From: bh437292@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu (Basil Hamdan)
Subject: Re: Senators on Lebanon (Part I)
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 22:22:15 GMT
Reply-To: bh437292@lance.colostate.edu
Organization: Engineering College, Colorado State University

In article <1992Nov10.205727.20393@trl.oz.au>, faris@sarcasm.trl.OZ.AU (Aziz Faris) writes:
|> In article <1992Nov9.123223.13294@njitgw.njit.edu>, elie@hdtv.njit.edu (Elie I. Mourad) writes:
|> |> 
|> |> Excerpts of letters received by CLAO at their 3rd annual convention.
|> |> 
|> |> 
|> |> "Lebanon's day shall come. The day when Lebanon is free of Syrian hegemony
|> |> will be a day of celebration"
|> |>                                                     Sen. Alfonse D'Amato
|> |>
|>  
|> This is the same D'Amato who was in Israel the day that Saddam was sending
|> his rockets, I am surprised that the Lebanese would associate with slime.


Sen. D' Amato is probably the stauchest Israeli supporter in the Senate.
He received extensive financing form AIPAC, and won his reelection
in spite of serious ethics violations, for which the Senate had
reprimanded him.  He conducted a very dirty campaign and won.
I have a strong dislike for this Senator. 

|> What is wrong with "Greater Syria". 

Nothing, except that it should not be imposed by Syria on Lebanon by 
Assad as is currently the case.  If our countries are mature enough
to seek democratic union, then maybe yes, but not under the current
conditions that would strip Lebanon of its identity, right to self-
determination and sovereignty.  If you believe as I do that the Palestinians
have those rights, than surely you should extend that to the Lebanese. 


|> |> "I share your deep concern about the defacto occupation of Lebanon
|> |> by Syria, and I will continue to work towards helping Lebanon
|> |> become a truly free and democratic nation."
|> |>                                                     Sen. Charles E. Grassley
|> 
|> I have never heard of this fellow before, I guess he must be a new Israeli
|> puppet who thinks that the M.E. is Israel.

Sen. Grassley of Iowa also won a narrow reelection campaign, he is
another senator heavily supported by AIPAC.

|> |> 
|> |> "I want youto know that I share your concern about the continuing 
|> |> occupation of Lebanon by Syrian forces. I support the sovereignty,
|> |> independence, and territorial integrity of Lebanon, with a 
|> |> central government strong enough to unite its people, maintain order
|> |> adn live in peace in the region."
|> |>                                                     Sen. Edward M. Kennedy
|> 
|> This is a big surprise from good old teddy, I did not even know that he is
|> aware of the Middle East and its problems. I thought he spent most of his
|> effort teaching morality and searching for moist and warm holes.

This is a crude and unwarranted remark.  I think your use of such
a language is inappropriate in this newsgroup.  And, by the way,
Sen. Kennedy is one of the best Senators, he has worked on important
legislation, he is an independent thinker but I think he gets a lot of
bad press, and as he acknowledged, his personal behavior has accounted
for much of that, something that you will rarely hear any other Senator
to admit.

 
|> I have always had a high regard for Lebanese as good and objective thinkers.
|> It appears that the new generation has become another tool in the hands of
|> western powers and Zionism.

We are not "another tool in the hands of western powers and Zionism".
It is wrong to bunch all of the "new generation" of Lebanese as such 
just because some of us do not want to  part of "Greater Syria" under the
current conditions.   I wonder what your response would be if Saddam 
tried to force Syria to unite with him before the Gulf War.
You keep talking in principle which is all fine, but the 
facts of unity, are that Syria is not the saint that you so proudly defend.
It is using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in the Middle East peace talks,
and its President Assad is not the defender of Arabism in the face
"imperialism and zionism", in fact now he is in bed with the Americans
and is conducting substantive Peace Talks with the Israelis, which
might end with a compromise solution at the expense of Lebanon.
You say "America thrived on sucking the blood of poor and weak nations",
I think Syria is now doing the same to Lebanon.  This past summer
the Lebanese Social Security or "Daman" signed a treaty with Syria
according to all Syrians working in Lebanon full benefits from 
our Social Security funds.  Syria has imposed a number of other treaties
on our government that are detrimental to Lebanon and benefit Syria.
Is Syria following the lead of the "zionists" and the "imperialists" ?


|> A.Faris 

Basil Hamdan
Newsgroups: soc.culture.hongkong