Conference on Lebanese-U.S. Relationship Amidst Fears of a Hizbullah Election Victory
The Institute for Lebanon”s Renaissance and the Aspen Institute held a conference in Washington D.C. dedicated to U.S.-Lebanese relations for the coming Obama administration.
The conference was heavily attended by Lebanese and American attendants including former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright, Assistant Deputy Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman, former U.S. ambassadors Ted Katouf and Martin Indyk, Lebanon”s State Minister Nassib Lahoud, MPs Nayla Mouawad, Ghazi Yussef, Ghonwa Jaloul, Antoine Zahra, Ghassan Mukhaiber and a number of experts and media representatives.
Conference participants heard traditional U.S. commitments regarding Lebanon”s sovereignty, independence and freedom. They were reminded that when the people of Lebanon took to the streets on 14 March 2005 the United States and the world stood by them.
The Lebanese were warned and reminded that they also are to a great extent responsible for determining their future and destiny; experts added that if the Lebanese are not effective and imaginative in exploiting the room provided to them by the international community to reach a Lebanese made solution, they could lose U.S. support if Hizbullah wins the next parliamentary elections in 2009, or might become a victim of a Syrian-Israeli peace deal.
Former Secretary Albright who is credited for lifting U.S. travel ban to Lebanon and for placing Hizbullah on a list of organizations categorized by Washington for being a terrorist group, stressed on the need for preserving democracy in the country. She rejected the participation of armed groups in the next parliamentary elections if these groups insist on keeping their arms.
In his address Lahoud said: "Any international rapprochement with Syria must coincide with Syrian change of behavior towards Lebanon."
He called on Syria to demark its joint border with Lebanon including the Shebaa Farms, Lebanese detained in Syria, disarming pro-Syrian forces, a revision of unbalanced bilateral agreements made under Syrian tutelage.
Lahoud pointed to Hizbullah”s role in liberating south Lebanon from Israeli occupation, adding the party continues to enjoy popular support by the country”s Shiites.
He explained that from the point view of sovereignty, arms in Lebanon should be the sole and exclusive possession of the state represented in its armed and security forces.
"The Lebanese state alone should be the sole decider on issues of war and peace," said Lahoud.
Feltman (a former ambassador to Lebanon) said:" the United States, France, moderate Arab states and other friends of Lebanon did not and will not seek to replace the Syrian-Iranian role in Lebanon."
For his part Indyk indicated the existence of:" U.S. concern over Lebanon, in becoming a failed state at an important part of the world."
He warned against bad ramifications on Lebanon if Hizbullah wins the next legislative elections in a manner that allows the party to control the country.
"Because, U.S. aid to Lebanon will be threatened. There must be no illusions about that," he said.