Guardians of the Cedars - National Lebanese Movement
Central Directorate.
The Central Directorate of the Party of the Guardians of the Cedars - National Lebanese
Movement, held this week a second session to discuss the situation in Lebanon, in
particular the presence of the Syrian Occupation army and issued the following
communiqué:
The Syrian entry to Lebanon was never made by request of the Lebanese,
on the contrary, there was a brazen Syrian interference before and during the war in
Lebanon's internal affairs, as is clearly witnessed by President Assad's famous speech of
July, 1976, when he said: "We entered Lebanon without anyone's
permission."
- The "strategic relationship" between Lebanon and Syria meant that the latter
would watch unconcerned while Israeli planes bomb the South, Beirut and the Beqaa. And the
distinguished relations mean Syrian non-intervention when there is an aggression against
Lebanon.
- The declarations by Syrian officials claiming that Syria stopped the bloodshed in
Lebanon and protected his people are at once mendacious and deceitful because the Syrians
massacred people, destroyed, burnt, and devastated the land. They dressed mothers in black
from the Chouf to Beirut, the North, Tripoli- as witnessed by the "Achrafieh's 100
days' war, the Tripoli war etc.
- The distinguished relations between Lebanon and Syria resulted in the assassination by
the Syrians of our intelligentsia and politicians, e.g. Kamal Joumblatt, Soubhi Es-Saleh,
Rene Mouawad, Bashir Gemayel, Salim Laouzi and a multitude of others.
- Let us repeat that Israel, considered an occupying enemy, withdrew under international
pressure in accordance to UN Security Council decision 425, why doesn't Syria implement UN
Security Council decision 520 and withdraw all its military and non-military forces from
Lebanon and so allow him to live in peace and prosperity. As for the claim that Syrian
withdrawal will bring chaos and a return to war is no more than a false allegation. We
therefore request Syria's immediate withdrawal and leave us Lebanese alone.
- We support without reserve the Maronite Bishops' declaration and Patriarch's recent
statement in which he said that the Syrians hold sway over everything and that they
entered Lebanon without permission, thereby confirming our assertions of the Guardians of
the Cedars of their invasion from the first moment and our refusal of this occupation
force. The withdrawal of Party Chief to the Aqoura high lands at that time was a blatant
rejection of the Syrian invasion of Lebanon.
The Central Directorate of the Party of the Guardians of the Cedars- National Lebanese
Movement looks at the future with a new hope since the majority of the Spiritual and
temporal leaders at present demand what we were demanding since the beginning of the war.
Had they sided with us then, we would have spared our country untold destruction,
devastation and tears; but no matter and as the French say: Better late than never!
A day will come when every oppressor and occupier will pay for his misdeeds. That day
is not far off!
At the Service of Lebanon, The Chief, Etienne Sakr.
Sweden, the 8th of October, 2000