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The "Lebanese Forces" was
created as a result of excruciating circumstances in
Lebanon in late seventies when the Lebanese Christian
community felt the need to defend itself against impending
internal and external dangers and threats. These dangers
were amplified by the fact that the government with its
entire infrastructure proved to be impotent in containing
the Palestinian military presence in Lebanon, which
threatened Lebanon' sovereignty and independence. The
resistance forces consisted of several separate factions:
the Phalangists, The National Liberal Party, Al-Tanzeem
Party and the Guardians of The Cedars, who took a
multi-lateral decision on August 1976 to consolidate the
war efforts and to establish a unified resistance military
council under the command of the late Lebanese president
"Bashir Gemayel".
Bashir Gemayel founded the
"Lebanese Forces". He created it, organized the
cadres and he molded it with his own patriotic spirit,
hopes and aspirations. He transformed it to play a dual
role in the Christian community, a defensive military
machine (30,000 fighters) and a sophisticated
infrastructure that served the Christian community
politically, economically, socially and by providing it
with both radio and TV stations. He continued to serve in
that capacity until he was elected president of Lebanon in
1982, and consequently his assassination by the enemies of
Lebanon on September 14, 1982.
After the assassination, the
"Lebanese Forces" went into a state of shock and
paralysis that lasted few years until January 15, 1986
when Dr. "Samir Geagea" assumed its leadership.
On that day the winds of change started blowing and the
march of rebuilding, reform and modernization started
moving forward. The "Lebanese Forces" became the
institution holding a historical political proposition for
the Lebanese Christian community aiming at:
·1 Ensuring a sovereign, free,
and secure Lebanon for all its citizens equally.
·2 Establishing a system of
government whereas the superstructure (the government)
is congruent with the infrastructure (the society)
resulting in a fair, true and balanced political
participation.
·3 Promoting a political system
built on three basic principles: diversity, freedom to
foster development and democracy representative of the
diversity that exists in the Lebanese Society.
·4 Halting support to any ideology
or movement that works directly or indirectly to
joining Lebanon to another country.
·5 Adopting a neutral foreign
policy to provide for internal security and to allow
for freedom to build foreign international relations.
The "Lebanese Forces" peaked
in its organization and modernization. After the signing
of the "TAEF Accord" on October 24, 1989 with
international and regional blessings, it transformed its
military resistance into a political resistance. Hence,
the "Lebanese Forces Party", with its 30,000
members not counting their families, was formed on
September 10, 1990 based on three undisputed principles:
1. Safeguarding Lebanon's
independence, sovereignty and distinct identity within
its
Internationally recognized borders.
2. Founding the Lebanese Government
on the basic principles of human rights.
3. Establishing a democratic system
whereas freedom and Human Rights of every citizen are
protected and guaranteed.
Post "Taef Accord", and after
dismantling its military machine and surrendering its
weapons, the Lebanese Forces Party attempted to control
the dangerous digression in the implementation of the Taef
Accord due to the Syrian regime, single-handedly taking
control of the "Lebanese File". This scenario
manifested on the Political arena as a result of two
factors: the international/regional powers that
accommodated the Syrian regime and the refusal of the
Lebanese Muslims to respect and abide by the "Taef
Accord".
The "Lebanese Forces Party"
refused the status quo and used every democratic means to
realize its political ambition on one hand and to prevent
Syria from annexing Lebanon, on the other hand. As a
result, the ruling regime in Lebanon launched a
persecution and terror campaign against the "Lebanese
Forces Party" starting with the government decision
to disband it on March 24, 1994 and to falsely accuse and
imprison its leader "Dr. Samir Geagea" on April
21 of the same year. The waves of arrests began soon after
and continued to target Lebanese Forces officials and
hundreds of its members to date. The government
confiscated all assets and equipment belonging to the
Lebanese Forces Party and took over all of its social,
educational and media institutions.
The direct result of this persecution
and terror campaign was the forced emigration of a large
number of "Lebanese Forces Party" members to
Europe, United States and Australia where representative
political offices have been established for years.
A year and half ago, the communication
channels between all "Lebanese Forces Party"
offices worldwide were reestablished and reenergized. In
October 1999, a new organized, homogeneous and structured
hierarchy was created which is able to represent and
communicate with the members and supporters worldwide and
within Lebanon. This new hierarchy is represented by a
"Political Council" which consists of 11 members
who are mainly ex-officials of the "Lebanese
Forces" who years ago served in different capacities
such as organizational, political, media, military and
intelligence.
The "Political Council"
elected the following council members:
·1 Dr. Joseph Gebeily, President
·2 Dr. Rashid Rahme, Vice President
·3 Mr. Joseph Rizk, Secretary
General
The main role of the "Political
Council" revolves around the strengthening of the
diplomatic relations and communications with official and
private circles within the host foreign countries where
the "Lebanese Forces Party" has a presence, to
synchronize and participate with human rights groups and
organizations and to unify and activate the Lebanese
Christian Diaspora.
In spite of all the pressures exerted
upon it and the false imprisonment of its leader, the
"Lebanese Forces Party" is still the most
organized party on the Lebanese political arena. This is
proven by the official results in the last municipal
elections of 1998 (300 "Lebanese Forces Party"
officials elected). Furthermore, the "Lebanese Forces
Party" enjoys a strong presence and a wide area of
influence on the educational level within student
organizations in universities and schools and also within
many labor unions representing doctors, lawyers and
engineers to mention a few. Still, the "Lebanese
Forces Party" cannot operate freely within Lebanon as
other political parties who are Syrian sympathizers.
Hence, the "Political Council"
takes it upon itself to spearhead the "Lebanese
Forces Party" within Lebanon and abroad and declares
the following:
1. It is the sole official speaker
in the name of the "Lebanese Forces Party"
and the sole representative of its views, public
position on issues and directives.
2. It is the sole political body to
communicate with international representatives and
governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
3. It is the sole organizational
frame that unites the "Lebanese Forces
Party" members after its infrastructure was
dismantled in Lebanon.
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