Yes, Hope Still Exists

By Peter J. Tanous

Is there a word stronger than "elusive" to describe the seemingly impossible quest for peace in Lebanon? The year 1989 has been particularly grueling and bloody for the Lebanese, beginning with General Aoun's "war of liberation" in March and ending in a political stalemate resulting from the Taif Accord which saw the election and assassination of one president, the election of another, and a continuing standoff with General Aoun and his legion of followers who do not accept the Taif Accord or the new government.

To those of us who comprise the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL), hope still exists. To begin with, we can cite our own experience as an organization. The task force includes nearly one hundred prominent Americans of Lebanese heritage who care deeply about the fate of Lebanon and are eager to help in any way we can. In our case, help involves political action in Washington, where we maintain an office under the direction of Executive Director Tanya Rahall. A principal tenet of the task force is that our group does not take sides in the internal conflict in Lebanon. Our membership includes Americans whose personal backgrounds mirror those of every group found in Lebanon and we refuse to be polarized by internal divisiveness. The task force takes positions, not sides, and we communicate our views while we attempt to enlist increased US help to resolve the conflict in Lebanon. Underlying our efforts is our hope that if Lebanese Americans of all different backgrounds and religions can agree on a course of action, we expect that the Lebanese can as well.

The problem at the core of today's political impasse is the presence of Syrian and Israeli forces on Lebanese soil with no definite prospect of their withdrawal. It is ironic that this fact is the central point of dispute, since it is precisely the point on which the Lebanese agree. No one wants a permanent presence of any occupying forces. At the meeting of the task force's executive committee and board of directors in Washington on Nov. 17 and 18, a statement on Lebanon was drafted and unanimously endorsed by both bodies. In the statement, the ATFL urged all parties in Lebanon to unite without precondition. The statement went on to declare: "You must renounce violence and all unite in order to achieve your goals of a free, independent sovereign Lebanon. If you remain divided you will fail. Unity is essential to the ultimate goals which you all share for Lebanon."

Of course, unity means compromise. It is imperative that neither Syria nor the Lebanese government attempt to dislodge General Aoun by force and we have insisted on this point in direct conversations with high US government officials. It is crucial that some accommodation be found between General Aoun and the new government which will allow the government to operate and also allow General Aoun to persevere in his quest for a free and sovereign Lebanon.

The members of the task force are eager to use their combined clout to help in the reconstruction and future prosperity of a united Lebanon. We only hope that that day will soon be upon us.

Peter Tanous is executive vice president and director of Bank Audi (USA). He is chairman of the American Task Force for Lebanon