LebaneseForces.com: Fighting for Freedom

Lebanon Forces Sadem Airborne Breast Badge

I found someone on ebay selling the Sadem Airborne breast badge. I understood only 20 of these were ever given out. This is your chance to own one. At the moment there isn't much time at all left for the auction so hurry. This is the description from the auction: "This is an old, mint condition Lebanese Sadem Special Forces Company airborne breast badge worn sometime in the 1980's or early 1990's. It has exactly the same colors and type construction as the airborne beret badge, but is a smaller size. This badge has 2 vertical loops on the reverse through which a small cotter pin passes to fasten it to the uniform."
click here to go to the auction page on ebay

update: the auction has ended. someone purchased this rare badge for $98!

Posted by 40-Tactical on Sunday, August 31, 2003 | Permalink

Wa Lil Chahadati Kawafil Kawafil

"An Nanssa Lan Nanssa.." This quote is the essence of our cause and our struggle as Lebanese Forces. Our martyrs died for us to live freely and for us to praise them and live to their memory. The Greatest of sins is to forget them or use their names for political or other selfish purposes.

This Year Rabtit Ilige, is organizing a mass in the memory of the martyrs of the Lebanese Christian resistance on the 21st September, 2003 at 11:00AM, in Mayfou2, Al Kattara.

The event will take place at the St. Ilige Church, the church that has witnessed the struggle of the Maronites throughout the decades has become a home for thousands of our martyrs and a symbol of resistance for the Christians in the dark years.

Let us all pray for our martyrs on this day, and pray for the glory of our lady of Eleige.
click here to view the invitation card hosted on L-F.org

Posted by 40-Tactical on Saturday, August 30, 2003 | Permalink

Iraq's Mass Destruction Weapons Buried in Lebanon's Bekaa?

U.S. intelligence World Tribune newsletter has quoted American intelligence agencies as saying they are now convinced that Iraq's mass destruction weapons had been smuggled to east Lebanon's Bekaa Valley along the Syrian border before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. "These weapons are currently guarded around-clock by Syrian and Iranian troops in addition to Hizbullah's fighters and former Iraqi army officers," the World Tribune reported, according to the UAE Al Khaleej newspaper.

The CIA, the report said, did monitor a movement of military trucks towing containers from Iraq to Lebanon via Syria in January, 2003, but did not lend any significance to the convoys. The World Tribune, whose credibility leaves much to be desired, claimed in its latest edition that U.S. intelligence experts were now convinced that the January convoys carried long-range Iraqi Scud missiles with chemical and biological warheads.

The same newsletter had on May 13 accused Firas Tlass, elder son of Syrian Defense Minister Gen. Mustafa Tlass, of having concluded a multimillion-dollar deal to buy and sell weapons and oil from Iraq. It also reported in its Aug. 27 edition that another multimillion-dollar deal was concluded between Saddam Hussein's regime and Syria to hide Iraq's mass destruction weapons in the Bekaa. But the World Tribune admitted that inquiries conducted by the Bush administration in Damascus and Beirut to verify these reports had "produced nothing essentially useful."

Taken from Naharnet

Posted by 40-Tactical on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 | Permalink

Rift Tears Gemayel Family Apart

Nadim Gemayel, son of the assassinated President Bashir Gemayel, is rapidly emerging as a serious political rival to his cousin, Metn MP Pierre Gemeyal, kindling a family feud reminiscent of acrimony that marred relations between their fathers in the 1980s. The tension peaked this week after the two young Gemayels publicly announced their allegiances in the Sept. 14 Baabda-Aley by-election to fill a parliamentary seat vacated by MP Pierre Helou's sudden death earlier this month. Pierre Gemayel, son of former President Amin Gemayel, is backing the deceased MP's son, Henry Helou; Nadim, has offered open support for Hikmat Deeb, a far right candidate supported by followers of exiled former army commander Gen. Michel Aoun. The by-election has brought to the surface a power struggle, which the family had tried to keep under wraps since Nadim Gemayel began showing an interest in politics when he turned 21 earlier this year.

The developments have catapulted into the limelight a feudal family that captivated the Lebanese in the 1980s, producing two president – Bashir who was assassinated in 1982 three weeks after his election, and Amin, who rode to power on an emotional wave that was gripping the nation, especially Christians, after the murder of his younger brother in a massive explosion in Ashrafieh. The discord adds another hurdle for the Christians as they struggle to regain some political clout, but are increasingly undermined by internal divisions, such as the split in the Phalange Party between supporters of its elected president, Karim Pakradouni, and "reformists," led by Amin Gemayel, who is seeking to recover control of the grouping his father founded in the 1930s.

"I did not expect my cousin to challenge me in his debut in politics," An Nahar Tuesday quoted Pierre Gemayel as saying in answer to a question about the rift with his cousin. But, he added, "Nadim remains like my brother Sami to me," insisting political differences would not lead to a family feud. Nadim Gemayel, for his part, also denied any "personal differences" with his cousin, but in politics, they differ. "My politics are based on principles, others are inspired by personal circumstances and calculations," said the young man who looks and sounds like his father – and certainly displays the same determination.

Taken from Naharnet

Posted by 40-Tactical on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 | Permalink

Détails de la Commémoration, place Sassine, de l’élection de Béchir Gemayel

Une cérémonie a été organisée samedi, place Sassine, par les compagnons du président martyr Béchir Gemayel, à l’occasion du vingt et unième anniversaire de son élection à la présidence de la République, le 23 août 1982, et en prévision de la messe commémorant son assassinat qui doit se dérouler le 14 septembre à Achrafieh.
En présence de Nadim Béchir Gemayel, le portrait de Béchir Gemayel a été installé en face du monument érigé à sa mémoire. Les personnes présentes ont entonné l’hymne national avant de se diriger vers le siège du parti Kataëb place Sassine, où s’est produit l’attentat, en septembre 1982.
Ils ont ensuite allumé des bougies, avant d’observer une minute de silence à la mémoire du président défunt.
Plusieurs compagnons de route de Béchir Gemayel, parmi lesquels Joe Eddé, Ibrahim Haddad, Massoud Achkar, Jean Bismargi et Walid Pharès, étaient présents à la cérémonie ainsi que les moukhtars d’Achrafieh, de Saïfi et de Rmeïl et des représentants de la Fondation Béchir Gemayel.
Des représentants kataëb ont également participé à l’événement, mais pas des responsables du bureau politique. Le chef du parti Kataëb, Karim Pakradouni, avait appelé les membres du parti à participer à la cérémonie.
Le représentant des Forces libanaises (FL) au sein du Rassemblement de Kornet Chehwane, Jean Aziz, le candidat du Courant patriotique libre (CPL-aouniste) au siège maronite de Baabda-Aley, Hikmat Dib, et l’ancien responsable de la section estudiantine des FL, Salmane Samaha, ont également pris part à cette commémoration.

Source: L'Orient Le Jour

Pour voir les images de cet événement, cliquez ici.

Posted by digitalDNA on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 | Permalink

Pictures from Sassine

We have pictures from todays event in Sassine. You can thank RAA for them. I will put up a brief on todays event tomorrow but for now enjoy the pictures.
click here to view the pictures

Posted by 40-Tactical on Saturday, August 23, 2003 | Permalink

Bashir's Picture in Sassine

This Saturday the 23rd of August, the Bachir Gemayel Foundation and many Bachir lovers will be installing a giant picture of Bashir Gemeyal at Sassine Square at 7 pm. Everyone is invited for this event.

Taken from BachirGemayel.org

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, August 21, 2003 | Permalink

Wa Lil Chahadati Kawafil Kawafil

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, August 21, 2003 | Permalink

Lahoud, Lebanon's Amrozi

At first glance, Lebanon's 'President' Emile Lahoud and Indonesia's terrorist mastermind Amrozi should have nothing in common. But careful study of both individuals reveals that they have a lot more in common than meets the eye. The most striking similarity is the constant annoying smiles that both men possess. Their comical facial expressions are so conspicuous that they have been given names such as "The smiling puppet'" for Lahoud and "The smiling bomber" for Amrozi. But the similarities are much more sinister than their identical smiles.

For a start, they both have used violence and murder to try to achieve their goals. In a massive car bomb attack in Bali, Amrozi and his cohorts killed 202 people, most of them young Australians and injured more than 300. Dozens of victims were burned beyond recognition or simply blown to pieces by the power of the massive blasts. Emile Lahoud has also been a willing participant in terrorist activities, during his tenure as allotted 'President'; Lebanon has witnessed a rise in terrorist acts. He has done nothing to fight terrorism and in actual fact condones terrorism and supports those who commit it.

Some might argue that Emile Lahoud has not personally been involved in planting bombs or the like therefore he cannot be accused of carrying out acts of terrorism. While it's true that he might not have gone and planted a bomb or he might not have personally attacked a student, the fact of the matter is that he has covered up and in some cases tried to justify these acts therefore this makes him just as guilty as those who committed the crimes.

Emile Lahoud in his capacity as appointed "President" of Lebanon has been responsible for the violent and brutal attacks on all those who oppose Syrian hegemony over Lebanon. He has directly and indirectly been involved in bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and horrific attacks on those who are peacefully seeking the freedom, sovereignty and independence of their country.

Just like Amrozi, Emile Lahoud is a puppet in the hands of others. He will stop at nothing to comply with the wishes of his masters. They are men who show no mercy or remorse to their fellow man. They both have put many innocent people through so much suffering and pain just to further their own selfish aims.

While these two men might be smiling now, history teaches us that justice does prevail. The day will come pretty soon when the smiles of both these evil men will be wiped straight off their face.

Charbel Khouri
The United Australian Lebanese Movement
Taken from Flaym.org

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, August 21, 2003 | Permalink

Rare Pictures on LFpics.com

LFpics.com is a side project created by LebaneseForces.com. This project's aim is to collect as many LF pics and put them together on one site for everyone to view. Most of the "unseen" pictures mentioned recently on other sites have been on LFpics.com for a few months now. Since the pictures also don't belong to the site but to all the LF, we refrain from "branding" the pictures with our logo or url so that everyone can enjoy the pictures without the distractions.

If you haven't checked out LFpics.com yet then please do and participate in its growth by adding pictures yourself to the gallery.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 | Permalink

A Life of an American Soldier

This is an email I got from a soldier who was stationed in the Kuwaiti desert before the U.S. attacked Iraq. Since the news is slow this week I though I would share this email with you:

-----------------

Kuwait is very sandy. We don't have much selection in anything.

Out here in the [base] we don't have any resturants like Doha's Army base or steady stores (or PX in military terms). The "roaming PX" comes by about once a week and offers mainly junk food and not much military required gear. Most of us are running short on our skivies. I really wish we had something out here to help us out. Well, we have the local Kuwaiti's that have a laundry service, but it takes 4 or 5 days minimum to get it back, and sometimes you don't get it all back. So, at very minimum you would have to have twice that to accomadate... most of us have 7 pair.

As far as food goes in the morning, it is a predictable menu. Tomorrow will be the same as today, so next week on any given day we will have pastries (normally a donut, pastry with fruit filling or glazed bread roll), a single piece of french toast (no syrup - ever - honey if your lucky), A spoonful of Hashbrowns, Watery style powdered eggs, some hot dog pieces and some egg rolls. There are corn flakes availiable if you prefer (whole milk). Salt and Pepper are a commodity and Sugar is only availiable during breakfast at the coffee bar (yes, they have coffee here.

Lunch will be a bagged nasty that must be eaten within 45 minutes (not sure, maybe it will self destruct or become contagious to other meals...). It has a sub (either hot dog, tuna, turkey or roast beef with lettuce and a ketchup packet), a bag of potato chips, a fruit item, a cookie (I think it's a cookie) with a nut in the middle, a juice box and a 250ml sized soda can.

Dinner is predictable too. Chicken (in some fashon) and Beef (in some fashon) with rice and a mixed vegtable and pita bread. There are either mashed potatos or choped potatos. There are little cakes if you'd like. That about describes dinner... unless we are lucky! Sometimes they actually have taco menu's, then we get to make tacos out of our beef and pita bread... Great!

Showers are alright. Most people leave them a mess though. We have large trailer's that have about 10-12 showers in each one, and a couple sinks. The only problem with those is that sometimes the powere will go out and we won't have any water pressure. Then we just have to go a couple days without a shower.

Sandstorms are horrible. We had one last week that knocked down our chow hall. It knocked down numerious other tents as well. That was the largest one we had. Wind is normal around here so it is nice to have goggles, last night we had a storm that I couldn't open my eyes in. In fact, just because it was late, I couldn't see more than 5 feet in front of me while using a flashlight. There was camp about a half mile away, but we couldn't see the lights that were on because of all the sand in the night air. So we got a little lost, went in a circle and finally found our way back to the tents. Those sand storms stur up a lot of dust. Many of us have trouble breathing out here, mostly during the sandstorms.

Camel herds are also seen from day to day just roaming the desert. That is nice to see. At least we have something to take pictures of.

About the worst part about being out here in the desert is that we have to be away from our spouses for the duration. I'm not sure if anyone knows how much stress that brings. And I'm not talking the type where you go on a buisness trip for a month and your spouse is at home. I'm talking about suddenly dropping everything you need to take care of on your spouse and hitting the road for 6 months, out in the desert, waiting for war. The stress that brings to the SPOUSE is amazing. Some of them simply can not handle it.

Do the majority of us want this war to start and get over with as soon as possible? YES.
Do the majority of us want to go back home? YES

We are in the middle of a desert, nothing around us for miles, and just sitting here waiting for the politics of war to decide when it will start. Waisting tax payers money while we just lounge around. Don't get me wrong here, we work 12 hour days 7 days a week. But what are we accomplishing? The war is not happening yet, we are just WAITING for it to.

At least we'll have stories to tell when this is over...

Posted by 40-Tactical on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 | Permalink

MP3s coming back?

I might have found a place to host the MP3's. I will find out by tomorrow. If this works out I will also be able to put up some new videos. Will keep everyone updated.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 | Permalink

Sfeir espère une libération de Geagea

Le patriarche Sfeir a exprimé l’espoir d’une libération du chef des Forces libanaises, Samir Geagea, au cours d’une messe célébrée à Bécharré à l’occasion d’une visite pastorale coïncidant avec la fête de l’Assomption. Le chef de l’Église maronite a effectué un parcours triomphal de Dimane vers Bécharré, en passant par Hasroun, Bfarcat et Bqaa’ Kafra, sous les vivats de fidèles, les arcs de triomphe et les pluies de pétales de fleurs, de riz et d’eau de fleurs d’oranger. À Bécharré, il a célébré la messe dans l’église as-Saydé (Notre-Dame), dont il a inauguré ensuite le salon d’honneur. Dans l’homélie qu’il a prononcée au cours de la messe, en présence des députés de la région et de Mme Sethrida Geagea, épouse de Samir Geagea, emprisonné depuis 1994, le patriarche Sfeir a souhaité pour les fidèles que « ceux des leurs qui demeurent emprisonnés soient relâchés ».

Source: L'Orient Le Jour

Posted by digitalDNA on Sunday, August 17, 2003 | Permalink

Audio Archive Closed

At the risk of having LebaneseForces.com shutdown by my webspace provider, I have been forced to close the Audio Archive section of this site. If I will reopen this section it will be with a small limited number of MP3s (maybe just the popular songs) but at the moment that seems very unlikely. If anyone can provide us with a server to host the files on please contact me at webmaster@lebaneseforces.com. We have around 100 MP3s and they use an average of 30GB of bandwidth a month. I am trying my best to find a solution for this big problem. Thank you.

Update: I just noticed Wanabka has most of the songs listed here. click here to visit their audio page.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Saturday, August 16, 2003 | Permalink

Solange Gemayel gives dinner in honor of Battle

The wife of assassinated president-elect Bashir Gemayel, Solange, held a dinner at her home gathering prominent opposition figures, social and media personalities to honor US Ambassador Vincent Battle.

Held Tuesday night, the dinner was attended by former President Amine Gemayel, Metn MPs Pierre Gemayel and Nassib Lahoud, Zghorta MP Nayla Mouawad, Batroun MP Butros Harb, Jbeil MP Fares Soueid, Kesrouan MP Mansour Bone and former MPs Gabriel Murr and Camille Ziade.

Also on hand were the wife of jailed Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, Setrida, Free Patriotic Movement representative retired General Nadim Lteif, Qornet Shehwan Gathering member Samir Franjieh, Lebanese Industrialists Association dean Jacques Sarraf, and political scientist Daoud Sayegh. Solange Gemayel praised the United States’ “historic step” in the region to “establish democracy, fight terrorism, make peace and give the people a taste of freedom.”

Taken from the DailyStar

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, August 14, 2003 | Permalink

OT: Is your computer restarting when you get online?

If you are having problems with your PC suddenly restarting once you get online thats because of an exploit. Windows programmers suck (thats why I use a Mac).
In any case to solve this problem please visit this page:
http://www.bob-records.com/microsoft

Posted by 40-Tactical on Wednesday, August 13, 2003 | Permalink

Old articles added to archives

Two more news articles were added to the News Archive today.

Aug 13, 2001
Jurists Doubt Validity of Hindi Video Confession on Israel Contact
Dec 11, 2001
Hindi, Bassil, Touma Indicted as Collaborators with Israel

Posted by 40-Tactical on Wednesday, August 13, 2003 | Permalink

Ghassan Touma

I have just added 3 news articles related to Ghassan Touma and 1 interview with him.

Interview (Located in the Special Features section)
Ghassan Touma: Samir Geagea is Innocent

News Articles:
Sep 9, 1997 Elie Akiki, Roger Tamraz and Ghassan Touma left alone
Mar 24, 1999 Addoum requests death penalty for Geagea
Aug 6, 2001 Life imprisonment for Ghassan Touma

Posted by 40-Tactical on Tuesday, August 12, 2003 | Permalink

Sitrida Geagea Takes LF Against Aounists in Baabda By-Election

The patriarch is skeptical of the process and the Christian opposition is split over inclinations to vote in Henri Hilou by consensus as successor for his late father, Baabda-Aley MP Pierre Hilou.

Hilou's sudden death last week left a Maronite seat in the district vacant, and despite what appeared to be initial consensus on keeping the post in the family for the remaining two years of the current Parliament's life, dissent is gradually surfacing. Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir told a delegation from Aley, visiting him at his summer resort of Diman on Sunday, "the choice is ultimately that of the voters." But, according to An Nahar, he cautioned that the bitter experience that followed the death of MP Albert Mokheiber last year made him wonder about the "consensus" factor in a democracy.

Sfeir was referring to the contest for a Metn Orthodox seat left vacant by Mokheiber which widened a rift between Metn MP Michel Murr, who backed Mokheiber's nephew, and his brother and political rival, Gabriel Murr. Gen. Michel Aoun, from his exile in France, decried the phenomenon of "political inheritance," saying it "murders democracy and eliminates the rights of voters." Aoun's followers in the so-called Free Patriotic Movement have been distributing leaflets urging voters to cast their ballots and resist the tendency to pack Parliament with supporters of the regime.

In contrast, the disbanded Lebanese Forces (LF) militia has supported Henri Hilou's nomination for the seat. An Nahar said that an LF delegation headed by Sitrida Geagea, wife of the group's imprisoned commander, Samir Geagea, visited the late Pierre Hilou's home on Sunday to offer condolences to his family and express support for his son to succeed him.

Taken from Naharnet

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, August 11, 2003 | Permalink

Problem with some audio files

Some of the songs in the Audio Archive that are hosted under the domain name 65.geagea.org are currently not working. We are working on trying to fix this problem.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, August 11, 2003 | Permalink

LF delegation meeting with Cardinal Sfeir

A Samir Geagea's Friends delegation visited Cardinal Sfeir on Friday and distributed an official report stating that the signature campaign of the national petition for freeing Dr Geagea echoed good signs from both Christian and Muslim people.

Source: http://www.assafir.com/

Posted by digitalDNA on Sunday, August 10, 2003 | Permalink

LF slams MP Karami for refusing to drop case against Geagea

The Lebanese Forces on Friday slammed Tripoli MP Omar Karami over a recent statement saying he would not drop his family’s case against jailed LF leader Samir Geagea. Geagea is serving one of his three life sentences for masterminding the 1987 assassination of Premier Rashid Karami, brother of the MP. The movement, which is outlawed but operates with a low profile, accused Karami of wavering in his political principles. “We are astonished by the attitude of MP Karami, who is saying that he would not drop legal proceedings over the assassination of his late brother, yet he agreed to serve in the same government as Geagea.” The LF’s statement added that the MP was supposed to have closed the book on the past.

Taken from DailyStar

Posted by 40-Tactical on Saturday, August 09, 2003 | Permalink

Invitation to the September 7th Mass

The invitation to the September 7th mass which will be held at Harrisa in now online. click here to view it

Posted by 40-Tactical on Friday, August 08, 2003 | Permalink

Karami Proposes National Referendum on Geagea's Freedom

Ex-Premier Omar Karami has proposed a national referendum to determine whether Lebanese Forces commander Samir Geagea should be freed or kept in a defense ministry underground cell to serve out jail terms adding up to 120 years. Karami, who met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus over the weekend, made the proposal in remarks carried by the London-based Al Hayat on Thursday. This is the first time that a referendum is proposed on Geagea's freedom.

Geagea, who has already spent nine years in solitary confinement in Yarze, had been convicted of engineering the 1987 midair assassination of then Prime Minister Rashid Karami as he was returning to Beirut by an army helicopter from Tripoli during the height of the civil war. Geagea was originally sentenced to death but the capital punishment was commuted to life imprisonment. So were three other verdicts handed down by court on the former Christian warlord since his arrest in 1994. "I am not ready to drop my legal status as a plaintiff in the case. But I have no objection to Samir Geagea's release as a result of a national referendum," said Omar Karami, who also served as prime minister of Lebanon in 1991.

The Lebanese Forces has lately been clamoring for Geagea's release either through a new general amnesty bill or a special presidential parole. Communist Party Leader George Hawi is engaged in an initiative with Syria and President Lahoud's regime to improve Geagea's appalling prison conditions as a step toward his freedom.

Taken from Naharnet

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, August 07, 2003 | Permalink

Rabtit Ilige Offical Site launch

Visit the Rabtit Ilige offical site www.st-ilige.org

Posted by AL_ on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 | Permalink

Sony Ericsson T610 Logos

Just added 3 "wallpapers" for the Sony Ericsson T610 phone.
click here to view the logos

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, August 04, 2003 | Permalink

G. Hawi Wants Aoun Back, Geagea Out, M. Murr Finished

George Hawi is proposing a broad-based national conference with Gen. Aoun and Samir Geagea present to end ethnic and sectarian divisions still plaguing the country 13 years after the end of the civil war. He also sketched a scenario to end the war of the Murr brothers in Metn. President Lahoud would host the proposed parley to which secular and religious leaders from across the political, social and economic spectra would be invited. And Syrian President Bashar Assad would also co-chair the meeting to offer the process added credibility. Naturally, this would require a return of General Michel Aoun from exile and the release of the imprisoned commander of the defunct Lebanese Forces militia, Hawi said in an interview published Monday in An Nahar.

On a smaller scale, there is one solution to the controversy in his native Btighrin between the two brothers, the powerful Michel Murr and his brother, Gabriel – that they both resign from politics. "It is time we tell them to spare us their wars," said the former Communist Party leader. Hawi saw no contradiction between his ideological beliefs and the association with Qornet Shahwan, which mainly comprises right-wing Christian politicians. But at present, his attention is focused on his so-called initiative.

After almost giving up on obtaining an appointment with Lahoud, Hawi called on Brig. Rustom Ghazale, head of the Syrian military intelligence in Lebanon, who warmed up to the national initiative. Ghazale intervened to secure him an appointment with Lahoud. He attributed Lahoud's initial reluctance to "Orthodox barriers," an allusion to his political differences with Michel Murr, a close ally of the president.

In suggesting that Murr bow out of politics, he said there could be a prior agreement by consensus that allows his son, Elias Murr, to replace him uncontested for an Orthodox seat in Metn. Gabriel Murr would be appeased by reopening his shuttered MTV network As for the older Murr, Hawi said, he could simply devote his time to writing his memoirs and running philanthropic activities "since God has blessed him with so much wealth."

As for the national reconciliation process, he said, this would aim to turn Lebanon into a national homeland for all Lebanese, rather than "a confederation of different sects." He said as a gesture of goodwill, he proposed to the president that Geagea's conditions of incarceration at the Defense Ministry be eased – an unlikely proposal from a man that once considered the Christian warlord his mortal civil war foe.

Taken from Naharnet

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, August 04, 2003 | Permalink

Email Virus Warning

It has come to my attention that there is a new mass-mailing virus called "mimail" which disguises itself as the network administrator of a domain. For those of you with LebaneseForces.com and Ouwet.com emails, if you recieve an email with the subject "your account" then please delete it.

for more information on this virus click here

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, August 04, 2003 | Permalink

Geagea's Wife Unveils Plans for "Discreet" LF Martyrs Mass

The wife of Samir Geagea, the imprisoned commander of the outlawed Lebanese Forces, has won the Maronite patriarch's approval to sponsor a "quiet, discreet" mass on Sept. 7 in memory of LF militiamen killed in the civil war. Strida Geagea called on Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir at his summer resort in Diman on Saturday and told reporters afterward that the head of Maronite church agreed to "sponsor" the annual mass at the Lady of Lebanon Basilica in Harisa. It was not clear if this meant he would personally officiate the service, which has in previous years kindled confrontations between Lebanese Forces sympathizers and regular troops. From Diman, Strida Geagea, whose husband is serving several prison terms totaling 120 years at the defense ministry compound in Yarze, called for "a quiet, discreet" service on Sept. 7, hoping to avoid new friction with the army.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Sunday, August 03, 2003 | Permalink

Haoui : Pour Damas, l’affaire Geagea est strictement libanaise

L’ancien secrétaire général du Parti communiste libanais, qui intensifie depuis deux semaines ses contacts auprès des forces politiques, économiques et sociales pour la tenue d’un congrès d’union nationale, a affirmé hier qu’il avait évoqué, avec les autorités syriennes, la nécessité d’améliorer les conditions de détention du leader des Forces libanaises, Samir Geagea, précisant qu’il avait réclamé cela plus d’une fois aux autorités libanaises sans obtenir de réponse.

Selon M. Haoui, les responsables syriens auraient indiqué que l’affaire Geagea est strictement libanaise et concerne uniquement les Libanais et la justice libanaise. L’ancien secrétaire général du PCL a pour sa part précisé que l’amélioration des conditions de détention de M. Geagea constitue un pas en direction de la libération du leader FL et de sa participation au processus de réconciliation nationale.

M. Haoui devait recontrer hier Mme Sethrida Geagea, épouse du leader incarcéré, pour lui présenter son projet. Il s’est par ailleurs entretenu avec le patriarche grec-catholique, Mgr Grégoire Lahham, et doit poursuivre ses rencontres dans les semaines qui viennent, avant de remettre un compte rendu de son initiative au président de la République, le général Émile Lahoud.

Source: L'Orient Le Jour

Posted by digitalDNA on Sunday, August 03, 2003 | Permalink

Pierre Helou Drops Dead During Hizbullah TV Talk Show

Pierre Helou, the veteran moderate Maronite politician who once refused to be president of Lebanon and was once taken hostage by a Muslim horseracing fan in Beirut, died of a stroke early Saturday. He was 74. A parliament member who served as cabinet minister in numerous governments formed since Lebanon's 1943 independence, Helou suffered the stroke in the course of News of the Hour talk show on Hizbullah's Al Manar TV station late Friday night.

Midway in the 2-hour weekly program Helou collapsed, his head banging on the table. The show was interrupted and he was rushed to a nearby hospital in suburban Ghobeiri in south Beirut, where doctors struggled for several hours to bring him out of his coma. At the crack of dawn, a hospital bulletin said Helou died, citing a massive brain stroke as the cause of death. The bulletin was released to the press as a huge crowd of politicians from the four corners of the Lebanese spectrum milled in the medical center.

Helou's 4-decade-old political career was filled with shining landmarks. He was among the prominent parliament members who defied Interim Prime Minister Gen. Michel Aoun in 1989 to convene a session of the legislature in the Saudi Red Sea resort of Taif and conclude what became to be known as the Taif accord, which halted Lebanon's 15-year civil war.

When the first post-war president Rene Mouawad was killed in a Beirut bombing ambush only 17 days after his election in the same year, Syria's late President Hafez Assad reportedly tried to talk Hilou into standing for president of Lebanon. But Hilou, who maintained friendly ties with both the Christian and Muslim camps during the war, turned down the offer, reportedly telling Assad that a tougher man than himself was needed for that period to flush out Gen. Aoun from the Baabda palace. Assad then turned to Elias Hrawi, who was elected in hastily convened parliament session in Chtaura, near the Syrian border, as Lebanon's 10th post-independence president only 48 hours after Mouawad's assassination.

Helou, who had a passion for horseracing, was a senior member of the committee that ran the mid-city hippodrome. In 1976, a year after the civil war had broken out, a Muslim fan announced that he had kidnapped Hilou and that he would keep him hostage at his Beirut home until a nephew of his abducted by Christian militiamen was freed. The tradeoff was quick. The nephew was released and Helou walked out of the uncle's house all smiles, telling reporters his abductor was a sort of a protégé of his and that he had willingly accepted to play the role of hostage to rescue the nephew.

click here for Pierre Helou's website

Posted by 40-Tactical on Saturday, August 02, 2003 | Permalink

LF Convention in Boston

There will be an annual LF convention in Boston from August 30th to August 31st. We're expecting the presence of approximately 300 people from different LF chapters. The Lebanese Forces encourages all LF members to attend. If you need information on hotel reservations or have any other inquiries, please contact your LF chapter.

Info sent in by Lebanese4ever.com

Posted by 40-Tactical on Friday, August 01, 2003 | Permalink