Chirac made history when he refused to join the US, his strategic ally, in its war on Iraq. He defied the only superpower because he believed that it was wrong to wage a war to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime without any solid evidence that he was developing weapons of mass destruction.

Making such a serious decision, Chirac was relying on pluralism. Until the last moment, he wanted the international community to press ahead with the inspection for weapons and put more pressure on Saddam to spare Iraq and the whole region the disaster, which started with the US army entering Iraq without a successful strategy.

The president, who in the course of blaming Italy's participation in the Iraq war told former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi that democracy could not be exported by tanks, leaves the presidential palace today keen on submitting his successor a file which he had sponsored with utmost care, the independent , sovereign and free Lebanon.

At the beginning of his term, when Syria was still under late President Hafez Assad, Chirac thought it possible to open up to that country, contribute to ending its isolation, assist in its recovery, and have it leave Lebanon to live as an independent, sovereign , and freed country as was the wish of his very dear friend, the martyr of independence, Rafik Hariri, who paid his life for this!

Chirac did overcome all the international financial obstacles that faced Syria to settle the issue of its bilateral debt to France; a problem that was supposed to be resolved by the International Monetary Fund. He was always ready to develop friendly relations with Syria, and help it understand that reviving Lebanon was in its best interests, and that the administration of the late Rafik Hariri was the best one for this revival.

However, after all such efforts, he was disappointed when Syria refused to accept all that which he had offered.

When Chirac and his friend, Prime Minister Hariri, realized that President Bashar Assad and his ruling party did not want Lebanon to become independent and sovereign, he agreed with President George Bush concerning to co-sponsor UN Resolution 1559 which called for Lebanon's freedom and independence from Syria and disarming all the militia .

It is well known that Hariri has sought such a resolution, which resulted in his assassination, upon which Chirac supported expelling the Syrian army from Lebanon.

Chirac is now leaving, satisfied that he has handed over to Sarkozy his precious file, i.e. the establishment of an international tribunal to try the killers of Hariri, Basil Fleihan, their companions, Gibran Tueni, Samir Kassir, George Hawi, and Pierre Gemayel.

He is satisfied because he knows that his successor's policy toward Lebanon would continue, which was clear during their trilateral meeting with the president of the Future Movement and the parliament majority leader , Saad Hariri, at the Elysee last week.

As for the Arab-Israeli conflict, Chirac had adopted fair stances that had impacted greatly all over the Arab World. No one could forget his famous visit to Israel when he clashed with the Israeli authorities.

In addition, it was President Chirac who refused to abide by the US order imposing isolation on late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. Chirac remained by Arafat's side till the last moment. He received him in France for treatment, and was so keen to pay him tribute when he passed away at the Percy Military Hospital as befits the symbol of the Palestinian people.

Unable as he was to press the US administration for a solution for the Arab-Israeli conflict, the stances of Chirac in this regard were very distinct as he always called for a viable Palestinian state urging the Quartet to execute the roadmap. However, he could not convince the EU to continue its aid to the Palestinians after the Hamas government assumed power.

Moreover, Chirac was so careful to rely on the triangle comprising France, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the two most important Arab countries, keeping them in the picture of any action he takes.

Farewell then to a president who has left his mark in an Arab world that will miss his constant actions and contacts with one leader or another to urge seeking solutions to major problems.

Farewell to Lebanon's friend

Picture: President Jacque Chirac (R) with his friend Rafik Hariri

By: Randa Takieddin

Sources: Al-Hayat