The significance of this bill is in the fact that when confronted with a clear strategic choice – which it never had to confront before – Syria could not but reveal its true identity. And the United States, after decades of betting on the Syrian regime, could not but re-define its policy accordingly, realizing who its true friends and enemies were. We call on the Lebanese people to put aside the fact that the Syrian regime destroyed Lebanon with the implicit blessing of successive US governments, for history moves forward and not backward. The people and all patriot leaders of Lebanon should begin laying the ground for the post-Syrian, post-Taef era in Lebanon. The true unity of the Lebanese people will soon be put to the test.



Gone are the days of wheeling and dealing with the Syrian regime, which has proved itself over and over again to be of no strategic relevance to the US, an obstacle to the Middle East peace process, and nothing but a sponsor of terrorism.

A terrorism that has inflicted enormous harm on Lebanon for the past thirty years in the forms of massacres, shelling of civilian neighborhoods, assassinations of both domestic and foreign figures, car bombings, kidnappings and a complete hegemony over every aspect of life in it. A terrorism that has affected the region and the world by providing logistical, financial and military support to all sorts of terrorist organizations operating in the Middle East and the world. A terrorism that has lately promoted and facilitated the crossing of mercenaries across the Syrian border into Iraq for the specific purpose of attacking and killing American soldiers and planting car bombs against Iraqi civilians as well as against humanitarian and UN agencies.



Again and again history demonstrates that, in spite of temporary setbacks, principle ultimately prevails over short-term interests, and in this Lebanon has taught the United States a costly lesson – in the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese lives, and in the thousands of American lives. The principled leadership of Prime Minister Michel Aoun, who continues to be vindicated by unfolding events, is in fact itself a stern lesson to all politicians, both Lebanese and American, that there is a true difference between a statesman and a politician.



Finally, the Lebanese-American community should also draw its own lessons from the bill, namely that making the end of the Syrian occupation a central tenet of US foreign policy in Lebanon required an unshakable faith in the cause and, more importantly, the concerted and dedicated effort of everyone. Looking beyond the bill, the Lebanese-American community will also be put to the test as it will have to prevent the past 30 years in Lebanon from ever happening again.



Long Live Free Lebanon

13 Nov 03
NEAL Press Release