25 Comments. Add your own...

• 1. Jester | October 8th, 2007 at 12:16 am

  Well said!!
  Great article… I enjoyed the read

• 2. mikel | October 8th, 2007 at 3:18 am

  Great article.

  However, I believe that Hezbollah isn’t just acting the way it is acting because of syria.
  I think it’s a religious issue now, their loyalty isn’t to syria politically, but to iran religiously.

• 3. Hanoun | October 8th, 2007 at 4:23 am

  Your right N, they are trying to divide us and Aoun is helping them achieve their goal, like honestly what are the Aounist expecting out of this? if there is no March 14 movement lebanon will be back in Syria’s hands, would they be happy then? did they forget when they used to demonstrate against Syria? Aoun did a good job brainwashing them

• 4. fad14 | October 8th, 2007 at 7:24 am

  Sunnies didnt side with the Palestinians but some of their leaders did and the rest were silent or neutral about it.

  The problem is that sunnies as a population were not involved into political or military life which remains evident to those days.

  The majority of them believe in Lebanon but never before Hariri did anyone try to reach to the other side and stick to it.

  Future movement will lose most of its supporters if they break up from Jumblatt and LF and sing the HA and Amal Song again.

• 5. THERESINIA | October 8th, 2007 at 12:32 pm

  When he was in France, AOUN was demanding and insisting to disarm the Hezbollah. His position was a matter of PRINCIPLE. You cannot change your PRINCIPLES for gaining materialistic opportunities (i.e: the presidency), because you betray your own values and you deceive those who trusted you.

• 6. THERESINIA | October 8th, 2007 at 12:42 pm

  I strongly believe that if AOUN sided with the 14th March group, the Hezbollah would have been isolated and would not have been able to act the way they are doing since one year… and AOUN would have played a UNIFICATION role for the good of the country.

  Instead, AOUN did a strategic mistake which is provoking very substantial and real damages to LEBANON.

• 7. Rodge | October 8th, 2007 at 1:20 pm

  Theresinia,

  Your testimony should be heard loud, because it is a statement of someone who really followed Aoun for his principles not for his person, someone who did not follow him blindly like many these days. And it is the cae of milions, among them in my own surrounding, my wife, her 2 brothers, and my own brother, who are saying the same things now, and can’t stand him anymore.

  You’re right Theresinia when you said if Aoun sided with the 14th of March group, HA would have been isolated, and i add, that even if he took a position between both groups, and behaved straight, i think he would have gained a lot.

  What is happening now proves that Aoun is not only bad, but he’s the worsiest politician Lebanon has ever seen, because he’s the first responsible for losing an historical opportunity for the Lebanese to forget and open a new and bright page of their lives.

• 8. THERESINIA | October 8th, 2007 at 3:00 pm

  RODGE,

  When I believe in someone, I have to believe in his PRINCIPLES and VALUES. During 18 years AOUN claimed the same VALUES, and I TRUSTED him for this reason.

  NOW, he changed. The reason he changed is :When he came back to Lebanon, everyone was calling him Mr PRESIDENT. He thought that the Hezbollah would help him to become president. He did an IMMENSE MISTAKE. He became obliged to become more friendly towards Syria and Iran and forgot ALL about his past PRINCIPLES and VALUES (please see his many, MANY, past declarations against Syria, against the weapons of Hezbollah, against Lahoud, against El MURR, etc.). A man who can change in this way CANNOT be TRUSTED.

  I am very deceived by HIM because he CHEATED ME and I am very angry with myself that I loved him during many years.

• 9. Rodge | October 8th, 2007 at 4:14 pm

  Theresinia,

  You’re so right, and i respect you for that.

  What i want to say for everybody here, is that everyone is free to follow whoever he thinks can achieve his assumptions and can present him the best, but as long as this leader is really abiding by his words. The problem with Aoun, is that he changed and his actions are not applying his words.
  Anyway, for all of you, please when you come here to talk and discuss, at least use logic in your writings without being blindly reacting to some postings.

  As for Theresinia, welcome to the land of truth.

• 10. THERESINIA | October 8th, 2007 at 5:00 pm

  I also appreciate you logic and correct reasoning. To me things are quite simple : I am against Syria and I can never and will never forget how they destroyed my country. Consequently, I have to move away from AOUN who has become pro-Syria.

• 11. THERESINIA | October 8th, 2007 at 5:28 pm

  I discuss every day with AOUNISTS who say: “AOUN has not become pro-SYRIA”. I then ask: “when Syria is fighting against the INTERNATIONAL COURT; how come AOUN has ALSO become against the COURT (he never dares to make a CLEAR STATEMENT: “I am FOR THE COURT”?).

  When Syria says: “I don’t accept U.N soldiers along the Syrian border”, how come AOUN also says the SAME thing?

  When Syria criticizes America, France, and Europe in general (as well as most of the arab countries: Egypt, S.A.; etc.); how come AOUN takes the SAME STAND?

  When everyone is accusing Syria for organizing the killings, AOUN is there to defend Syria.

  And YOU tell me he is NOT pro-SYRIA?

  The AOUNISTS say: “This is ONLY tactics. When he becomes president, he will behave again like in the PAST”.

  I say: “I am sorry, but I truly believe that HE HAS SOLD HIS SOUL”.

• 12. Amir in Tel Aviv | October 8th, 2007 at 11:46 pm

  As an Israeli, I have no doubt. I of course support M14. I cannot support Aoun + HA who wants to destroy me.
  But if I were a Lebanese Christian (emphasis on Christian), I would probably be Aounist and not M14. I think Aoun’s basic thought is correct; once Syria is out, it shouldn’t be considered as an enemy. It’s too dangerous for Lebanon to have Syria as an enemy. It’s better to have her as an ally. It comes with a price, but I think it is worth it.
  The bonding of Christian-Sunni-Druze is less natural than the Shi’i-Christian (from the point of a Lebanese view).
  And I don’t consider Aoun as an opportunistic. His interpretation of Lebanon’s wellbeing is different.
  I think he considers Leb Sunnis (and Sunnis in general) as the real danger to Leb Christians. I share this view with him.
  .

• 13. Amir in Tel Aviv | October 9th, 2007 at 12:00 am

  N,
  you showed an interest in the Hermes 450 unmanned aircraft.
  See it flies with IAF:

  http://news.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=516004&sid=126

• 14. mikel | October 9th, 2007 at 1:37 am

  Amir

  It’s the shi’a, mainly HA, who are openly talking about creating an islamic state in Lebanon, and they’re the ones with the weapons.

  If aoun was with M14, HA would have no christian allie, meaning that it would be islolated and powerless. Also if he was on our side, M14 chritians would be too powerful, therefore preventing sunnies from taking over.

• 15. Amir in Tel Aviv | October 9th, 2007 at 4:53 am

  Mikel,

  “..It’s the shi’a, mainly HA, who are openly talking about creating an Islamic state in Lebanon”.

  I understand that. The problem is that it is inevitable. I don’t think someone or something can prevent it from happening anyway. Now the question is, how do you deal with it?
  Fight it? that’s one possibility; try to minimize the impact, and try to reach some sort of agreements and understandings, that’s another possibility. I think Aoun sees it this way, and is trying to minimize the damages to the Christian community.
  Of course, you can not agree with him.
  .

• 16. Tareq | October 9th, 2007 at 7:14 am

  Amir, there is a problem with the logic you are presenting. Your assumption is that Sunnis are the biggest threat in the region, so you want us to fight them by aligning with Shia like Aoun is doing…But the reality in Lebanon is that Shia are armed and trying to establish an Islamic state, and you want us not to fight them because it’s not realistic.

  It is like asking to deal with two equally bad situations in two opposite ways…Aoun is a hypocrite because he says not to fight the Shia since we are all Lebanese, and then he wants to fight the Sunnis as if they are not Lebanese.

  The best solution for Christians is not to play games and side with Shia or with Sunnis, the best for Christians is to stay on the side of Independence and Freedom and Moderation and bring the others to our side…already many Sunnis are convinced and they came to our side.

• 17. Amir in Tel Aviv | October 9th, 2007 at 9:45 am

  Tareq,

  “…the best for Christians is to stay on the side of Independence and Freedom and Moderation and bring the others to our side”.

  Amen to that. This is my first choice too. If you believe it’s possible, go for it.
  .

• 18. THERESINIA | October 9th, 2007 at 1:00 pm

  AMIR,
  The possible alternatives are:
  1) whether all the communities will live together in lebanon (in acceptance of each other),
  or, 2) one community will take over (i.e; islamic republic);
  or, 3) a division between the communities (which will continue under the form of wars, because no one community will accept, and no one community can be entirely absorbed by another community - in ex. Joumblat is also unlikely to accept an Islamic Republic).
  It is easy - for a NORMAL person - to see that the best - and most likely - solution is N°1.
  It is the role of the christians to persuade others - ALL others - that this is in the best ECONOMICAL interest of everyone.

  AOUN would have been much more successful if he would have played this ROLE as he did in the past. Instead he has created MORE DIVISIONS and particularly MORE HATRED than ever before.
  He made a huge mistake and he failed in his strategic alliance with the Hezbollah because it is an ARTIFICIAL ONE.

• 19. Tareq | October 9th, 2007 at 4:36 pm

  Amir, just to clarify I am not 100% sure the Christians will be able to save Lebanon from extremism and from regional influence…but this is what we have tried to do for 50 years and it has cost us a lot of sacrifice…I don’t think we have another choice unfortunately unless there is Federalism in the whole ME then Lebanon will get a new system…

• 20. Amir in Tel Aviv | October 9th, 2007 at 5:31 pm

  THERESINIA,
  I don’t think that the alliance Sunni-Christian-Druze is less “artificial”. Those 3 fought each other alternately, for bloody 15 years.

  Basically I think it is a problem of pride. Some Christians find it hard to accept those rural peasants coming to town, and want to be heard. That’s why they oppose so emotional to Aoun allying his party with the Shia.
  Sometimes there comes a time in which you have to swallow your pride, and acknowledge that this pride could lead you to hell.
  I think that Aoun looks at the current situation, wearing the general’s uniform. The general understand that he’s a general with no soldiers.
  Imagen yourself that tomorrow morning, a civil war breaks out. What are the chances for the Leb Christians to survive it, and/or gain points for the post war treaties?
  So Aoun tries desperately to avoid this kind of war or, if it breaks anyway, to ally himself with the power he considers stronger, and more reliable.
  He does that thinking on the survivability of the Christian community of Lebanon.
  Face it, the Christians are insignificant divided minority, weak, with no military experience, with no weapons. It’s not 1975.!
  Who will come to the Christians aid? America? Europe? UN? Israel?
  The Christians of M14 gamble on the survivability of their community, while Aoun is being much more careful and calculated.
  .

• 21. THERESINIA | October 9th, 2007 at 10:44 pm

  AMIR,

  WOW!!! You are saying that AOUN has adopted a DHIMMI attitude to seek protection for the christians near the SHIA !!! Oh! my God…

  So you think that it is for this STRATEGIC reason that AOUN also became pro-Syria? That it is for the sake of protecting the christians that he accepts to say that Syria is not necessarily behind all the killings in Lebanon? That Michel El MURR has become a “good man” (Aoun used to say on MURR: “he is the most corrupted man on earth, he must die in prison, not in his bed”.
  That we must not put U.N. soldiers along the Syrian border? That we don’t need an International Tribunal? That America is and has always been a traitor country, etc…
  ALL this to please the SHIA !!! in order that, we (Christians) can live under their protection.

  You see my dear friend, my Dad used to teach me : “Live FREE or DIE”. I believe in such values as FREEDOM, RESPECT, DIALOGUE, JUSTICE, and EDUCATION. If Lebanon, by mistake, becomes one day an islamic republic, it will become HELL and so let AOUN stay by himself under the protection of his PROTECTORS.

  NO, my AMIR. AOUN has not done that by strategy as you may project for him. He has done it for his SOLE PERSONAL INTEREST. As any politician would do for gaining a presidential seat. However, he burned his soul and cheated his own PRINCIPLES and VALUES. Politicians do lie to others, but should not lie to themselves, otherwise they FOOL themselves and become disturbed and perhaps mentally ill.

  As for AOUN popularity, can you explain the popularity of HITLER (the mad man) who had almost all the german people to follow him, including some of the most brilliant scientists !!!! I sincerely pray that we never ever see such a thing again !!!

  Hitler used FEAR. The Fear factor my brother. The same FEAR you are mentionning of being militarily defeated by the Hezbollah. You see, my Dear AMIR, I am not afraid of that, and will not be afraid NOT NOW and NOT in the FUTURE. As a woman this is what I teach my children.

  I teach them what my father taught me, and what my father’s father taught him.

• 22. Amir in Tel Aviv | October 10th, 2007 at 1:11 pm

  THERESINIA,

  I absolutely respect your stance on the issue.
  You realize that this attitude could lead you to war, and you are prepared to take that risk.
  .

• 23. THERESINIA | October 10th, 2007 at 3:11 pm

  AMIR,
  Are you telling me that if Christians want to avoid war, they need to be protected by the Shia? and become Dhimmi in their own country?

• 24. Amir in Tel Aviv | October 11th, 2007 at 1:36 am

  THERESINIA,
  No. I’m not an anti war peace-nik.
  I’m just worried you’re not prepared to war. You might end up like Fatah in Gazza. So, or you go to a war you think you can win, or you try to avoid war.
  .

• 25. THERESINIA | October 11th, 2007 at 8:12 pm

  AMIR,

  Has intelligence a role in Lebanon? Or is everything about weapons and muscles ?

  I believe that the power of a human being resides in his education and mental abilities. This is the kind of weapons I am ready to use in this BATTLEFIELD.

  I realize there is a huge gap, a RAVINE, that cannot be filled nor crossed, but I challenge everyone to put aside his brutality and sit for discussion.

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