LebaneseForces.com: Fighting for Freedom

Demonstrations Around the World

Pictures and videos from demonstrations around the world are now available on the Lebanese-Forces.org forum. Some of the cities and countries included are Beirut, New York City, Belgium, Ottawa, Toulouse, Montreal, Kuwait, Lyon, Abu Dhabi and London.
Here is the link

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, February 24, 2005 | Permalink

Syria Begins Within Hours Final Pullback to Bekaa

Lebanon's Defense Minister announced on Thursday that Syria was beginning within a few hours a final redeployment of its forces into the Bekaa Valley. "The Lebanese and Syrian leadership have met and decided on the sixth redeployment of the Syrian forces in Lebanon," Abdel Rahim Mrad said.

"They took the decision to start the redeployment in the next few hours."

"After this redeployment, all the Syrian forces will be in the Bekaa," he said.

His announcement came hard on the heels of a similar statement from Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Moallem.

"The important withdrawals which have already been carried out and what will be carried out later will be in agreement with Lebanon based on the Taif Accord," Moallem said.

"Syria once again affirms its commitment to implement the Taif agreement and the bilateral agreements between Lebanon and Syria," Moallem added.

The announcement by Syria, though not breaking new ground in its long-standing policy, was the first government statement since the international uproar against Damascus over the Feb. 14 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

However, it was not clear if this action would lead to a full withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon as demanded by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, February 24, 2005 | Permalink

Becoming a Lebanese Forces Fanatic

This is an "unofficial" list of things "I believe" you need to follow in order to become a Lebanese Forces Fanatic.
The list is in no particular order.

1- Don't be friends with Syrians, Palestinians or FPM members
2- Don't date/marry Muslims, Syrians, Palestinians or FPM members
3- Never lend money to a Syrian, Palestinian or FPM member
4- If you own a business, do not hire Syrians, Palestinians
or FPM members
5- Do not deal with businesses who are run by Syrians or
Palestinians
6- Do not lie or cheat fellow LF members
7- You can't have Syrians or Palestinians as LF members
8- In university elections do not deal with the enemy. If they don't believe in our cause then they are against us. Teaming up with an enemy just to win an election is a disgrace
9- never forget what they did to us, and never forgive them
10- You do not need anyones approval or acceptance to become
an LF member
11- No one can kick you out of the LF because the LF lives inside you and no one can control what's inside you
12- Do not steal from fellow LF members
13- Do not rip-off fellow LF members
14- Aoun is a joke and Hezbolla is a terrorist organization
15- Its not the quantity its the quality. We were never the majority but we always had the best people
16- No election under occupation! We do NOT need to win any seats in the parliment

More points will be added as I think of them. And once again, this is MY view and opinion, not the Political Council.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, February 21, 2005 | Permalink

Sea of Protestors Swarm Hariri's Murder Scene, Thundering 'Syria out Now'

Hundreds of thousands observed five minutes of silence on the scene of ex-premier Rafik Hariri's assassination in Beirut Monday and then burst in thunderous chants of "Syria out now."

The event marking the lapse of one week after Hariri's assassination at 12:55 pm demonstrated another testimony of Muslim-Christian unity in the first forceful expression since the 1975-1990 civil war.

Led by leaders of opposition groupings from the four corners of Lebanon's political spectrum, the protestors waved huge portraits of the slain ex-premier and chanted in unison "no to Syrian tutelage, no to Syria's intelligence services, and to hell with the Lebanese government of Syrian lackeys."

Right on the zoned-off assassination scene, a huge portrait of ex-Economy Minister Bassel Fleihan hung over a tree with hundreds of burning candles at the bottom and a poster pleading "please God have mercy on him."

Fleihan suffered severe burns over 95% of his body when a bomb ripped through Hariri's motorcade last Monday. Fleihan was sitting next to Hariri and tried to open the door of the limousine to jump out but he slipped beside the car and was then rushed to the American University Hospital in Beirut and from there he was flown to Paris for treatment.

As the demonstration began from the murder scene toward the U.N. house in downtown Beirut calls were blared from bullhorns to the crowds to remain peaceful as troops toting assault rifles and riot police equipped with rubber batons escorted the demonstration from a distance.

Many protestors coming in from Lebanon's Christian heartland north of Beirut and the Druze hinterland southeast of the capital said army checkpoints set up at the entrances of the capital sought to delay them from getting to the demonstration area by subjecting cars and buses to thorough searches and body frisking operations.

"We finally threatened to leave our convoys in the middle of the highways and walk on foot to the St. George assassination scene leaving all roads blocked to traffic," one protestor said. "The army then allowed us in."

Leading the demonstration were opposition leaders from Cornet Shahwan coalition including An Nahar's General Manager Gebran Tueni and Legislator Fares Soaid. Also among other prominent leaders were top officials of Walid Jumblat PSP, Gen. Aoun's Lebanese top aide Nadim Loteif, Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces leaders and former first lady Mona Hrawi.

The demonstration leaders carried a red rose each as they converged on the U.N. ESCWA house and delivered a written petition to U.N. Chief Kofi Annan demanding strenuous efforts to unveil the executors and masterminds of the assassination.

Posters brandished by the demonstrators however already blamed the murder on Syria's intelligence service. "Syria assassin," read one poster, "Syrial killer," read another.

The demonstration then headed to Hariri's grave at the courtyard of Al Amin Mosque about 500 meters from ESCWA.

Taken from Naharnet

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, February 21, 2005 | Permalink

Hariri Assassinated

Ex-Premier Rafik Hariri was assassinated in a car-bomb blast that shredded his motorcade in downtown Beirut as he was returning home from a parliament meeting at 12:55 p.m. Monday. He was 60.
Hariri was planning to contest Lebanon's spring parliamentary elections in alliance with opposition groups demanding a termination of Syria's high-handed tutelage over Lebanon.

Hariri's murder, which explosive experts said was the work of an intelligence service, came hardly 24 hours after the world community was reported to have warned the Assad regime that Syria would be held responsible if Hariri or Walid Jumblat are assassinated.

Sappers estimated the bombing charge at 300 kilograms, saying Hariri's body was torn to pieces, making identification almost impossible. It was not clear if explosives were placed in a vehicle or on the side of the street

Syria's official news agency SANA said President Assad has deplored Hariri's assassination, calling it a "horrific crime" and pledging to stand by Lebanon's side in these troubled times. Foreign Minister Farouk Al Sharaa said Hariri's assassination was designed to destabilize Lebanon.

At any rate, Hariri's elimination spells out the end of his 26-strong bloc in the legislature and consequently makes it certain that Syria's Lebanese loyalists would hold a comfortable majority in the 128-seat new parliament, news observers say.

Hariri's body was rushed from the blast scene near Beirut's Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel to the morgue of the American University Hospital. At least nine other people were killed in the remote-controlled thunderous blast, including six of his bodyguards, his Future-TV station said.

An AUH bulletin said at least 100 persons were injured and hospitalized.

Lebanon's state-run news agency said former cabinet ministers Bassel Fleihan and Samir Al Jisir were with Hariri in his bullet-proof Mercedes-Benz limousine at the time of the explosion. But it stopped short of pronouncing them dead. Jisr's press office said he was not hurt but Fleihan was reported in an 'almost hopeless' condition at AUH. Hariri's Future-TV reported that the AUH was preparing to transfer him abroad.

The death toll is expected to rise as several charred motorists were trapped in their smoldering cars at the scene with civil defense rescuers trying to break the doors and extract the bodies.

The assassination took place in front of the luxurious beach of the bomb-scarred St. Georges Hotel which faces the headquarters of the HSBC bank and the Phoenicia Hotel. Naharnet called HSBC by telephone but a switchboard operator said: 'Please we are in the midst of a disaster. Call later.'

The explosion blew a 10-meter-wide crater in the street and set at least 20 cars on fire. The force of the blast tore off scores of glass fronts of shops and posh boutiques along Beirut's Mediterranean coast. The window glass of the nearby Grand Serail, the seat of Lebanon's prime minister that Hariri rebuilt from the ashes of the civil war littered surrounding streets.

The car bomb that killed Hariri was the second most powerful since the 1975-1990 civil war, when car bombing was invented as an assassination method. The heavier remote controlled bombing was the 1989 assassination of President Rene Mouawad only 17 days after he was sworn in. Thirty-one aides perished in that attack.

click here for pictures *UPDATED
click here for a video

External Link
Click here for a video from CBS

Posted by 40-Tactical on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 | Permalink

Geagea's LF Contests Spring Elections on Opposition Platform

Strida Geagea has conveyed to Patriarch Sfeir her jailed husband's decision to let his Lebanese Forces contest the spring elections to win LF seats in Lebanon's new parliament on an opposition platform, An Nahar reported on Monday.

Mrs. Geagea told reporters after the patriarchal audience in Bkirki on Sunday that her jailed Husband Samir Geagea has decided that the LF would name its candidates in the upcoming elections 'very soon' with instructions to partisans for a heavy turnout at the polls.

Strida was accompanied by a 17-man high-powered LF delegation at the hour-long audience with the head of the Maronite Church. She said the LF would soon propose an urgent amendment to the 1991 general amnesty law in order to end Geagea's nearly 11 years imprisonment.

From Naharnet

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, February 14, 2005 | Permalink

Christmas Donations 2004 Report

The final report on the Christmas donations is now online. The report contains the total amount donated and the cases that we were able to help. Thank you to everyone who donated.
For the final report click here.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Friday, February 11, 2005 | Permalink

Correction

This is in regards to the post on the tragic accident that took the life of two sisters. Nadine Karam was 19 years old not 21 and Sabine Karam was also 13 not 14 years old.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, February 03, 2005 | Permalink

New LF Song

A new song called Tarikh Rtajaf was recently released by the Lebanese Forces in Lebanon. To download the song right click on the link below and choose Save As.

Tarikh Rtajaf.mp3 1.46MB

Song Lyrics

Tarikh rtajaf wel 2alam 3takaf dod el lahib wel zolm nkashaf wel 3alam 7alaf besm el Hakim (2) (ref)

Ne7na li 3eshna bel wa3d ne7na li fatatna el sakhr (2), ne7na li rabbayna el ahr mnesrokh bi esmak Hakim mnesrokh bi esmak Hakim

(ref)

Ne7na li ghanayna 7ayy sejjanou zouwar el layl (2), mnes7ab sayf mnesrouj khayl wa2t elli bto2mour Hakim wa2t elli bto2mour Hakim

(ref)

Boukra el awlad bye7kou el a7fad 3an batal kbir da77a b7erritou kermal aditou esmou Samir

Posted by 40-Tactical on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 | Permalink