PR-020418
Washington, D.C., 18 April 2002
House Resolution for Ending the Syrian Occupation of Lebanon

With the renewal of President Bush's commitment to the war on terrorism, the Council of the Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council (LCCC) expresses its full support for the USA House Resolution introduced today (18.4.02) by Representatives Dick Armey and Eliot Engel to the 2nd session of the 107th Congress of the United States.

The Resolution – entitled “The Syria Accountability Act of 2002” – introduces a bill "To halt Syrian support of terrorism, end its occupation of Lebanon, stop its development of weapons of mass destruction, cease its illegal importation of Iraqi oil, and … hold Syria accountable for its contributions to the problems of the Middle East". At this time of great tension in the Middle East, the bill goes a long way in supporting President Bush's vision for eradicating terrorism, denying assistance to states that sponsor or harbor terrorist groups, and providing support to those countries that are victims of terrorism.

The LCCC joins the CLAO in extending its gratitude to all members of USA Congress who worked very hard at drafting and supporting this resolution, in particular House Majority leader Rep. Dick Armey (R; TX), Rep. Eliot Engel (D; NY), and members of the House Committee on International Relations, for their courageous leadership in sponsoring the bill. 

The LCCC calls upon all Lebanon's, all Lebanese in Diaspora, The Canadian Lebanese Community, the Lebanese-American community, all Americans and Canadians who long for peace in the Middle East to support the resolution as it goes to a vote on the House and Senate floors.

In its commitment to the restoration of Lebanon's sovereignty and its freedom from occupation, and its determination to serve the interests of Canada, USA and Lebanon, the LCCC  asks for your support to make this resolution a reality. As such, this resolution lifts the shroud of misinformation under which Lebanon has been buried for years. 

The Syrian occupation of Lebanon is now exposed for what it really is, a sad chapter in the annals of state-sponsored terrorism in which a sovereign country, Lebanon, has been subjected for decades to the totalitarian Syrian regime, which exploited it at every opportunity to derail the US-sponsored peace process. 

The LCCC hails the on going patriotic efforts of all those who are advocating Lebanon's cause in the USA, especially the CLAO (Council of the Lebanese American Organizations).

LCCC Chairman
Elias Bejjani
18.4.02