WASHINGTON: "We're playing defensive ... you cannot score if we're playing defensive. Something should be done," said Congressman Gary Ackerman (Dem-NY), chairman of Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, during a hearing session on the hill Thursday held in the presence of Deputy Secretary David Welch.
"We're here today to talk about the presidential succession crisis in Lebanon and the implications of this struggle for the national security of the United States," Ackerman added.
Ackerman said Lebanon "is on the brink of either the collapse of the Cedar Revolution, or the return to civil war. Like most Lebanese, we want neither."
He called on the administration and "the international community to act fast" for "Lebanon to remain sovereign and independent."
Ackerman accused Syrian President Bashar Assad of being "like mafia"who "sees [international] tribunal [for the trial of assassins of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri] as a threat to his regime."
The congressman suggested four steps for the administration to consider. "First, America's commitment to Lebanon's sovereignty and independence needs to be reiterated by the president in a major address. Damascus and Tehran and the entire Middle East need to hear explicitly that the US will not accept the resumption of foreign domination of Lebanon," he said.
"Second, the president should immediately impose economic and political sanctions against the Syrian regime, specifically President Assad, his family and his coterie of close associates," he added.
"Third, the United States needs to raise the profile of this crisis much higher," he argued. "Fourth, the House twice and the Senate once have passed resolutions supporting Lebanon ... Mr. Secretary, if you believe we need more resources to prevent disaster, you have to ask for them. The support is here."
Ackerman was followed by the committee's ranking member Indiana Representative Mike Pence, who accused President Emile Lahoud of blocking presidential elections and "Syria and its allies" of blocking the "investigation that has reached stalemate."
According to Pence, "Hizbullah has been assisting people who lost their homes [during the July 2006 war]. It's been conceived as more generous," and asked: "Are our [Lebanese] allies being outbid? Is Iran paying more money?"
For his part, Welch blamed Syria's Lebanese allies for attempting to freeze the court by withdrawing their ministers from Cabinet in November 2006. But, said Welch, "the tribunal will not be compromised ... some might want to hamper [it], they won't succeed."
Welch argued that Resolution 1701 "is still a problem" with arms being smuggled into Lebanon from Syria. He said the US has been accused of providing information in this regard, but that there are other sources certifying breaches of 1701.
The senior diplomat talked about the drastic increase in financial and military aid Washington has offered Beirut, saying, in response to Pence's inquiry, that the administration was "certain of the receiving end" of military aid that is, according to Welch, reaching the hands of the Lebanese Army only.
Welch said Lebanon now faces "a moment of truth," adding: "The international community agrees that Lebanon deserves a strong, credible president who has the broadest possible support." Yet "at the same time," he said, "we recognize democracies, including Lebanon's, have often elected presidents with an absolute majority of votes."
Previously, former Lebanese presidents [Elias] Sarkis and [Suleiman] Franjieh won Lebanon's elections with the barest absolute majority of votes."
A similar hearing session was expected to be held later in the afternoon before the Senate Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia chaired by Senator John Kerry.
The Senate subcommittee had summoned to testify, in addition to Welch, Head of the International Crisis Group Robert Mali, author of the book "The New Lion of Damascus" David Lesch and expert with Stimpson Group Emile Hokayyem.
MarcH 14 Mps send letter of appeal to US Congress
BEIRUT:A group of lawmakers from the March 14 Forces sent a letter of appeal to US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch and member of the sub-committee for the Middle East in the US Congress, Mike Spinies.
In their letter, MPs Walid Jumblatt, Solange Gemayel, Akram Shehayeb, Fouad Saad, Jawad Boulos and Hadi Hobeich said that the "Cedar Revolution" was in danger because of Syrian and Iranian decisions to "dismantle Lebanon's democratic system."
"Lebanon, the only stronghold of democracy in the Arab world, is about to disappear ... and the results in the region where you are fighting terrorism are likely to be disastrous," the letter said.
It also accused Hizbullah of driving Lebanon into another devastating war with Israel and of besieging the Grand Serail.
The MPs accused Syria of using its Lebanese allies to close the Parliament in an attempt to obstruct the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, especially those related to the marking of the Lebanese-Israeli borders and the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
The letter also mentioned the assassination of March 14 members and vowed to elect a new president in order to safeguard Lebanese institutions and have international resolutions implemented.
"Think of the following: Tonight you are able to go back to your families, but we cannot. In our rooms, curtains are closed for fear of sniper's bullets. When we signed on to democracy, our names were put on the assassination list," the letter said.
"Yet, we are not seeking your compassion. All we are asking for is to guarantee the right of the Lebanese to share in the simplest values in which you believe, and for which we are still struggling," it added. - The Daily Star