Articles

OCTOBER 13, 1990: THE "GOOD" LEGACY OF MICHAEL AOUN

On October 13, 1990, the Lebanese Republic, which was the first free,  pluralistic, and democratic state in the greater Middle East region ceased to exist after the Syrian regime backed by Iran and their lackeys attacked and occupied the Baabda Presidential Palace. Their main aim was to oust General Michael Aoun who was the Prime Minister of an interim government appointed for a single mission-prepare for the presidential elections.  To everyone’s surprise, the palace was already vacant and Aoun who promised the world that he was the “last one to leave Lebanon” and that he was going to fight to death with the “kitchen knife” was nowhere to be found. After the dust of the battle cleared, Aoun was found hiding in the basement of the French embassy. It tunred out that once the Sukhoi fighter jets flew over Baabda, Aoun contacted the French ambassador and secured his escape along with his two ministers Issam Abou jamra and Edghar Maalouf leaving their soldier, and families, at the mercy of the invaders. Monsieur Le General turned out to be Le géant De Papier-an alligator mouth with chicken legs (Abu Marajel) whose fiery yet baseless slogans of resistance and liberation drove the Lebanese adrenalin for months but only to fail to live up to his promises on the day of engagement, October 13, destroying everything in the process. 

For those who are too young to know Michael Aoun and for those whose memory suffers from amnesia, here’s what you need to know from Aoun’s biography in brief. After his infamous AWOL from the Lebanese Army on October 13, 1990, leaving his army commanders and soldiers to be slaughtered by the Syrian invaders while he ran away and hid at the basement of the French Embassy, Aoun was transported to France after he announced his surrender to the enemies. (General was a rank to which he was promoted due to Syrian’s pressure on the Lebanese President back in 1984) Later on, Aoun sought and received political asylum after he promised that he was not to play politics from France. Thereafter, he spent 15 years in a fancy neighborhood in Paris.  While AWOL is a serious crime in any given army, AWOLING during war is a deadly sin, to say the least, punished by imprisonment and dishonorable discharge. Hence, one might believe that this is Aoun’s darkest and most dishonorable legacy.  However, what Aoun have been doing since that sad date will make October 13, his “good” legacy in comparison.

During his vacation in Paris, instead of reflecting on his historic mistakes and the horrifying crimes he committed against the Lebanese people during his two-year tenure (1988-1990), Aoun continued playing his favorite game of manipulating the Lebanese people and distorting history. Furthermore, he knew how to cover up his defeat and blunders by playing the patriotic victim.  Unfortunately, many fell for him, for he is one of the best actors and a demagogue dictator the world has seen. Thus, instead of holding him accountable for his failure to respect the institutions of the country, and for his crimes against the people by hanging him in Public Square, the good yet desperate Lebanese gathered around him and supported his phony claims and fancy slogans-Freedom, Sovereignty, and independence. To his luck, such accountability exists only in developed countries. Therefore, Aoun has gotten away with his documented theft and crimes against his people, both military and civilians. In fact, Aoun was not even held accountable as a military leader, and or as a politician whose unsystematic actions, to say the least, resulted in defeating the Lebanese resistance, and in the loss of everything which was established or gained since the beginning of the 1975 war, or since independence. He brought free and independent Lebanon to its knees placing it under the occupation of the criminal Syrian Baath regime.  

In other words, Aoun handed over to Syria all of the Lebanese resistance victories and achievement, for which young men and women fought for decades sacrificing their lives in the process. Such absolute defeat could have happened only if the decision maker, Aoun in this case, was and still is a traitor and a collaborator. When faced with this humiliating reality, Aoun replied” “who would’ve guaranteed that I would stay alive on that day?” (No one asked Aoun whether the soldiers he left behind fighting his senseless war have had any guarantees.)

Furthermore, when Aoun ran away from Baabda Palace to the French embassy on October 13, leaving his soldiers to die alone, he made sure that he left no one standing behind. He did not inform his commanders to surrender but instead he left them fight to death. In his two devastating years in reign, Aoun made sure that everything in the country was destroyed from the Lebanese Army, to the Lebanese Forces, and to all government institutions as well. There was absolutely nothing left on which others can pick up the pieces to rebuild a nation or a resistance. Such ruthless crime deserves nothing less than the noose in a public square, but to Aoun’s luck, that, too, only happens in countries, which practice accountability and sound judgment. The irony is that Aoun has the nerve to speak of victories, honor, and accountability.

Fifteen years later, the “savior” of the Lebanese people in general and the Christians in particular has returned for a second round of destruction. He came back after striking a deal, which would guarantee his safety.  I, he would have to re-destroy whatever was built in the last 15 years in Lebanon from civil infrastructure to government institutions. It is the same new/old mission from the same new/old master-Syria. He returned on a white horse with the justice sword in his hand. At least that’s how he tried to portray himself when he compared himself to Napolon. Ironically, to the astonishment of, both, the sane and the insane, the lambs he slaughtered 15 years earlier welcomed him with open arms. However, it was he, the “savior,” who has the same attitude of a bothered king who came out of his long siesta to save his people from the blunders of their own making, again. This old guy had the nerve to play his old trick by intimidating the people and the media which came to welcome him home. The moment he landed at the airport he began spiting his poisonous insults to the people and to the press by shouting at them like a crazy runaway fellow. It was that same press, which 15 years earlier he had harassed, sued, abused and closed down.  In any civilized society, the press would have uncovered all of his crimes and made sure that when he returns, he would land right in a prison cell where a criminal belongs. Instead, they welcomed him at the airport and cheered his return-the return of a dictator and an abuser of freedom of expression. What a pity!

Nevertheless, being the type that cannot survive without blood and chaos, Aoun immediately launched his erratic attacks on his new enemies-the Cedar Revolution’s leaders, whose stand up to Syria and its lackeys liberated Lebanon and made it possible for Aoun to return. Notwithstanding, Aoun was supposed to be arrested by the Lebanese authorities at the airport and he was supposed to be handcuffed and taken to jail for there was an arrest warrant issued by a Lebanese justice against him due to theft of public funds charges. However, an agreement sought between Aoun and his old/new ally the Syrian regime via its appointed president, Emile Lahoud, through Karim Pakradoni and Lahoud’s son, which prevented justice from being served. Accordingly, Aoun walks free into the land, which he has betrayed 15 years earlier. Thus, the painful saga returns.

Following the political maneuvering of Aoun since his return on May 7, 2005 is similar to watching a suspense Hollywood movie. The spectator can never expect the next shot (sometimes literally.) For example, after the renowned apology of Dr. Samir Geagea during the Lebanese Forces martyrs mass in Jounieh, we heard many absurd comments and analysis from the pro Syrio-Iranian lackeys. Some, such as Suleiman Frangieh, gave a medical diagnosis of Geagea’s personality affirming that Dr. Geagea suffers from a “struggle within” due to what Frangieh diagnosed as a “split personality.” Only in Lebanese politics a high school dropout would give a medical assessment of his rival, or patient in this case, on LIVE TV.  Never mind “doctor” Frangieh’s medical diagnosis for his formal education won’t qualify him to analyze the flavors of an ice cream cone, much less a psyche analysis. However, despite the humor and the absurdity of Frangieh’s behavior, his “play” comes second to that of Aoun’s who was astonished to the “poor” apology of Dr. Geagea. The latter has failed to follow the “proper procedure in apologizing.” Aoun’s anger stems from his dismay due to Geagea’s failure to submit proper apology. According to Aoun, Geagea was supposed to admit guilt while apologizing. He was supposed to “name the people from which he was apologizing and he was supposed to specify the crime for which he was apologizing.” Therefore, Aoun rejected Dr. Geagea’s apology in shape and in content as well.

Mr. Aoun hypocrisy is unmatched. While he is in no position to give lessons in “proper apologies,” he in fact owes the nation a thousand apologies. To name a few, Aoun needs to apologize for:

 The list goes on and on but these are only few crimes for which Aoun needs to apologize. However, last but not least, Aoun must apologize for misleading the people into believing that after its withdrawal in May 2005, Syria’s intentions towards Lebanon have become pure, and that the Syrian regime is innocent of the assassinations of the leaders of the Cedar Revolution.

Furthermore, Aoun is misleading people by diverting their attention from the grave problem of Hezbollah as a state within the state to the few Salafis in northern Lebanon, which are planted there by the Syrian Mukhabarat and which take orders from the Syrian security officials and from Hezbollah as well. Hasan Nasrallah’s warning to the Lebanese Army during its war on Nahr el Bared camp, which hosted Fateh al-Islam and Shaker Abssi, that defeating it was a “red line” is nothing but clear evidence of their “cozy” relationship.  Thus, when the Army refused to back down, Hezbollah assassinated the two officials responsible for defeating the terrorists; Lieutenant General François Hage and Lieutenant Wisam Eid.

Notwithstanding, Naher El_Bared camp was a “Red Line” to Hezbollah for it wanted to use its terrorists to destabilize the north at the request of the Syrian regime, which wanted to portray northern Lebanon as a haven for terrorism similar to Qandahar. Such role was then transferred to Hezbollah elements positioned in Jabal Mohsen but failed to achieve the aspired results, which is a full scale war that would require the involvement of the Syrian troops to restore law and order. This plan failed due to the fact that the terrorists in Naher el Bared were destroyed and the elements related to Hezbollah did not have the manpower to execute the mission. Since Aoun announced many times that his support to Hezbollah was global and comprehensive, then he is guilty by association not to say an accomplice to Hezbollah which committed such crimes against the people in Tripoli, the Lebanese Army, and the Internal Security Services.

Having said that, it is important to note that Aoun has been a dilemma for Lebanon and the Lebanese people. He is regularly creating problems and causing chaos. He is an individual that can only survive during chaos. Therefore, in order to keep himself relevant and in order to strive, he is constantly creating problems and launching new wars. Sometimes he even creates a fight and settles it in the same press conference without the need for anyone’s participation or interference. While this sounds unreal and humorous, it is very actual and true. It is very harmful to the economic and security stability of the country for since his return, Lebanon has not seen a single normal day. This is the only role that Aoun can play and it is the only way that he can be relevant on the Lebanese political scene and he knows it.

Moreover, since his appearance on the Lebanese scene, Aoun has proven to be impotent in political leadership, just as he was incompetent in military resistance, as well as in striking alliances. Even though Hezbollah, which is in dire need for Aoun’s political and Christian cover is agitated with Aoun. This was obvious after the Hezbollah attack on the Lebanese Army in Sujud where Hezbollah killed Army Lieutenant Pilot Samer Hana. Hezbollah’s leadership rejected Aoun’s “question[ing] to the army’s authority,” and his attempt to “cast doubt on the army’s intentions” for flying over Sujud. It was a clear indication that Aoun has crossed the authority and the mission given to him by Hezbollah. Therefore, such announcement by Hezbollah was to reprimand Aoun and to put him in his place, as a lackey, while he has been trying to portray himself to his people as an ally to Hasan Nasrallah with equal status and importance.    

In brief, despite the gravity of Aoun’s cowardice act and his dishonorable AWOL on October 13, 1990, his misconducts afterwards and the harm he has caused the people outweigh his crime of AWOLING. In reality, abandoned the entire country and destroyed all the “principles” for which the Lebanese stand. While it is hard to define Aoun in one term, it is fair to say that he is the closest to being a parasite who can only survive by sucking the blood of others, which are the Lebanese people. In fact, Aoun caused more harm and destruction to the Lebanese people, more than their enemies combined have.

Nonetheless, despite the bleak situation, which Aoun has created, there is a potential solution. The 2009 elections will give the power and the opportunity to the people in order to decide which Lebanon they want. The Lebanon of Hezbollah, Assem Qanso, Michael Aoun, and Rustom Ghazali, or the Lebanon of Bashir and Pierre Gemayel, Gebran khalil, Rafiq Hariri, Mufti Shamseldine, Mufti Hasan Khaled, President Camile Chamoun? The Lebanese, mainly the Christians, will decide the direction of this nation when they cast their votes in the next parliamentary elections of 2009. We are hopeful as we project that the Lebanese people who suffered the most from Aoun’s deadly blunders will have the necessary wisdom and political enlightenment to vote for the culture of life and to bring down once and forever the destructive and painful saga of the Rabieh madman, also known as Michael Aoun.  

Pierre Maroun

Secretary General

American Lebanese Coordination Council

Secgeneral@alcc-research.com