Reconciliation, Dialogue Not Choice but National Duty
Source: Al-Manar TV, 21-10-2008
While no breakthrough seems to have been reached in the last few days paving the way for the much awaited Christian reconciliation to take place or for the expected summit between Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Future Movement MP Saad Hariri to happen, the picture was still optimistic despite some returning "verbal clashes" that could not cover the serious need to proceed the reconciliation and calming path.
"Reconciliation and dialogue are not just an option. They are rather a national duty," Lebanese President Michel Suleiman told representatives of the Lebanese community in Montreal, Canada in another meaningful warning to the Lebanese to enjoy more security.
But Former Prime Minister Omar Karami said that Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's
apology for the assassination of Karami's brother Former PM Rashid Karami would not bring him back. "We did not ask for an apology from Geagea, but we raised the slogan: we will not forgive and we will not forget," he said, "Personally, the apology will not bring Rashid Karami back. He was a PM when he was assassinated and he was working day and night from his position to stop the implementation of the conspiracy of dividing Lebanon."
Karami said that Geagea's apology meant nothing, personally or politically, "for us Geagea remains a murdered and a criminal."
Meanwhile, Suleiman's return to Beirut is expected to result in a renewed political dynamic on the level of the Christian reconciliation between Marada Movement and Lebanese Forces, albeit in light of circumstances and facts alluding that this reconciliation may be difficult to achieve.
In this context, the Marada is still hesitating to hold a meeting with the Lebanese Forces Chief, Samir Geagea, in view of the fact that the latter's real intentions are still doubted. "We are not ready to provide the LF with political favors at the expense of our dignity," a Marada official was quoted as saying.
The head of the Marada movement former minister Suleiman Franjieh said that for any reconciliation to occur, preparations were required. "We insist that reconciliation takes place according to our conditions, or else we are not in a rush at all to offer a gift to Geagea or to give him an innocence certificate, because whoever needs an innocence certificate should offer concessions to get it," he said.
Another Marada official called on the Lebanese Forces to issue an official declaration on the Christian reconciliation to clarify the so-called "apology" of its chief Geagea.
"We didn't forget yet Geagea's so-called apology speech, the speech that included an apology sentence followed by 200 lines of assaults," Marada spokesman Suleiman Franjeih told Al-Manar Channel on Monday. He noted that Geagea was suffering from a psychological and personal conflict.
"First, he refused that the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun attends the meeting, then he accepted. In another stage, he proposed that former President Amin Gemayel attends then refused. He also refused that the reconciliation meeting takes place at the Baabda Presidential Palace then he welcomed such strategy," Franjieh explained.
"That's why we insist on the necessity of receiving an official stance from the part of the Lebanese Forces leadership regarding the issue and the apology concept," he said. "Is it a sincere apology or just another maneuver?" Franjieh wondered, stressing that the Marada movement wouldn't take any move before this official declaration is issued.
At the meantime, and while Lebanese were still looking forward to new developments in the reconciliations between Hizbullah and Future movement on one hand and Progressive Socialist Party on the other, Hizbullah International Relations official Nawwaf al-Moussawi affirmed that the meetings will be held for sure but they were postponed for security reasons.
Speaking to Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, Moussawi said that Hizbullah has had two tasks to achieve; the first one was strengthening the Resistance's position and the second was to support its alliances to guarantee victory during the parliamentary elections in 2009.
GENUINE CHANCE TO REACH CONSENSUS OVER DEFENSE STRATEGY
Meanwhile, and a few days ahead of the launch of the second round of Lebanese national talks, the possibility of dialogue extension was raised once again.
Lebanese daily As-Safir said in this context that the president and the parliament speaker have recently evoked the possibility of extending the dialogue upon the opposition's demand, particularly Hizbullah and General Aoun.
According to the daily, the opinions of some pro-government leaders regarding the extension of dialogue were polled by evoking the possibility of inviting minister Talal Arslan and former minister Suleiman Franjieh, while the pro-government party would choose two figures among its ranks. However, the pro-government party has yet to come up with answers in this respect.
Speaker Berri's visitors quoted him as being optimistic with regard to resolving the participation issue, and as stressing that the defense strategy will not be open to discussion until further notice; rather, there is a genuine chance to reach a consensus according to the Lebanese Speaker.
While no breakthrough seems to have been reached in the last few days paving the way for the much awaited Christian reconciliation to take place or for the expected summit between Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Future Movement MP Saad Hariri to happen, the picture was still optimistic despite some returning "verbal clashes" that could not cover the serious need to proceed the reconciliation and calming path.
"Reconciliation and dialogue are not just an option. They are rather a national duty," Lebanese President Michel Suleiman told representatives of the Lebanese community in Montreal, Canada in another meaningful warning to the Lebanese to enjoy more security.
But Former Prime Minister Omar Karami said that Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's
apology for the assassination of Karami's brother Former PM Rashid Karami would not bring him back. "We did not ask for an apology from Geagea, but we raised the slogan: we will not forgive and we will not forget," he said, "Personally, the apology will not bring Rashid Karami back. He was a PM when he was assassinated and he was working day and night from his position to stop the implementation of the conspiracy of dividing Lebanon."
Karami said that Geagea's apology meant nothing, personally or politically, "for us Geagea remains a murdered and a criminal."
Meanwhile, Suleiman's return to Beirut is expected to result in a renewed political dynamic on the level of the Christian reconciliation between Marada Movement and Lebanese Forces, albeit in light of circumstances and facts alluding that this reconciliation may be difficult to achieve.
In this context, the Marada is still hesitating to hold a meeting with the Lebanese Forces Chief, Samir Geagea, in view of the fact that the latter's real intentions are still doubted. "We are not ready to provide the LF with political favors at the expense of our dignity," a Marada official was quoted as saying.
The head of the Marada movement former minister Suleiman Franjieh said that for any reconciliation to occur, preparations were required. "We insist that reconciliation takes place according to our conditions, or else we are not in a rush at all to offer a gift to Geagea or to give him an innocence certificate, because whoever needs an innocence certificate should offer concessions to get it," he said.
Another Marada official called on the Lebanese Forces to issue an official declaration on the Christian reconciliation to clarify the so-called "apology" of its chief Geagea.
"We didn't forget yet Geagea's so-called apology speech, the speech that included an apology sentence followed by 200 lines of assaults," Marada spokesman Suleiman Franjeih told Al-Manar Channel on Monday. He noted that Geagea was suffering from a psychological and personal conflict.
"First, he refused that the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun attends the meeting, then he accepted. In another stage, he proposed that former President Amin Gemayel attends then refused. He also refused that the reconciliation meeting takes place at the Baabda Presidential Palace then he welcomed such strategy," Franjieh explained.
"That's why we insist on the necessity of receiving an official stance from the part of the Lebanese Forces leadership regarding the issue and the apology concept," he said. "Is it a sincere apology or just another maneuver?" Franjieh wondered, stressing that the Marada movement wouldn't take any move before this official declaration is issued.
At the meantime, and while Lebanese were still looking forward to new developments in the reconciliations between Hizbullah and Future movement on one hand and Progressive Socialist Party on the other, Hizbullah International Relations official Nawwaf al-Moussawi affirmed that the meetings will be held for sure but they were postponed for security reasons.
Speaking to Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, Moussawi said that Hizbullah has had two tasks to achieve; the first one was strengthening the Resistance's position and the second was to support its alliances to guarantee victory during the parliamentary elections in 2009.
GENUINE CHANCE TO REACH CONSENSUS OVER DEFENSE STRATEGY
Meanwhile, and a few days ahead of the launch of the second round of Lebanese national talks, the possibility of dialogue extension was raised once again.
Lebanese daily As-Safir said in this context that the president and the parliament speaker have recently evoked the possibility of extending the dialogue upon the opposition's demand, particularly Hizbullah and General Aoun.
According to the daily, the opinions of some pro-government leaders regarding the extension of dialogue were polled by evoking the possibility of inviting minister Talal Arslan and former minister Suleiman Franjieh, while the pro-government party would choose two figures among its ranks. However, the pro-government party has yet to come up with answers in this respect.
Speaker Berri's visitors quoted him as being optimistic with regard to resolving the participation issue, and as stressing that the defense strategy will not be open to discussion until further notice; rather, there is a genuine chance to reach a consensus according to the Lebanese Speaker.
