Concerning the filtered
information leaking out from the present peace negotiation bouts held in Washington, the
Party of the Guardians of the Cedars-National Lebanese Movement issued the following
communiqué:
For many years now, our ears have been pounded with the expression, "comprehensive
and just peace". This expression has so often been pronounced, uttered, and repeated
on every occasion, that it has become a "leitmotif" on the lips of every Arab
and Israeli negotiator at every peace process meeting.
The Syrians have vocalized this "theme" so often, that it seems they may
actually succeed in recovering the Golan Heights that they lost more than 30 years ago.
The Egyptians, Palestinians and Jordanians also used this very same tactic to their
success.
The Lebanese, on the other hand, feel that there has been a tendency to exclude them from
this "comprehensive and just" peace process. In other words, the projected peace
plan may not be so comprehensive as to offer the Lebanese their legitimate rights of
complete liberty, freedom and absolute sovereignty over their land.
Painfully, the present negotiations in Washington, designed to bring relief and serenity,
are to the Lebanese, a source of fear and torment because they feel they will result in
the withdrawal of Israeli troops from our South without a simultaneous withdrawal of
Syrian troops from the rest of our country. This will mean that Lebanon will be the only
country in the region that will not benefit from the peace process. It now appears, on the
contrary, that he will remain, in one way or another, under Syrian domination.
Even more painful is the delegation that the Lebanese government has appointed to
negotiate on the countrys behalf. Even the most naive person knows that this
delegation has been and will be subservient to the Syrian delegation and will defend
exclusively the Syrian interests - not the Lebanese!
Still more painful is Syria. With Syrias customary diabolical tactics, she has
succeeded up till now, in excluding Lebanon from the "comprehensive and just"
peace by obtaining two voices in the negotiations instead of one and the right to
represent Lebanon in his absence or presence. Even worse is the fact that Syria has
succeeded in having the sponsors of the Peace Process and the International community
acknowledge this iniquitous situation as normal and admissible!
Consequently, the Lebanese people look up to Washington as the one and only power capable
of checking Syria's arrogance and with the ability to save Lebanon from Syrias
treacherous grip. The Lebanese are justified in this request, since the concept of peace
is contrary to the concept of occupation. If their request is denied, the theme of a
comprehensive and just peace will become the Lebanese catchword and they will never
abstain from demanding its implementation to gain complete freedom and sovereignty in
their land.
At the Service of Lebanon,
The chief,
Etienne Sacre
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