MemorandumTo United Nations Secretary GeneralArab League Summit To Be Held In Beirut, March 27-28, 2002
The Human Right Abuse In Lebanon And Syrian Occupation 

By: Diaspora and Expatriates Lebanese Groups

March 22, þ2002
His Excellency Dr. Kofi Annan
Secretary-General of the United Nations
United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017

Dear Mr. Secretary General:
On behalf of the undersigned Lebanese organizations and political parties, we would like to draw your attention to important issues as you are planning to attend the Arab League Summit to be held in Beirut on March 27-28, 2002. In a letter we are addressing to the Arab summit (attached), we are calling on the Arab League to raise the issue of continuous military occupation by Syria of Lebanon's territories. As explained by the memorandum remitted to the Representative of the Arab League at the United Nations we are underlining the following points:

1) In 1989, a series of initiatives launched by the Arab League led to a cease-fire between the Syrian occupation Army on the one hand and the forces of the Lebanese Army and the then "Lebanese Forces" units. The cease-fire led to a series of negotiations which ended with the Taif agreement, sponsored by the Arab League. The latter clearly called on the Syrian forces to withdraw from Lebanon, at a maximum date of September 1992.

2) Not only the Syrian forces did not comply with UN resolution 520 of 1982 calling for the withdrawal of all foreign forces, but also Syria ignored the Arab League sponsored agreements. Moreover, those forces have been acting as occupation forces, and intervening massively in the Lebanese internal matters.

3) The Syrian forces also have been perpetrating human rights abuses as documented by UN and other international bodies.

In our memorandum to the Arab summit, and as Representatives of large segments of the civil society of Lebanon, we have asked the Arab League to call for a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon, in conformity with international law, with UN resolutions and with Arab League sponsored agreements.

As you are going to attend this important conference, crucial for Peace in the entire region, we call on you to reiterate our demand and convey it to the summit on behalf of the Lebanese Opposition both inside the country and in exile.

As we urge you to raise this important issue in Beirut, we call on you to meet with the Representatives of the civil society in Lebanon. As Secretary-General of the UN, it is under your full competence to meet with Representatives of endangered populations. We can make all appropriate arrangements with your office to make that meeting happen.
In the same way UN Secretaries Generals have met with East Timorese, Palestinian,
North Irish, Kosovo Albanian, South African, Representatives of civil societies in attempts to solve serious crisis, we call on you to meet with the Representatives of Lebanon's civil society as well.

Sincerely yours,
Mr. Sami Khoury, President of World Maronite Union
Dr. Joseph Gebeily, Charman of Lebanese Forces Party Political Council
Mr. Tom Harb, Chairman of American Maronite Union
Mr. Joseph Hage, Chairman of American/ Lebanese Kataeb organization
Mr. Milad Zohrob, Chairman American/ Lebanese Ahrar Organization
Dr.Walid Phares, Professor of Political Science