A realistic Analysis of a Historic Security Council Stance

Beirut, 21 Oct 04, By Gebran Tueni

Finally the UN Security Council has unanimously endorsed the long-awaited presidential statement. It is a very important statement that constitutes a quantum leap in the international approach to the Lebanese issue and confirms that the Security Council is serious about his intention to help Lebanon recover its independence, sovereignty and freedom of decision. No doubt that the importance of the statement lies in the fact that it is annexed to the resolution 1559 and the UN Secretary General's report. And unlike the resolution 1559, it was unanimously approved. This means that the unanimous endorsement of the implementation mechanism of the resolution 1559 is tantamount to a unanimous endorsement of the resolution itself and the Secretary General's report. This is a triumph for the Lebanese people who are eager to see their country recover its independence, sovereignty and freedom of decision, as well as a triumph for the international community, especially France and the United States that sponsored the resolution. This important achievement was an indirect answer to the declarations of Syria's "Talleyrand", the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Farouk Al-Sharaa who described the resolution as trivial and unimportant. He thus reflected the lowness with which Syria deals with the international issues and overlooked the importance of the resolution given the regional situation. Therefore, we ask Mr. Al-Sharaa: Have the Security Council, the international community and the United Nations become trivial in his opinion? Has the whole world become trivial in the opinion of the "bright" minister because it asserted its attachment to Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity? Anyway, the international community is familiar with the irresponsible or rather trivial comments and declarations of Mr. Al-Sharaa, especially those that are in direct relation with the Lebanese affairs! The presidential statement unanimously endorsed by the Security Council, the resolution 1559 and the Annan's report on the implementation of the resolution are complementary and integral documents. Although Syria was not mentioned in the resolution, the report named it and considered that it intervened in the Lebanese presidential election and the constitutional amendment in order to extend President Lahoud's mandate. Most importantly, the Presidential statement stipulates that the Secretary General must submit a report on the implementation of the resolution 1559 to the Security Council every six months. This means that the mechanism of implementation has been endorsed by virtue of this historic statement and that the Council can hold a meeting whenever it deems necessary, to follow up the implementation of the provisions of resolution 1559. This mechanism also confirms the seriousness of the members of the Security Council and their insistence on the implementation of the resolution so that it would not become a dead letter! In spite of the official Lebanese and Syrian stances that oppose the resolution, there is a fundamental reality that cannot be denied. Everyone who is keen on Lebanon must support all the provisions of the resolution of the Security Council that, contrary to the accusations, did not intervene in the Lebanese internal affairs but took an initiative compatible with the UN Charter that stipulates the need to protect the member states, their entity and their freedom of decision against any external interference in their domestic affairs. We may not hear public declarations that support the resolution 1559 for reasons that are known to everybody. However, the resolution was welcomed by the majority of the Lebanese people who considered that it was the first time the international community took a serious action to put an end to a dark episode of its relations with Lebanon thus transforming it from a scene of conflicts into a homeland. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the resolution 1559 is tantamount to a declaration of war on Syria by its supporters. Nor should it lead to a declaration of war by Syria on the resolution's advocates. On the contrary, if the Lebanese and Syrian officials adopt a positive approach at the level of the political performance, this may put an end to the predicament and lead to a reconciliation with the Lebanese interior and the international community. In fact, it is really naïve to think that the answer to resolution 1559 can be through the transformation of Lebanon into a police state ruled by a one-line and one-man government that enters into confrontation with the inside and outside at the same time! This would be a dangerous jump into the unknown and have a negative impact on both Lebanon and Syria, as well as on confidence building that is needed to put things back on track between the two countries. The right way to find a solution to the current impasse is through openness, dialogue, acceptance of the others and positive participation in the reestablishment of the Lebanese political life on sound and clear bases in a calm and peaceful atmosphere that allows to make up for the errors and disorder resulting form the extension of Lahoud's term and restore equilibrium in the Lebanese-Syrian relations.