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 turned 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 soldiers, 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 high 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(desertion ) 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 humiliating 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 has been doing since that sad and dark 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 truth and 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 ever 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 crimes of documented theft and for his 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 of 1943. 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 achievements, 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. Instead of informing his commanders to surrender, he rather left them fight to death. In fact, 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 in order to rebuild a nation, or a resistance, or even a community. He destroyed everything. 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 in this situation 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 home for a second round of destruction. He came back after striking a deal, which would guarantee his safety as long as he re-destroy whatever was built in the last 15 years in Lebanon from civil infrastructure, to government institutions, and to national community. 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 Napoleon. 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 of 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 shouting at them like a crazy runaway felon. It was that same press, which 15 years earlier he 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, the Lebanese media 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 charges related to his theft of public funds. 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, prevented justice from being served. Accordingly, Aoun walked free into the land, which he has betrayed 15 years earlier to be welcomed by the people he slaughtered. 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 Syria-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. According to Aoun, Dr. Geagea has failed to follow the “proper procedure in apologizing” for he was supposed to “name the people to whom he was apologizing and he was supposed to specify the crime for which he was apologizing.” In other words, Aoun wanted Dr. Geagea to admit guilt while apologizing, but failed to do so. Therefore, he rejected his apology in shape, as well as in substance. If this is not an insult to our intelligence, then what is?

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:
a) Turning his back on his soldiers and people on October, 13, 1990 when he launched a senseless war, and ran away to save himself;
b) All the kidnapped and murdered soldiers and innocent citizens due to his foolish wars;
c) Every Lebanese Army Lieutenant he arrested, abused, and imprisoned i.e. MP Aontoine Saad, only because they opposed his destructive plans and crazy views;
d) The families of the Lebanese Forces that were killed by Aoun’s war against them in order to “unite the resistance,” yet, he does not apply the same theory for Hezbollah;
e) Stealing people’s donations, which were given to fund the war of liberation and not to secure a lavish life in Paris for him and his wife;
f) Illegally transferring public funds to his wife’s name in Paris, France;
g) His bombing of the UNESCO and the killing of innocent children, women, and elders;
h) His coup d’état against March 14 people whose demonstrations liberated the country from the Syrian occupation;
i) His betrayal of the activists who created the Free Patriotic Movement;
j) Turning against the principles for which the people have fought and died for 15 years;
k) Abandoning his 2005 campaigning program, on which he was elected;
l) Turning the FPM into a family business to support his son-in-laws, especially Jebran Bassil;
m) Selling out the Christians trust by abandoning the call to establish a strong Lebanese state, but instead he is supporting their arch enemy, Hezbollah and its weapons until the end of the Arab-Israeli conflict;
n) Constantly disrespecting and vulgarly attacking the Maronite Patriarch, physically in 1989;
o) Scheming with the Syrians to weaken the church and the Christians in Lebanon;
p) Cherishing and supporting Hassan Nasrallah whose main aim is to establish a Shiite state, and to take over the districts of Jbail and Keserwan as stated in one of his speeches;
q) Killing the Christians’ morals and values in our people by destroying our sacred principles, for which our ancestors for fought centuries;
r) Creating a hostile and chaotic atmosphere which weakened the Lebanese security agencies and which empowered terrorists to bomb and kill innocent civilians and leaders of the Cedar Revolution;
s) Being morally responsible, to say the least, for the assassination of Sheik Pierre Gemayel;
t) Spreading rumors to deviate people’s attention from the real killers of MP Gemayel into making them believe that a member of the March 14 group was behind the heinous crime;
u) Using Hezbollah’s weapons to threaten and to intimidate his political rivals;
v) Claiming victory of the May 7-8 horrendous and barbaric attack by Hezbollah/AMAL thugs against Lebanese citizens;
w) Becoming an ally of Syria which destroyed Lebanon, stole its wealth, and killed its people for over 30 years;
x) Being an ally of Iran which is using Lebanon as an arena to fight its own wars;
y) Supporting Hezbollah’s arrogant and uncalculated war in 2006, which destroyed Lebanon’s villages and infrastructure;
z) Claiming victory of the 2006 senseless war, which killed over 1200 innocent Lebanese people;

Furthermore, Aoun also needs to provide explanations and to also apologize for:

aa) Weam Wahab, Nasir Qandil and all the Syrian lackeys since time has proved that he attacked them from France not because of their allegiance to Syria at the expense of Lebanon but because he was envious of their relationship with the Assad regime;
bb) Not participating in any constructive plan or project for Lebanon, ever;
cc) Destroying everything on which he was entrusted;
dd) Making the Taef Accord of 1989, the only way for the Christians to end the blood bath in the country;
ee) Being a poisonous mole which caused disintegration and destruction to all national political parties, including the Lebanese Army, which he turned into a militia;
ff) Accusing Prime Minister Siniora of theft, yet failing to provide solid evidence;
gg) Threatening and intimidating the media and journalists;
hh) Suing media outlets and reporters who oppose his political line and views;
ii) Betraying Bashir Gemayel by allying himself with his killers-the SSNP;
jj) Betraying all martyrs by paying tribute to Imad Mugheneyah’s grave on the 26th anniversary of electing Bashir Gemayel a President of the republic of Lebanon;
kk) Not paying tribute to martyr Dany chamoun who, according to his brother Dori, was killed because of Aoun’s reckless actions;
ll) Causing the assassination of President Rene Mouawad;
mm) Disrespecting the family of martyr Samer Hana by portraying him as responsible for his own assassination in order to protect the actual killers-Hezbollah;
nn) Leaving his wife and daughter behind in Baabda Palace while he ran away to save his life, which is, after all, the only thing that matters to such an egoist;
oo) Using France to live in peace and dignity for 15 years, but only to attack its leaders after he returned to Lebanon and after he became a Syria-Iranian puppet;
pp) Betraying the good will of the United Sates and its Congress which opened its doors for him and provided a podium to attack Syria, but only to turn against it after he returned to Lebanon and became a Hezbollah lackey;
qq) Destroying the image of Lebanon the beautiful, which Gibran Khalil, Fairuz, Charles Malik and many other great legends have worked hard to bring to light, only to find Aoun promoting the culture of hate and death by allying himself with the Iranian mullahs and Hezbollah;
rr) God, for he cast doubts over His wisdom and the quality of His creations and by giving Him a bad name;
ss) His own mother, for she certainly did not intend to give birth to such a harmful madman…

The list of his misconducts goes on and on, but these are only few crimes for which Aoun needs to apologize. 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 crimes and assassinations of the leaders of the Cedar Revolution.

Furthermore, Aoun is misleading the people regarding terrorism by diverting their attention from the grave problem of Hezbollah as a state within the state by focusing on 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. Hassan 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 camp was a “red line” is nothing but a 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 of the Internal Security Forces.

Notwithstanding, Naher El-Bared camp was a “Red Line” to Hezbollah for they 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. Consequently, such role was transferred to Hezbollah’s elements positioned in Jabal Mohsen. However, they 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 it is logical to assume that he is guilty by association, not to say that he is an accomplice to Hezbollah, which committed crimes against the people of 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 its 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, he is constantly creating problems and launching new senseless wars. Sometimes Aoun actually creates a fight and settles it in the same press conference without any need for anyone else’s participation or interference. While this sounds unreal and humorous, it is very actual and
very true. It is also very harmful to the economic and security stability of the country for since his return, Lebanon has not seen one single normal day. This is the only role that Aoun can play and it is the only way 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 and incompetent in military resistance, as well as in striking alliances. Even though Hezbollah is in dire need for Aoun’s political and Christian cover, his leadership 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 followers as an ally to Hassan 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 Lebanese people outweigh his crime of AWOLING. In reality, he abandoned the entire country and he 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 its host, which are in this case the Lebanese people. In fact, Aoun has caused harm and destruction to the Lebanese people more than their entire enemies have in over 30 years. He is simply the Trojan Horse of Lebanon first republic, which brought its demise. 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. Do they want the Lebanon of Hezbollah, Assem Qanso, Michael Aoun, and Rustom Ghazali, or do they want the Lebanon of Bashir and Pierre Gemayel, Gebran khalil, Rafiq Hariri, Mufti Shamseldine, Mufti Hassan Khaled, and 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. We are hopeful as we project that the Lebanese people, mainly the Christians, 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 is the Secretary General of the American Lebanese Coordination Council

Disclaimer: Authors assume full responsibility for the content of their articles. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Ya Libnan or any of its affiliates.

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