About the lebanese forces
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:
- Ensuring a sovereign, free, and secure Lebanon for all its citizens
equally.
- 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.
- 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.
- Halting support to any ideology or movement that works directly or
indirectly to joining Lebanon to another country.
- 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, 1992 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.
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.
