Michel Aoun, Welcome back to Lebanon, to reclaim your destiny

In 1990, you were hounded out by the Syrian Military. Today the Syrian Military has been hounded out by the people of Lebanon, except by the Syrian client organization Hezbollah. In 1988, you palace was shattered by Syrian Air Attacks, today it is Syrian prestige that lies shattered as it beat an ignominious retreat from Syria.

You are one of those few fearless leaders of Lebanon, who can stand up to Syria. Your return to Lebanon, has been marked by the enemies of freedom and democracy by attacking Christian neighborhoods. Mr. Aoun you have a destiny to fulfill. To return Lebanon to its former glory when the French left. To reclaim the Christian heritage that has been swamped by the Muslim breeding that has reduced the last and only Christian majority nation in the Middle East into a Muslim majority one.

The Hezbollah is an enemy of freedom and democracy. They will scuttle the election, once they get a whiff that they will lose. They will try to disrupt the electoral process. They may try to assassinate you. So be careful. Make moves to strengthen your position by reaching out to those who are the true friends of the Maronite Christian Community - Israel. But be discreet. Remember what happened to Bashir Gemayel, to Kamal Jumblaat and to Rafik Hariri. Revive the Phalage and make it a strength to reckon with in the Lebanese army, so that our army can be an effective counter to the armed wing of the Hezbollah.

We look forward to you Sire with hope and optimism. We want you to take on the mantle from which you were robbed by the Syrian aggression of 1990. You are still the legitimate Prime Minister of Lebanon. You should hold that office once more. the upcoming elections are your gateway for reclaiming what is rightfully yours. All the freedom loving people of Lebanon are with you.

The Saga of Michel Aoun's struggle against Syrian occupation of Lebanon

Christian Lebanese military leader Michel Aoun (born 1935) served as interim prime minister of Lebanon for two years before being driven out of power by Syrian forces in October 1990.

Michel Aoun was born in 1935 in Harat Hurayk in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. He obtained his bachelor's degree from the Freres school in Jumayza in Beirut. In 1955 he entered the Military Academy in Beirut and graduated in 1959. He specialized in artillery in his military career. He studied at Challonssur-Marne in France and at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. From 1978 to 1980 he had training at the prestigious Ecole de Guerre in Paris.

In 1982 he became commander of the newly established 8th Brigade of the Lebanese Army and in August 1983 he was in charge of the Suk al-Gharb region, which witnessed fierce battles in defense of the Lebanese legitimate authorities against the incursions of Syrian-armed proxy militias. On June 23, 1984, Aoun, who became a brigadier general, was appointed commander. He served as Prime Minister from 1988 up to 1990.

In the fall of 1988, Syrian military forces, which occupied large swathes of territory in eastern and northern Lebanon, and the Lebanese Forces (LF) militia, which controlled East Beirut and the Maronite Christian heartland north of the capital, instigated a political impasse by preventing members of the Lebanese parliament from electing a new president. Fifteen minutes before his term expired, the then - President Amin Gemayel appointed an interim military cabinet headed by Gen. Michel Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese Army, to rule the country until elections could be held. Damascus and its militia allies rejected Aoun's government, however, and established a rival regime in Syrian-controlled West Beirut.

Despite the constitutional legality of Aoun's government, the incoming George Bush (Sr.) administration in 1988, decided to follow the lead of most other countries and declined to recognize either regime. During Aoun's unsuccessful attempt to forcibly expel Syrian forces in the spring and summer of 1989, American diplomats openly sought to discredit him. Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger even told a congressional hearing that the Lebanese crisis might worsen if Syrian troops withdrew. In an effort to resolve the crisis on terms acceptable to Syria, the Bush administration promoted a mediation effort by the Arab League.

Under American and Arab League auspices, the sixty-two surviving members of the Lebanese parliament met in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia, and began discussing the draft of a National Reconciliation Charter proposed by the Arab League. Although the talks were being held in a "neutral" site in order to reduce external pressures on the parliament members, an atmosphere of Syrian intimidation still prevailed. Most of the Muslim deputies at the talks lived in areas of Lebanon under the direct control of Syrian forces and were understandably intimidated by the assassination of Sunni MP Nazim Qadri after he criticized the Syrians just days before the conference convened. During the proceedings, Sunni MP Abdel Majid al-Rafei told reporters that Syrian forces had "massacred and destroyed cities." Within 24 hours, Syrian forces arrested around 200 of his followers in the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli.

Convinced that these were the most advantageous terms possible, and relying upon the assurances of American officials that Syria would abide by the "spirit" of the accord and withdraw once the Lebanese army was capable of restoring government authority, the Lebanese delegates reluctantly signed what became known as the Ta'if Accord. Afterwards, White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater hailed the agreement as "the first step toward restoration of a sovereign, unified, and independent Lebanon, free of all foreign forces."

In November 1989, Lebanese parliament members met under the "protection" of Syrian forces in north Lebanon and obediently elected Rene Mouawad as President of Lebanon. After Mouawad's assassination weeks later, Elias Hrawi was elected to succeed him. Aoun's refusal to step down drew hundreds of thousands of supporters into the streets. Subsequent fighting between the pro Syrian LF Militia and Lebanese army troops severely weakened Aoun's capacity to resist a Syrian invasion. After Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, Syria agreed to participate in the US-led coalition against Baghdad in return for an American green light to complete its conquest of Lebanon.5 On the morning of October 13, 1990, Syria launched an all-out air and ground attack on East Beirut and the surrounding areas controlled by Aoun's government. By nightfall, Lebanese army forces had surrendered, the capital was in Syrian hands, and Aoun was forced to accept political asylum at the French embassy.

His return now puts an end to the sordid chapter of Syrian aggression of Lebanon. Democracy now needs to be restored, and free and fair election need to be held, but not before the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have infiltrated Lebanon in the guise of Hezbollah. The majority of Hezbollah are Syrian Allawaites (Shiites) in disguise. They and their families and hangers on need to be deported from Lebanon. It is they who have altered the Christian majority character of Lebanon. The same tactic which the Palestinians are trying to use against Israel by asking for the “right of return” and swamp the Jewish state with Muslim immigrants. Same as is happening in Europe to make it into a Eurabia a process that will be accelerated, if Europe foolishly accepts Turkey into the EU.

But in Lebanon, this tactic of swamping a country with Muslim immigrant squatters has been successful and Lebanon has lost its Christian majority character, which it had for centuries till the French departed.

In short, the current occupant of the American White House has to realize the injustice done to Lebanon, since only he has the power to dramatically reshape international consensus on Lebanon and faces few domestic political impediments to doing so. The fate of Lebanon rests squarely on the shoulders of George W. Bush.

Story Credits: Middle Intelligence Bulletin and the Waronjihad.org Team