lebanon a key factor to his position in the Middle East, and that a successful campaign to drive Syrian troops from Lebanon would devastate the Syrian government.
Assad largely depends on Lebanese trade to fuel the Syrian economy, and has used Hezbollah militants, who maintain over 3,000 missiles on the Lebanese-Israeli border, to threaten the Jewish State and solidify Syrian regional power.
"Too bad for Syria," said Aoun. "They didn't have to build their economy at our expense! Now they have to deal with the consequences. They have to figure out how to leave Lebanon, which they counted on too much to sustain them."
Joining the chorus of Lebanese opposition, Aoun blamed Syria for the assassination of Hariri. "The Syrian occupation forces are behind the attack. This fits completely their style and tradition."
He sneered at other Arab countries who have been using their state-run media to claim Israel was responsible for Hariri's death.
"We know the reality. We are not looking for fictitious murderers. We have an effective murderer in Syria."
Despite his exile, Auon has remained a highly popular leader in Lebanon, considered by many to be the country's most prominent opposition figure. There have been calls throughout the decade, both from the Christian community and from a significant portion of the Lebanese Muslim population for his return to power.
Auon told WND he plans to move back to Lebanon in April and may run for top office. "My goal at the moment is simply to free Lebanon. If the Lebanese people want me to be the head of state, then I will assume responsibility."
Bush just keeps proving his incompetence. :)
lol
Bekka Valley anyone?
Yeah that's real funny. The "Bush's fault" gets funnier every day and with every post.
BTTT
Lol!
Yes, the Bekaa Valley is now terrorist central in Lebanon. It will be interesting to see whether Assad will withdraw his troops from there and leave his proteges without Syrian protection. This is a serious sticking point for his ally Iran as well, since these are the mad ayatollahs' clients too.
Syria Reduces 'Boots on Ground' in Lebanon
by Scott Ott
(2005-02-25) -- In response to international pressure, Syria again announced today that it would begin to comply with the 1989 Arab-brokered Taif accord, this time by reducing Syrian military "boots on the ground" in Lebanon by 50 percent.
"Starting today, our troops stationed in Lebanon will never have more than one boot on the ground at a time," said Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem. "This will be an inconvenience to our men, who must now hop rather than march, but it effectively reduces our Lebanese footprint by 50 percent."
The announcement reaffirms Syria's long-standing intention to fulfill its 1989 commitment to withdraw from Lebanon, and was greeted with enthusiasm at the United Nations.
"Syria's concession again proves that peace agreements with dictatorships are effective tools of international diplomacy," said U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. "It is more evidence that the Bush doctrine of forced freedom is counterproductive in our enlightened age."
Mr. Annan said the United Nations will send a contingent of blue-helmeted, but unarmed, troops to monitor compliance with the new single-boot protocol.
If, after they cast their votes in May, they hold up 3 fingers, they'll not only have gotten rid of the Syrians, they will insure that they won't be pestered by the liberal media. Sign of the "W" to liberal journalist is like the cross to vampires.
Hezboallah is going to stay and make things lousy for the rest of Lebannon. Arms and dope will continue to be smuggled (that is how things are paid for in this neighborhood). Lebannon is going to think we abandoned it like with did the Shia at the end of Gulf War 1. Don't Syria may or may not move Sadaams WMD into Syria. I doubt we will attack them directly either in force or in punitive raids. We have our hands full in Iraq right now.
I have been figuring for several years that Syria would be next. But it became evident when we withdrew our ambassador that we will go into Lebanon first. That way we get to poke Syria in the eye, but nobody can accuse us of aggression against a sovereign nation. Rather we are freeing the Lebanese people from tyrannical occupiers.
If Syria gives us any difficulties across the border, as they are doing in Iraq, then we are justified in striking back.
Strategerie works!
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LOL. That'll show em! And if they don't comply, then by golly, the UN'll send in some unarmed troops with orange helmets! Don't push your luck! |
Can you hear me now?
Like Iraq, like the Taliban, like every tinpot potentate-ocracy in recent years, Syria won't do a thing until AMERICA (forget the EU, what a joke) attacks and defeats her.
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