The
"Lebanese Forces" was created as a result of
excruciating circumstances in Lebanon in late seventies
when the Lebanese Christian community felt the need to
defend itself against impending internal and external
dangers and threats. These dangers were amplified by the
fact that the government with its entire infrastructure
proved to be impotent in containing the Palestinian military
presence in Lebanon, which threatened Lebanon’ sovereignty
and independence. The resistance forces consisted of several
separate factions: the Phalangists, The National Liberal
Party, Al-Tanzeem Party and the Guardians of The Cedars,
who took a multi-lateral decision on August 1976 to consolidate
the war efforts and to establish a unified resistance
military council under the command of the late Lebanese
president "Bashir Gemayel".
Bashir Gemayel founded the "Lebanese Forces".
He created it, organized the cadres and he molded it
with his own patriotic spirit, hopes and aspirations.
He transformed it to play a dual role in the Christian
community, a defensive military machine (30,000 fighters)
and a sophisticated infrastructure that served the Christian
community politically, economically, socially and by
providing it with both radio and TV stations. He continued
to serve in that capacity until he was elected president
of Lebanon in 1982, and consequently his assassination
by the enemies of Lebanon on September 14, 1982.
After the assassination, the "Lebanese Forces"
went into a state of shock and paralysis that lasted
few years until January 15, 1986 when Dr. "Samir
Geagea" assumed its leadership. On that day the
winds of change started blowing and the march of rebuilding,
reform and modernization started moving forward. The
"Lebanese Forces" became the institution holding
a historical political proposition for the Lebanese
Christian community aiming at:
- Ensuring a sovereign, free, and secure Lebanon for
all its citizens equally.
- Establishing a system of government whereas the
superstructure (the government) is congruent with the
infrastructure (the society) resulting in a fair, true
and balanced political participation.
- Promoting a political system built on three basic
principles: diversity, freedom to foster development
and democracy representative of the diversity that exists
in the Lebanese Society.
- Halting support to any ideology or movement that
works directly or indirectly to joining Lebanon to another
country.
- Adopting a neutral foreign policy to provide for
internal security and to allow for freedom to build
foreign international relations.
The "Lebanese Forces" peaked in its organization
and modernization. After the signing of the "TAEF
Accord" on October 24, 1989 with international
and regional blessings, it transformed its military
resistance into a political resistance. Hence, the "Lebanese
Forces Party", with its 30,000 members not counting
their families, was formed on September 10, 1992 based
on three undisputed principles:
1] Safeguarding Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty
and distinct identity within its
Internationally recognized borders.
2] Founding the Lebanese Government on the basic principles
of human rights.
3] Establishing a democratic system whereas freedom
and Human Rights of every citizen are protected and
guaranteed.
Post "Taef Accord", and after dismantling
its military machine and surrendering its weapons, the
Lebanese Forces Party attempted to control the dangerous
digression in the implementation of the Taef Accord
due to the Syrian regime, single-handedly taking control
of the "Lebanese File". This scenario manifested
on the Political arena as a result of two factors: the
international/regional powers that accommodated the
Syrian regime and the refusal of the Lebanese Muslims
to respect and abide by the "Taef Accord".
The "Lebanese Forces Party" refused the status
quo and used every democratic means to realize its political
ambition on one hand and to prevent Syria from annexing
Lebanon, on the other hand. As a result, the ruling
regime in Lebanon launched a persecution and terror
campaign against the "Lebanese Forces Party"
starting with the government decision to disband it
on March 24, 1994 and to falsely accuse and imprison
its leader "Dr. Samir Geagea" on April 21
of the same year. The waves of arrests began soon after
and continued to target Lebanese Forces officials and
hundreds of its members to date. The government confiscated
all assets and equipment belonging to the Lebanese Forces
Party and took over all of its social, educational and
media institutions.
The direct result of this persecution and terror campaign
was the forced emigration of a large number of "Lebanese
Forces Party" members to Europe, United States
and Australia where representative political offices
have been established for years.
In spite of all the pressures exerted upon it and the
false imprisonment of its leader, the "Lebanese
Forces Party" is still the most organized party
on the Lebanese political arena. This is proven by the
official results in the last municipal elections of
1998 (300 "Lebanese Forces Party" officials
elected). Furthermore, the "Lebanese Forces Party"
enjoys a strong presence and a wide area of influence
on the educational level within student organizations
in universities and schools and also within many labor
unions representing doctors, lawyers and engineers to
mention a few. Still, the "Lebanese Forces Party"
cannot operate freely within Lebanon as other political
parties who are Syrian sympathizers.
Taken from LebaneseForces.org
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