WORLD LEBANESE CULTURAL UNION Office of the President / Sydney, Australia Office of the Secretary General 1146 19th Street NW, Suite 300 Washington DC 20036 (202)207-0188 Fax (202) 207-0191 E-Mail: [email protected] www.wlcu.com March 7th, 2005 i Secretary-General Kofi Annan Executive Office of the Secretary-General 2005 U.N. Headquarters #S-3800 New York, NY 10017 ,.. OF THE SECPF;/.;, RE: Immediate attention to the dangerous developments in Lebanon The Honorable Dr Kofi Anan, On behalf of the World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU) an international non- governmental organization founded in 1959, with the full support of the Foreign Ministry in Lebanon as the sole legitimate representative of the Lebanese Diaspora worldwide, As mandated by the World Council of the WLCU and its President, and in fulfillment of the resolutions of the 13th and 14th World Congresses held in Mexico city in 2001 and in Miami in 2003, We hereby thank the Security Council for the passing of UNSCR 1559 of September 2004 and for the signing of the UNSC Presidential letter which endorsed the resolution, And call your immediate attention to the dangerous developments which have occurred in Lebanon since the voting of the said resolution, and which dangers intensified since February 14th when the former Prime Minister of Lebanon M Rafiq Hariri was assassinated along with his companions in a barbaric manner. We call also your attention to the fact that Lebanon's civil society has demonstrated with great courage its will to see Lebanon freed from Syrian occupation despite the omnipresence of more than 15,000 Syrian troops and an unknown number of security services, in addition to armed militias and Terrorist organization on Lebanese soil. Page 1 of4 In view of the fact that the Syrian regime didn't comply with UNSCR 1559 as of this date, and that Terrorist acts have taken place since the voting of the resolution, including an assassination attempt against the life of former minister Marwan Hamade, direct threats against former Minister Walid Jumblat, the assassination of M Hariri, and the continuous detention and torture of hundreds of Lebanese citizens in Lebanon and inside Syria at the hands of these forces. And in view of the fact that the Omar Karami pro Syrian Government has resigned under popular pressures as witnessed around the world, and in response to the calls by Lebanon's civil society with members of Parliament and groups representing Muslim, Druze and Christians, and to the overwhelming calls from the Lebanese Diaspora, acting in support to its mother country, And in view of the fact that the speech of the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Dr Bashar Assad, delivered on March 6, 2005, did not abide by UNSCR 1559, declared that Syrian troops will redeploy inside the Lebanese Republic and called on pro-Syrian militias to prepare for violent actions, We hereby ask you to intervene as follow: 1) To vote for as new UNSCR demanding directly that the Syrian occupation army withdraws from all Lebanese territories immediately. 2) To form a UN sponsored multinational force, under Chapter 7 of the Charter, to deploy as soon as possible on all Lebanese Territories and along the entire borders of the Lebanese Republic to protect the Lebanese populations from the presence of foreign armed forces, particularly the Syrian occupation forces and Terrorist organizations. 3) To help in the forming of an interim Government under the auspices of the United Nations which mission would be to organize the upcoming legislative elections in May and attend to the socio-economic needs of the Lebanese people. 4) To put the Lebanese Army under the direct command of the multinational force in preparation for its reforming, equipping, training and handing over to the future Government formed by a new President elected by the newly democratically elected Parliament of Lebanon. 5) To form an international committee to help Lebanon recover from occupation and involve the vast resources of the Lebanese Diaspora under the auspices of the United Nations. And in view of the dangerous developments and the risks of violence that would generate from a non withdrawal of Syrian forces, or from a unilateral redeployment not in application of UNSCR 1559, and in view of the fact that the Lebanese populations are left without protection under a foreign, dangerous and armed occupation, Page 2 of4 In view of the fact that millions of Lebanese citizens are now deprived from a national and sovereign protection, while thousands of them are detained and tortured in the custody of the Syrian occupation army, its security extensions within the Lebanese armed forces and Terrorist organizations We hereby call for an immediate action by the Security Council in preparation for the implementation of a new SCR. These recommended actions are: 1) Freeing all Lebanese political prisoners detained on Syrian territories and by Syrian forces on Lebanese territories. 2) Requesting from the Syrian forces a list of all Lebanese citizens or residents who have died while in their custody, or with their knowledge since June 1976, both on Lebanese and Syrian territories 3) Requesting an accounting of all public treasure and archive, taken from the Lebanese Republic, such as artifacts, monies, Government files, etc. To be returned to the new Lebanese Government under the auspices of the United Nations 4) Requesting a full report from Syrian authorities as to their knowledge of all or any illegal military material hidden in Lebanon by their personnel or by organizations with direct ties to the Syrian Government 5) Requesting the formation of an international commission of investigation for all war crimes committed by the Syrian forces and security services from June 1976 till this date. 6) Requesting the dismantling of all paramilitary networks established by, or supervised by or funded by the Syrian occupation army. Including but not exclusively the military installations and weapons of Hizbollah, the Syrian Baath Party, the Syrian National- Social Party, the Palestinian Saika units in Lebanon, as well as the smaller militia armed and trained by the Syrian intelligence. 7) Requesting from the Syrian Government a list of its intelligence and security assets in Lebanon within the Lebanese institutions including the Army, security Bureaucracy, judicial and other agencies of the state. We, as INGO representing the Lebanese citizens around the world, would remain ready to assist the Security Council, the Secretary General and any member of the UN in this regard with the Lebanese Diaspora resources and presence. Sincerely yAups^ Phares Secretary General Washington DC Page 3 of4 Mr. Tom Harb Chairman, Commission on International Relations 3700- 34th St Orlando, Fl 32805 (407) 383-9600 fax(407) 909-0203 email: [email protected] On behalf of: Joe Baini Rachid Rahme Alejandro Khoury Dr Carlos Keiruz President Vice President Vice President European President Sydney, Australia Cyprus Mexico City Brussels Attorney Ernesto Saliba Anise Garabet Attorney John Hajjar Charles Lutfi President, World Youth Vice President North American President President Federation Buenos Aires Los Angeles Boston of Lebanese Clubs/Brazil Sami El-Khoury Dr. Anis Karam Speaker/ World Lebanese Senate Chairman Former President/ WLCU Commission on Information Page 4 of4.