"The beginning of the end will come if we are divided upon ourselves.
We should overstep all petty considerations. The enemy’s only
weapon consists in breaking our ranks and pitting us against each
other... Let us rise above selfishness and partisan politics, and
be one single united party, the party of Lebanon."
- Bachir Gemayel
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Solange Gemayel Vows to Resist Master-Lackey Relationship with Syria
The LF has observed the 22nd anniversary of its founder's assassination with vows resist the master-lackey relationship with Syria and a resounding denunciation of President Lahoud's extended regime as a front for a "mafia of loyalists desperate to complete the systematic plunder of public funds."
"Our opposition struggles for a relationship of equality with Syria, not one of master and lackey or 'Amrak Seidna'" said Mrs. Solange Gemayel on the death anniversary of her husband, President-Elect Bashir Gemayel, who founded the Lebanese Forces Christian militia in the early years of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.
She was the star speaker at the massive observation rally that was held Tuesday at the Miracle Icon Cathedral in Ashrafiyeh, marking the debut of a 'holly alliance' among the nation's main right-wing opposition factions—the LF, Gen. Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, Qornet Shahwan and ex-President Amin Gemayel's Katayeb Corrective Movement, An Nahar reported on Wednesday.
Solange Gemayel sat at the front row of the memorial service held with Cardinal Sfeir's blessing for her husband, who perished with 22 associates in a 1982 bomb blast in Ashrafiyeh just 20 days after his election for Lebanon's presidency and only two weeks before his swearing-in ceremony.
Mrs. Gemayel was flanked by her son Nadim, daughter Yumna, and her husband's elder brother, ex-President Amin Gemayel and his wife. Amin was elected president to succeed the slain Bashir.
At the other end of the front row sat Sitrida Geagea and Gen. Nadim Lteif, the top Lebanon representative of exiled Gen. Aoun, leaders of the Qornet Shahwan collation and Dory Chamoun, leader of the National Liberal Party. 'Bashir Gemayel's Death Anniversary Unites Opposition," exclaimed a headline on An Nahar's front page.
Crowds brandished portraits of Bashir Gemayel and Samir Geagea, who headed the LF three years after Bashir's assassination until the end of the civil war. Geagea then changed the militia into a full-fledged political party, which was technically outlawed by the government upon his 1994 arrest. He is still in solitary confinement at the prison of Lebanon's defense Ministry in Yarze.
Pictures from the Mass
Unfortunately the pictures I promised won't be up for a while. Sorry!
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Bachir Gemayel
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Rest in Peace
Today is the 22nd anniversary of the death of President Bachir Gemayel. I promised some of you an article on Bachir Gemayel. It is a really long article which could not have been done without the help of Al-3agib. Thank you.
After 22 years of his martyrdom, Bashir Gemayel's views and strategies remain the center of a large debate and subject to various analyses. Some insist that Bashir turned from a militia leader with strictly Christian views to a politician with national views, while others say all he wanted was to divide the country.
One thing is for sure; Bashir's political views developed and endured a major change throughout his political and military career, from the time he started to shine on the military level in the early 70s until he was elected president on the 23rd of August 1982. Bashir died as president of the all of Lebanon and not just a part of it.
On the 14th of September 1982, a bomb was implanted in the Kataeb office in Achrafieh, which Bashir used to attend every Tuesday. That bomb implanted assassinated the newly elected Lebanese president, Sheikh Bashir Gemayel. Achrafieh witnessed Bashir launch his political career, 9 years earlier as a political assistant to the head of the Kataeb branch in Achrafieh, Jean Nader, who also was killed in the bombing.
Prior 1975
In the early 70s, the insecurity and tension were ruling the country, mainly because of the continuous fights between the Palestinian guerillas and the Lebanese army. This situation led the Kataeb party to increase its military equipment and consequently a fighting unit that consisted of 50 students was founded and was joined to the central military units of the party. Bashir Gemayel succeeded with the help of Jean Nader, in recruiting 12 of these newly incorporated students-soldiers and therefore joined the units of the Achrafieh region, and became under the control of Jean Nader.
Therefore, Sheikh Bashir founded a small military group of his own, assisted by Jean Nader, which he named "BG", that he saw as the core of a future strong disciplined and united group that will take over the commandments in a few years time in his "Bashirist state".
The 2 years war (April 1975-August 1976)
When the civil war erupted in 1975, The Kataeb party grouped hundreds of fighters distributed as units all over Christian regions and districts, all units being under the commandment of local political figures or militiamen and controlled by a central power headed by William Hawi. Bashir was Hawi's vice president and his personal assistant. But the central power was not very efficient since local militiamen used to give orders of their own, mainly due to the lack of communication tools.
Sheikh Bashir at the time was one of many military leaders who was in charge of a certain region under the control of the Kataeb party along with its allied parties in the Lebanese Front, mainly the Ahrar, Tanzim, Guardians of the Cedars (Gotc) and the Marada. The most famous leaders were Faraj Obeid in El Rmeil Street, Bashir Gemayel in Achrafieh, George Chaanine in Al Moudawwar (region between Achrafieh and North Mount Lebanon), Amine Gemayel in North Mount Lebanon, Khoueirys in Kisirwen and Geageas in North Lebanon.
During the 2 years war, Bashir was unable to expand his military influence as the second man to William Hawi mainly due to the unorganized and chaotic status of this war and the weak central commandment structure unable to control local militiamen and local political figures, who rarely referred to William Hawi before taking any decision. Added to that, the war was also an internal fight between several movements and groups, and the militia mentality was ruling the streets where the Lebanese authority was absent, while Bashir's region was still under certain governmental institutions control, disallowing the militias to interfere in the social and economical life.
It is also worth mentioning that Bashir and his group, unlike other Kataeb militias, did not participate in the theft of the Central Beirut region and the Beirut seaport, which was a vital source for ammunitions. At the time, this theft made many Kataeb figures stronger.
So in conclusion, Bashir did not participate in the 2 years war militarily except on a few occasions, and not at all in the militias internal fights, but instead, he used this period to surround himself with a group of educated people and technocrats, to initiate in Achrafieh a strongly organized military structure that would help him spread his control later on. After the fall of Tal El Zaatar Palestinian camp in July 1976,The Beirut Front was stabilized and regions were divided into two main sections: The East was controlled by the Lebanese Front while the West was a region held by Palestinians and Druze militias. A sort of stagnant and cease-fire was enstored.
During this time, Bashir Gemayel started improving his status as a political and military leader in the East regions. In July 1976, After William Hawi got killed in the Tal el Zaatar battle; Bashir Gemayel was appointed head of the Kataeb Security Council. He used this period of stagnaty to impose himself on small Kataeb military leaders, using the strong structure he founded in Achrafieh and him being the son of the greater chief of the Kataeb party, Sheikh Pierre Gemayel.
After being able to join George Chaanine and Faraj Obeid, Bashir Gemayel, after starting with a group of 12 soldiers, became in control of 1500 men, which were trained similarly to the Lebanese army and were directly under the control of the head of the security council, which was no one but Bashir himself. South Beirut Kataeb members decided to join later on.
Starting 1977, Bashir managed to spread his control to include all Kataeb leaders in Beirut. What was left was the North, mainly Jbeil, Kisirwen and the Northern Mount Lebanon. In the North, Kataeb leaders were mainly revolutionaries who were strongly attached to preserving the Christians of Lebanon and strongly opposed the 1943 formula that led to such a destructive war, and most of all opposed to the feudal families that controlled the region there (Frangieh, Doueihy, Karam etc) Those groups easily joined Bashir, in whom they saw a national non-feudal hero, willing to defend Christians of Lebanon and Lebanon's independence at all cost. As for the region of Jbeil, the Kataeb member in charge there known as Gayth Khoury, refused to join Bashir, same for Northern Mount Lebanon that was controlled by Bashir's older brother Amine Gemayel. Kisirwen region was stuck between Amine Gemayel's control and Gayth Khoury's control and was also influenced by the vast Ahrar presence in it, but it soon decided to join Bashir to avoid being marginalized on the political scene and losing the control of Jounieh's vital seaport.
After joining Kisirwen, Sheikh Bashir became in possession of the biggest residential regroupments under the Lebanese Front control, where two vital and very important seaports were present. He was growing stronger inside the Kataeb party, and soon was getting ready to face the political Kataeb office with his demands and views.
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After the 2 years war, the gap between the security council and the Kataeb political office headed by Joseph Chader became larger, mainly of the Christians and anti-Syrian attitude that Bashir and other military leaders showed during this period.
This difference in attitudes soon exploded publicly when the Kataeb party ordered Bashir to let the Syrian army enter Achrafieh. He was confused and pressured and so he decided to quit his post since he was against this decision, but his father Sheikh Pierre refused Bashir's decision to quit, and strongly supported him with his Anti-Syrian line inside the office.
Finally they reached an agreement on letting the Syrians enter Achrafieh, but in return giving Bashir and his units new military equipments and enstoring a new center of command in Karantina for the security council, which later became the Military chamber. Bashir came out strong from this endurance test. He informed the Syrians of his refusal of their entrance to his regions and was given a chance to organize the party militarily, and was able to infiltrate to the office with a "Bashirist" line, noting that Joseph Chader who was first opposed to Bashir died the same year cause of a heart attack.
The North
After things were sort of resolved between Bashir and the Syrians, the fight moved to the North where two factors were the cause of a deadly brotherly war that resulted in an unfortunate massacre and the loss of major regions in the North.
From one side, Bashir after joining many Kataeb branches in the North, was working on uniting them as one strong Christian group against any possible aggression from the Syrians, and on another side, those Kataeb members were fighting the old feudal families, specifically the Frangieh, which in return have launched a series of persecutions and killings against all Kataeb members. The fight reached its peak after the brutal assassination of Joud el Bayeh, head of the Kataeb branch in Ehden. Bashir and the Kataeb party decided to react, and in July 1978 ordered a commandos of 200 men to arrest those responsible, but this intervention, under mysterious conditions, resulted in the killing of Toni Frangieh, the son of the late president Sleiman Frangieh, along with his wife and kids.
This incident started a war between the Marada, pro-Frangieh backed by the Syrian troops, and the Kataeb members. The Kataeb militias lost two major regions in the North to the massively and newly equipped Syrian army. Nonetheless, they showed a fierce resistance on all fronts, and stayed loyal to Bashir.
East Beirut battle
After the Ehden incident, Christian regions were also bombed massively during summer and fall 1978, and Bashir was at the verge of losing this war politically and losing his influence if not from the massive political support of his father who was starting to question the Syrian intention. Also on the military level, the fierce resistance that Bash and his fighters showed in Achrafieh, added to the people's support, led to a great victory on the Syrians, a victory that made Bashir become a true hero and leader of the Christian Resistance.
On the Social level, the war that he led against the Feudal families in the North attracted many technocrats, intellectuals and Christian revolutionary thinkers who saw in him the guarantee for a new Lebanon.
Operation 7 July 1980
Bashir was confronted yet again by another military opponent, but this time from inside The Lebanese Front. Kataeb and Ahrar militiamen have been fighting inside Christian regions for a while and the situation became unbearable. While Bashir assumed the control of two vital legal seaports, Ahrar militiamen had installed their own illegal seaports. Those inner wars were destructive and were weakening the Lebanese Front structure and making it lose the credibility of the people. So it was explicitly "agreed" that something had to be done.
Bashir did not wait a lot, and during a speech he held in Kisirwen on the 5th of July 1980, showed his frustration on those brotherly wars that were costing them a lot, militarily and economically and wished “some mad man would come to put an end to this violence and save the Christians from a possible disaster.”
On the morning of 7th of July 1980, 300 commandos attacked by surprise the Ahrar militiamen in their two seaports residences in Maameltein and Dbayyeh, in the same time Kataeb members launched an assault on Ghosta and Fakra. As for Beirut, Ahrar were neutralized in Sodeco region and Syriac Street and Moudawwar. In Ain el Remmaneh, Ahrar militiamen, known as Tigers, were kicked out into the Palestinian and Druze regions in West Beirut. By the end of the day, the Ahrar militia was annihilated and security was restored in all Christian regions.
Although East Beirut reacted to this operation by calling it barbaric and pretending it was a massacre for political reasons strictly, Christian regions were relieved that violence was ended, and welcomed Bashir's move to restore unity between the Christian militias and security in the Christian regions. They saw in him an honest and fair person and a strong military leader capable of defending Christian regions from Syrian and Palestinian assaults.
From a Warrior to a Politican
After the Safra operation, Bashir made a diplomatic move by making peace with Camille Chamoun, head of the Ahrar party and president of the Lebanese Front, and asked President Chamoun to look at him as his son in politics, he also presented to the Ahrar party the new structure he wants to apply to the Lebanese society.
Furthermore, Bashir was able to attract the few Kataeb that still were opposed to him, mainly his brother's branch in Northern Mount Lebanon. In fact those gave up their heavy artillery, and welcomed Bashir's campaign for “uniting the gun and preserving political diversity” added to a control of militia acts and insuring the security of all civilians.
On the political level, he approached cautiously President Elias Sarkis during the fall of the year 1980, and sent a message to Syria and Israel that he is the sole leader and leader and representative of the people in the free regions controlled by the Lebanese Front.
Finally, during this period, Bashir's dream of launching an institution grouping all military factions and preserving Lebanon's integrity and the security of the Christian community came to reality when he founded the Lebanese Forces officially.
He wanted throughout this institution to restore a proper political system in Lebanon based on a pluralistic and liberal society and a strong economy.
The Lebanese Forces
Uniting the Christian militias project first saw its light during the Tal El Zaatar battle in 1976, when the Kataeb, Gotc, Tanzim and Marada agreed on founding a sole commandment council headed by Bashir Gemayel, and Dory Chamoun as his vice president. But this project fell mainly cause of the war that erupted first between the Lebanese Front and the Marada of Frangieh in1978 and later on in 1980 with the Ahrar militia.
But now that Bash was in total command, he founded the Lebanese Forces (LF) he always dreamt of, created a new commandment council headed by himself and consisting of 8 members (3 Kataeb, 2 Ahrar, 1 Gotc, and 2 Tonzeem). Its mission was publicity, external affairs, social services and juridical issues. But this council was never an executive one since it used to only apply decisions given by Bashir and his own team.
The LF joined all militias mentioned above, added a lot of Kataeb members who decided to join, making its effective 5000 men, 4000 of which were Kataeb. The LF was a very well organized army, similar to the French and Lebanese army, constituted of 5 factions, noted that the important factions were assigned to people loyal to Sheikh Bashir, mainly the logistics, secret agencies and special operations.
Bashir was head of all Christian militias and was given access too all Christian regions controlled by the Lebanese Front, he did not stop here but had the brilliant idea of creating branches for recruiting the youth for military service , introduce them to the thought of the LF and train them Politically and Intellectually
Syrians during this time were watching Bashir grow stronger and stronger and knew he has gone beyond their expectations. Sheikh Bashir in return wanted to gain the trust of all Lebanese and increase his political influence. He needed a political card and he had several choices at the time, North Lebanon and Upper Mountain Lebanon was controlled by Marada and SSNP respectively, backed by Syrian troops. Bashir learned from the North battle he led in 1978 and the losses he endured and so did not want to enter a battle in such regions.
In Return, Zahle was a city of 200 000 Christians, situated in a very strategic hill in the North and under Syrian influence, and so presented the perfect opportunity for Bashir to launch his political plans. So he started arming the Zahle men militarily and training them and recruiting them into the Lebanese Forces. He also increased his contacts with the political leaders in Zahle.
Why Was Zahle so Important ?
It was geographically a very strategic city, situated on a hill looking over coastal Christian regions. Militarily speaking, it was very tactical for preserving those coastal cities in case Syrians attack
Politically speaking, the city of Zahle consists of 200 000 Christians, Catholics and Maronites. And so influencing this region would grow his popularity and give his strategies a vast Christian view, even a Lebanese view.
The Lebanese Strategy
Bashir Gemayel was divided between two projects, a Lebanese one and Christian one. The Christian project consisted of enstoring a Christian Nation in the
Middle East by dividing Lebanon and so changing the whole Middle East map by creating a strong free Christian country, a refuge for the East Christians.
But he ended up choosing the Lebanese project, preferring to resolve the
Christian-Muslim problems in Lebanon and preserving the unity of Lebanon, instead of going on a revolutionary and crazy adventure, without mentioning the consequences of such a move and the reactions of the international powers, mainly the USA.
Going for the Lebanese project did not mean Bash dropped his Christian stand, he just turned from a Christian Lebanese to a Lebanese Christian, asking for Lebanon's independence and sovereignty, for the 10452km “nothing more, nothing less”, for a Lebanese pluralistic society controlled by the Christians. He wanted to establish links and start a true dialogue with the Muslims through the government and the presidency. He drew a perfect diplomatically and non military strategy that would make Lebanon the perfect model for co-existence between various religions in the
Middle East.
Syrians had other plans for Lebanon, they wanted to have full control of it and enstore a puppet regime like the one present right now, they wanted to destroy Bashir's project and disable him to expand himself on the political level after he defeated them militarily in Achrafieh. Therefore they decided to surround Zahle and start a war against Zahle in Spring 1981. Syrians wanted to invade Zahle first then attack the Lebanese Forces, then Beirut and Achrafieh and try to incite Israel against Sheikh Bashir.Furthermore, they wanted to keep the Muslims on their side and so launched a propaganda making Bashir an Israeli agent and his project a Zionist one.
Sheikh Bashir smartly went through this political move from the Syrians by sending commandos LF troops to resist in Zahle, but knew the battle was a political one .The LFers along with the Zahle men, isolated from other regions and surrounded by Syrians, defended their city fiercely.
On the political level, Bashir launched a media propaganda against the Syrian war on Zahle and the world after days of the start of this battle, were describing Zahle as the "last Christian city of The East" and made the Syrian war look like a genocide.
On the local level, Bashir did his best to avoid a war with the Muslims in Beirut by multiplying the calls with traditionalist Muslim leaders. He made Zahle become the battle of all the Lebanese and soon he won his bet and the Syrians stopped bombing Zahle and retreated from its surroundings.
The smart management of the Zahle crisis, and the political victory it gave him made the uncontested leader of all Christians of Lebanon. President Elias Sarkis approved his leadership, so did late President Camille Chamoun. Moreover, the missiles crisis between Syria and Israel saw international concerns about Lebanon and the Syrian role in it, and so the Reagan Administration approved the rise of a strong Lebanon controlled by the Christians.
Everything was ready now for Bashir to launch his political project, and he did so by nominating himself as candidate for the Presidential elections in 1982, after getting the approval of several countries, among them Russia, the US, Germany, France etc.
During this period, Bashir Gemayel never stopped improving the society. He founded many organizations, each handling a specific task to improve the country socially, economically, culturally etc.
He founded the Gamma group, which consisted of a group of intellectuals and political analysis’s from all parties whose mission is to study the Lebanese political and economical ground and offer solutions to all problems. He also was concerned about the services offered to the people, from sanitary, medical ones to cultural and entertainment and therefore founded committees for many regions. The kids were part of his concern and he founded many youth movements to help needy and poor children. He was futuristic in everything he did and always thought 10 20 years ahead before doing anything.
Bashir Elected President
The Israeli invasion in 1982 of Beirut, which resulted in neutralizing the
Palestinian guerillas and kicking them out of the city, played an important role in electing Bashir Gemayel as a president. Bashir was approved from almost all Lebanese sides, and it was a matter of time before he was elected president. Everyone wanted a president capable of getting Lebanon out of this crisis by keeping its unity and restoring its independence and sovereignty.
Of course, many enemies of Lebanon tried to put an end to Bashir's dreams, either by insulting him or by attempting to assassinate him (in March 1979 and February 1980 (Bashir lost his 2 years old daughter Maya during this assassination attempt).
Bashir Gemayel never wanted to become president just for the seat, he never worked for himself, and he sacrificed himself for the Lebanese and more specifically the Christians. He was never an American agent, nor a puppet in the hands of Israel. He imposed himself on his own dad, own everyone through his actions, through his commitment, deep faith and perseverance. No one thought this young man will achieve so much; he climbed the stairs one by one and from a simple military leader, became the role model of every Lebanese, and the hero of every child.
On the 14th of September 1982, Sheikh Bashir was killed. The Dream was over. Everyone was shocked by the news. Many refused to believe it.
What followed was a complete confusion, complete sadness all over the country. Everyone was crying for Bashir. Muslims and Christians.
Today, after 22 years, President Bashir Gemayel is present in every Christian mind, in every Lebanese mind. I'd like to end this article by a quote of a great thinker and writer Dr.Charles Malek.
"Bashir Gemayel sacrificed himself for Lebanon, for its community, for its Christianity...No Sacrifice can be as noble and glorious as his"
Rest In Peace...
Sitrida: 'Samir is Well in Cell but in Pain for Lebanon's Agony'
Sitrida Geagea has declared that her husband was well despite his 10 years in solitary confinement within a 3-by-two 2 meter underground cell bereft from fresh air and sunlight, "but he is in pain the for the agonies Lebanon and the Lebanese are suffering."
Addressing a 20,000-strong rally in Harissa, she also pledged allegiance on behalf of Lebanese Forces commander Samir Geagea to Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, "who is leading with prophetic wisdom the march to restore Lebanon's freedom, sovereignty and dignity."
She also pledged the LF within the framework of the Qornet Shahwan coalition to follow the Patriarch's lead in rejecting the Syrian-dictated amendment of the Lebanese constitution that allowed Gen. Lahoud to stay on as president of Lebanon for 3 additional years.
Crowds brandished portraits of the Patriarch, Geagea and Bashir Gemayel, Lebanon's slain president-elect who founded the LF, as Sitrida Geagea made her address after the yearly memorial service "held for martyrs of the Lebanese Forces" at the Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Harissa north of Beirut Sunday, An Nahar reported on Monday.
The massive presence at the Harissa event has gone to show that the LF remains a throbbing nerve in the Christian heartland, An Nahar said, highlighting Mrs. Geagea's declaration that the LF would stand in Lebanon's general elections next spring.
"Samir Geagea is well, but Lebanon is not well," she said from a makeshift podium at the Cathedral's spacious courtyard. "He is well in a cell they designed to be his grave, but which he transformed into a monk's hermitage. Yet he is in pain for the agonies of the homeland and its citizens."
In an address read out on his behalf by Monsignor Youssef Taouk, the Patriarch called for the release of every unjustly held prisoner, "foremost among whom is Samir Geagea." The head of the Maronite Church beseeched the Almighty to help the Lebanese bring about national reconciliation.
From Naharnet
Mass commemorates Lebanese Forces martyrs' day
BEIRUT: In commemoration of the Lebanese Forces martyrs day, a mass was celebrated at Notre Dame du Liban, Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Harissa. The event was attended by over 40,000 people with the roads leading up to the cathedral all packed with buses and cars full of Lebanese Forces supporters as hundreds of people walked most of the way up under a burning Sunday sun, passing the various army checkpoints set up along the way.
Alongside the families of the martyrs and the Lebanese Forces supporters who came from all over Lebanon, many guests attended the mass including Strida Geagea, wife of imprisoned Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, Solange Gemayel, Nadim Gemayel and former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel.
"The martyrs we are commemorating today never actually died," said Father Chikrallah Harb, representing Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir. "It is only when national heroes die that a country such as this one can prosper."
Harb added that Lebanon is known for its martyr history. "People of all religions and backgrounds have given their soul for the sake of this country," Harb said, "and this is something we should all be proud of."
At the end of the Mass, Geagea addressed the audience saying that "the doctor (Samir Geagea) is OK, he is OK ... but Lebanon is not."
Geagea highlighted a series of recommendations, among which was the release of "innocent prisoner" Samir Geagea, and the formulation of a new parliament election law that "represents every category in the Lebanese population, be it Muslims or Christians, residents or emigrants."
Geagea added that the "diplomatic balance should be preserved by cancelling any settlement law and that dialogue should be encouraged among all Lebanese parties."
To commemorate the Lebanese Forces Martyrs' Day, hundreds of celebrations were held by Lebanese communities in several European and American countries.
Masses were also celebrated in Sydney, Australia, as well as in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington, Michigan, Paris, London, Rome and Brussels.
From the Daily Star
Foundation: Pakradouni is no Bashir Gemayel
BEIRUT: The Bashir Gemayel Foundation criticized Minister of State for Administrative Development Karim Pakradouni, the Phalange Party president, for saying Gemayel's dream had come true with "the presence ... of President Emile Lahoud."
The foundation described Pakradouni as "a leadership imposed on the Phalange Party by the authorities."
In a statement Saturday, it also slammed Pakradouni's use of Gemayel's name to justify the party's bowing to the authorities.
"Pakradouni has carried out a comparison in fields that cannot be compared," the statement said, "between Bashir Gemayel's transparency, patriotism, power and dignity, and between those who succumb to Syria's will and thus sacrifice the nation.
"Gemayel's blood was shed for Lebanon and its cause, and not for anyone else."
The foundation asked Gemayel's "forgiveness as some of those who call themselves your comrades are lying in your name."
From the Daily Star
Upcoming Events in Lebanon
President Bachir Gemayel Memorial
Azariyeh Church on Tuesday, September 14th @4:00PM
Our Lady of Ilige
Ilige-Kattara on Sunday, September 19th @11:00AM
LF Martyr Memorial Mass
Today, a memorial service was held for the LF Martyrs at Our Lady of Harissa Basilic at noon. Thousands of LF supporters attended the event. To read about the event click here. To view pictures please click here.
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