Sinbad and The Lost Cure
By: Elias Bejjani
20 July 2002
Lebanon's Sinbad is very active these days. It's tourism time.
His private jet shuttles him continuously to numerous European,
Asian and Arabic countries. He meets and poses for pictures with
high ranking officials. Like a Saudi king he surrounds himself
with a team of specialists, bodyguards, and journalists. Always,
the required media coverage. Why not? Some speculate
he came to office with 3 billion dollars , his fortune is
estimated now at 15 billion !!!Does he have an actual agenda for
Lebanon? We have no clue.
After almost ten years in office Lebanon's non-crowned 'king' has
reneged on his promises. These promises are no more than pie-crust
promises: easily made, easily broken. The man appears to be
searching outside Lebanon for a magic cure. Should he not realize
by now that any cure for Lebanon's ailing economic, political and
security structure is no mystery? The cure is not magic. It is a
reality within our grasp. It beats within the very heart of
Lebanon: its people. Lebanese alone are all that is needed to
restore Lebanon.
While we welcome international support through unconditional
implementation of resolutions set in place by the United Nations;
Lebanon does not want, nor need, foreign interference. We are a
sovereign nation that does not deserve to be treated as a Syrian
satellite. Neither do we deserve a leader who must do the bidding
of a foreign occupation in order to maintaina modicum of
leadership.
Where else, but in Lebanon, must a leader journey to Damascus to
have his itinerary approved? Before leaving, he must go to
Damascus to have his every move choreographed by his masters.
Upon his return, he must go directly to Anjar, the Syrian Army
headquarters in Lebanon, to report everything. If he is a good
puppet, this 'leader' continueshis show for the Lebanese people
under a thin facade of legitimacy.
He concludes each trip with noisy and loud promises of a glorious
future; promising the Lebanese anything if they will just trust
him. This sickening charade reminds us of the behavior of a
trained seal, who hopes , if he barks and does his tricks just
right, to be rewarded with a dead fish. In a similar fashion,
Hariri's Syrian masters reward him well for his allegiance to
them. His
facade of leadership may continue. As long as he is a good puppet.
But if he is a bad puppet, and dares advocate Lebanon's needs,
the facade abruptly shatters. He will be replaced with anyone who
is willing to sell his own soul. How ironic and tragic! We must
be protected from those who promise to protect us!!!!
How can any leader do this to his people?Is he bereft of
conscience?
How can he cover up the roots of Lebanon's cancer with a Band-Aid
of empty promises for a better future?How can he turn deaf ears
upon the cries of a shackled nation? How long can he give a nod
and a wink to the illegal Syrian occupation? For what? A handout?
Self aggrandizement? How much does it cost one to sell his soul?
In exchange for his efforts to camouflage this cancer, while
simultaneously exacerbating the disease until it has completely
eradicated everything that is Lebanese.
Mr. Hariri has no desire to admit his culpability in the demise
of Lebanon. Placing personal gains over the welfare of the
country, he attempts to placate the Lebanese. It is well known
that no government can be successful in establishing a healthy
economy without a strong political foundation and free decision
making process.
Mr. Hariri's efforts, unfortunately will all be for naught if he
does not first attack the root of Lebanon's hardships: the Syrian
occupation. He can't walk the tightrope anymore. He can't imitate
Mr. Walid Beik, who specializes in this field. Mr. Hariri should
realize by now that charades simply won't suffice. Lebanon is not
a circus. The Lebanese are not naive. They no longer believe him.
The man should quit Lebanon, along with his fellow government
members. Let him step aside. It is time for a real Lebanese
government. One that exists to serve the people. Lebanon needs a
national-transitional government that represents all its people,
their hopes, wishes and aspirations. A government in which all 19
Lebanese communities and their political parties are well
represented. This government should exist to achieve three
objectives only.
Once these have been
accomplished, it should resign:
1- Implementation of the UN resolution #
520 through the UN, Arab League, European countries and the USA.
2- Formulation of an electoral law that
ensures a better representation of all the Lebanese without
persecution or alienation
for any community or political party.
3- Facilitation of new legislative and
municipal elections under the
supervision of international and Arabic neutral bodies and
organizations.
Simply put, the Syrian Army belongs in Syria. If the Syrian
regime actually plans to liberate and fight, let it do so in its
own country. Let it fight for the Golan Heights from its own
backyard.
Lebanon does not need Syria. It is more than capable with its 75
thousand troops to protect its own security inside the country as
well as its borders with Israel and with Syria.
Enough is enough! Twenty-seven years of Syrian occupation should
deter any mentally sound person, especially Lebanese, from
deluding himself that Syria's military presence in Lebanon is, or
was, for strategic reasons. Nobody in Lebanon is stupid enough to
believe Syria's desperate and fallacious claim that it exists to
defend Lebanon against Israeli attacks. Those few Lebanese who
still support Syria's occupation should wake up. Wake up before
it is too late. There have been no winners during the last 27
years of the Syrian occupation. Everyone has lost. All Lebanese
are big losers.
UN resolution 452 was implemented in May 2000. Israel since then
has been out of the internal Lebanese equation. This has
permanently terminated any precedent that one occupation exists
to keep Lebanon 'safe' from the other. The time has come for the
implementation of UN resolution 520, that demands that the Syrian
military and paramilitary leave Lebanon unconditionally.
Accordingly, Syria should refrain from interfering in Lebanon's
internal affairs.
The time is now. Time for the occupiers to quit Lebanon. Time for
the Lebanese to reclaim their stolen independence, sovereignty,
and freedoms. Time for the Lebanese people to regain control of
their own country and most of all, their destiny.
To our Sinbad we say, stop your journeys. Stop your search for a
cure outside Lebanon. The cure is in Lebanon itself. Open your
eyes wide, abandon your own personal interests and ambitions.
Look around. The cure, Mr. Hariri, lies in your country. Believe
in Lebanon. Believe in its people. The cure lies in liberation,
freedom, democracy, respect of human rights and full and
unconditional
implementation of UN resolution 520.
Wake up, Mr. Hariri. You need to focus on your own people. Heal
their pain. Stop contributing to it. Base your journeys on what
will benefit Lebanon, not upon what will benefit you or the
Syrian regime. Cease reporting your every breath to your pseudo-superiors
in Anjar. Take back your self-respect.
Stop bending on your knees, and selling out your country and your
conscience. Reject occupation and occupiers. If the occupiers
want to see you to discuss something that is actually beneficial
to Lebanon, invite them to Lebanon. This is a great start. Now
they must wait eagerly to see you. This quote may be beneficial
to recall from Mark, 8: 36. "For what shall it profit a man,
if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul?"
Long
Live Free Lebanon!
Long
Live Lebanon's Martyrs!
CFPA: Since this was written Mr. Hariri was assassinated by the Syrians in 2005 which eventually led to the Syrians pulling out of that country, so through his death Lebanon was liberated.
updated: 31 Dec 2005