Lebanese Anti-Syrian Leader Agrees to Hezbollah's Terrorism Agenda
By Andrew Cochran
On Monday, Michael Aoun, Member of Parliament and leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, met with Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's Secretary General, to discuss collaboration. These two leaders were on opposite ends of the Cedar Revolution that freed Lebanon from Syrian occupation last year, and Aoun is seeking the presidency after being kicked out of the country 15 years ago. The meeting produced a "memorandum of understanding" between the two, and it looks like Aoun is perfectly willing to let Hezbollah continue to pursue its agenda of terrorism against Israel and other Western interests. The MoA refers to Israel as "enemy territory" from which Lebanese should return (paragraph 6); it calls for renewed relations with Syria and the Palestinians without expressing any concern for their terrorist activities in the region (paragraphs 7 & 8), and doesn't limit Hezbollah from possessing and using its arms in any way (paragraph 9). Nasrallah seemed to support Aoun's bid for president, "We see in Aoun a serious and competent candidate who enjoys wide popularity." At a Shiite ceremony today in Beirut, Nasrallah said, "Defending the prophet should continue all over the world. Let Condoleezza Rice and Bush and all the tyrants shut up...We will uphold the messenger of God not only by our voices but also by our blood." We should hope that Aoun's backers, many of whom profess to be Christians, aren't so willing to compromise with terrorism.
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