From MEMRI:
June 20, 2011 Special Dispatch No.3933
March 14 Forces: Miqati's Government Is a Hizbullah-Syria Government
On June 13, 2011, some five months after his nomination as Lebanese prime minister, Najib Al-Miqati announced the establishment of his new government, whose 30-minister cabinet would comprise mostly March 8 Forces representatives, with only a minority representing President Michel Suleiman, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, and Prime Minister Miqati himself. The makeup and orientation of this government, and the motivations behind its formation at the present time, after so long a period of standstill, were the object of much criticism from the March 14 Forces.
The following report will review this criticism:
Miqati Has Chosen to Serve Hizbullah
One of the March 14 Forces' central criticisms was that Miqati's government represented only one voice, namely that of Hizbullah, and was not the middle-of-the-road government Miqati and his allies claimed it to be. A June 14, 2011 communiqué issued by the Al-Mustaqbal faction's secretariat read: "The government announced by Miqati is a government of the March 8 Forces and of Hizbullah... [Miqati] chose to serve the party of weapons that creates facts on the ground [i.e., Hizbullah]. [He chose to serve] the military force and the authority of the blackshirts... instead of [advancing] political and administrative reform..."[1]
Mustafa 'Aloush, a member of Al-Mustaqbal's Political Bureau and the movement's coordinator in Tripoli, made similar statements in an interview with the Al-Mustaqbal daily: "...All of this government's ministers are under the patronage of Hizbullah..."[2] In an interview on the Lebanese channel OTV, 'Assem 'Araji, also of Al-Mustaqbal, said in a similar vein: "This is a monochromatic government. It is controlled by and belongs to Hizbullah rather than to Miqati."[3] Druze MP Marwan Hamada, of the Democratic Gathering bloc – which split from Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party – said: "It would be false to speak of a middle-of-the-road [government]... There can be no middle road when the in a reality where [Hizbullah's] arms [remain a threat]..."[4]
Miqati's Government Is Subservient to Syria and Iran
Another central claim against Miqati's government focused on its ties to the Syrian and Iranian regime. MP Hamada said that Miqati had "formed the worst possible government based on a Syrian decision and under the patronage of Iran."[5] Former MP Michel Far'oun made similar claims: "Planting a few nice faces in the government does not change its [true] face as the representative of the [Syrian-Iranian] axis in Lebanon."[6] MP Antoine Zahara, of the Lebanese Forces party, said: "The new government would not have seen the light of day were it not for the direct intervention of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad."[7]
In an interview on Al-Sharq Radio, Al-Mustaqbal Deputy Chief and former MP Antoine Andreus said: "[The government] was formed in accordance with a Syrian, rather than a Lebanese, decision following a visit to Syria by Jumblatt and Prime Minister Miqati's brother Taha Miqati. Assad has once again taken control of the Lebanese government through [the formation of] a government that is 100% loyal to his regime. Miqati has become a true-blue Syria man. He has been unmasked..."[8]
Regarding the factors that led Syria to expedite the formation of the new Lebanese government specifically at the present time, March 14 Forces General Secretariat Coordinator Fares Sa'id, said: "...When the uprising in Syria began and President Assad feared he was losing his friends throughout the Arab and [non-Arab] world, he tried to establish a government in Lebanon that would be friendly [to him], in order to protect his dictatorial regime and anyone who took part in the [political] killings or crimes in Lebanon... This government has one role, which is to protect the Syrian regime so that it can survive the popular uprising, and to protect those who planned and carried out the murder of Lebanon's leaders."[9]
Phalangist leader Amin Al-Gemayel pointed to similar motivations: "...It is obvious that the government was formed in full coordination with Syria. The present government will work in concert with Syria, which will exploit it in order to strengthen [itself] internally, and will turn it into a tool [to be used] in its foreign relations or in dealing with its present challenges."[10]
A communiqué issued by the March 14 Forces on June 15, 2011, warned that the new government would allow Iran to manipulate Lebanon in its bid to dominate the Arab world: "This government, which was formed as the result of the Syrian regime's intervention and the coup effected by Hizbullah, will grant this organization the freedom to take over the country and turn the Lebanese into hostages... so that it can protect its own goals and provide Iran with a card [to play] in confronting threats against its plan [to take control] of the Arab world."[11]
The New Government Will Force Lebanon into Internal and External Conflict
The March 14 Forces warned that the new government's alignment with Hizbullah and Syria would create conflict both domestically and in Lebanon's foreign relations. Al-Mustaqbal's June 14 communiqué said: "...The salient characteristic of this government is conflict: a conflict with [anyone in Lebanon who has] different opinions, and a strong desire to eradicate [these opinions], as well as a conflict with public Arab and international opinion, which will be caused by [the government's] abandonment of Lebanon's Arab and international obligations."
On the domestic conflict that could arise under the new government, the communiqué said: "...Instead of [forming] a government that would constitute a meeting point [for the various sectors of Lebanese society], ease tensions, deal with the crises [that arose] in the shadow of the existing domestic schism, and confront the turbulent events taking place all around Lebanon through deep reflection and wise leadership... [and] by protecting Lebanon and strengthening its internal national unity... they have formed a government [that represents but] one political faction."[12]
Regarding possible conflict between the new government and international elements, especially the tribunal investigating the assassination of Rafiq Al-Hariri, Mustafa Al-'Aloush said: "This government... toppled the previous government over one main issue: the international tribunal. Therefore, despite Prime Minister [Miqati's] desperate attempts to stress that his government will not confront the international community and will remain committed to international resolutions, this government's basic decision[-making] is not in its own hands. It is in the hands of Hizbullah, which has [formed] this government so that it will confront the international tribunal..."[13]
The March 14 Forces' June 15 communiqué pointed to Hizbullah's arms as an international bone of contention: "The government of the Syrian regime and Hizbullah exposes Lebanon to great dangers, as its orientation is at odds with legitimate international resolutions. This is true both regarding its refusal to [confiscate] illegal arms in accordance with the [U.N.] resolution and regarding its opposition to, and refusal to cooperate with, the international tribunal... No one is blind to the fact that all this threatens to render Lebanon a renegade state, with everything this entails..."[14]
Miqati's Government May Pave the Way for a Dictatorship in Lebanon
Critics of the new government also voiced concerns that it would lead to a dictatorship in Lebanon. In this vein, Al-Mustaqbal's June 14 communiqué said: "The [principles] most dear to the Lebanese are coexistence, public and private freedom, and the peaceful transfer of power. These are noble causes, and the Lebanese have paid dearly in their defense. This is why they will not relinquish them... The experience of the dictatorial parties which have passed from this world has taught us that they start their coups by presenting [the public] with figures who appear independent [only] outwardly. [In reality these leaders serve the parties, which aim to] seize power and [control] society through oppression, subjugation, tyranny, and [physical] harm. With the formation of this government, the danger of this plague reaching Lebanon has become more tangible than ever before."[15]
The same critics stressed the difference between the new government, which they say is likely to engender dictatorship, and the popular movements throughout the Arab world that are now standing up to the dictatorial regimes in their countries. This was expressed in the March 14 Forces' communiqué, which said: "The March 14 Forces – which do not for a moment doubt that the government was formed on the decision of those who toppled the previous government, namely the Syrian regime... are certain that this government is completely removed from the current and future Arab [paradigm] that is advancing toward freedom and democracy..."[16]
Endnotes:
[1] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[2] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[3] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[4] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
[5] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
[6] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[7] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[8] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[9] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
[10] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[11] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 16, 2011. Citing a senior U.S. official, the daily Al-Nahar said that the U.S. was disappointed with the new Lebanese government and saw no reason to believe it would honor its international obligations. According to the senior official, the timing of the government's formation was strong evidence of its alliance with the Syrian regime. Al-Nahar (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
[12] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011. These comments make reference to the Doha Agreement, which Lebanon's rival factions signed on May 18, 2008, agreeing to form a national unity government. In December 2010, Hizbullah's MPs resigned from this government, thereby violating the agreement.
[13] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[14] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
[15] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[16] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
June 20, 2011 Special Dispatch No.3933
March 14 Forces: Miqati's Government Is a Hizbullah-Syria Government
On June 13, 2011, some five months after his nomination as Lebanese prime minister, Najib Al-Miqati announced the establishment of his new government, whose 30-minister cabinet would comprise mostly March 8 Forces representatives, with only a minority representing President Michel Suleiman, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, and Prime Minister Miqati himself. The makeup and orientation of this government, and the motivations behind its formation at the present time, after so long a period of standstill, were the object of much criticism from the March 14 Forces.
The following report will review this criticism:
Miqati Has Chosen to Serve Hizbullah
One of the March 14 Forces' central criticisms was that Miqati's government represented only one voice, namely that of Hizbullah, and was not the middle-of-the-road government Miqati and his allies claimed it to be. A June 14, 2011 communiqué issued by the Al-Mustaqbal faction's secretariat read: "The government announced by Miqati is a government of the March 8 Forces and of Hizbullah... [Miqati] chose to serve the party of weapons that creates facts on the ground [i.e., Hizbullah]. [He chose to serve] the military force and the authority of the blackshirts... instead of [advancing] political and administrative reform..."[1]
Mustafa 'Aloush, a member of Al-Mustaqbal's Political Bureau and the movement's coordinator in Tripoli, made similar statements in an interview with the Al-Mustaqbal daily: "...All of this government's ministers are under the patronage of Hizbullah..."[2] In an interview on the Lebanese channel OTV, 'Assem 'Araji, also of Al-Mustaqbal, said in a similar vein: "This is a monochromatic government. It is controlled by and belongs to Hizbullah rather than to Miqati."[3] Druze MP Marwan Hamada, of the Democratic Gathering bloc – which split from Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party – said: "It would be false to speak of a middle-of-the-road [government]... There can be no middle road when the in a reality where [Hizbullah's] arms [remain a threat]..."[4]
Miqati's Government Is Subservient to Syria and Iran
Another central claim against Miqati's government focused on its ties to the Syrian and Iranian regime. MP Hamada said that Miqati had "formed the worst possible government based on a Syrian decision and under the patronage of Iran."[5] Former MP Michel Far'oun made similar claims: "Planting a few nice faces in the government does not change its [true] face as the representative of the [Syrian-Iranian] axis in Lebanon."[6] MP Antoine Zahara, of the Lebanese Forces party, said: "The new government would not have seen the light of day were it not for the direct intervention of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad."[7]
In an interview on Al-Sharq Radio, Al-Mustaqbal Deputy Chief and former MP Antoine Andreus said: "[The government] was formed in accordance with a Syrian, rather than a Lebanese, decision following a visit to Syria by Jumblatt and Prime Minister Miqati's brother Taha Miqati. Assad has once again taken control of the Lebanese government through [the formation of] a government that is 100% loyal to his regime. Miqati has become a true-blue Syria man. He has been unmasked..."[8]
Regarding the factors that led Syria to expedite the formation of the new Lebanese government specifically at the present time, March 14 Forces General Secretariat Coordinator Fares Sa'id, said: "...When the uprising in Syria began and President Assad feared he was losing his friends throughout the Arab and [non-Arab] world, he tried to establish a government in Lebanon that would be friendly [to him], in order to protect his dictatorial regime and anyone who took part in the [political] killings or crimes in Lebanon... This government has one role, which is to protect the Syrian regime so that it can survive the popular uprising, and to protect those who planned and carried out the murder of Lebanon's leaders."[9]
Phalangist leader Amin Al-Gemayel pointed to similar motivations: "...It is obvious that the government was formed in full coordination with Syria. The present government will work in concert with Syria, which will exploit it in order to strengthen [itself] internally, and will turn it into a tool [to be used] in its foreign relations or in dealing with its present challenges."[10]
A communiqué issued by the March 14 Forces on June 15, 2011, warned that the new government would allow Iran to manipulate Lebanon in its bid to dominate the Arab world: "This government, which was formed as the result of the Syrian regime's intervention and the coup effected by Hizbullah, will grant this organization the freedom to take over the country and turn the Lebanese into hostages... so that it can protect its own goals and provide Iran with a card [to play] in confronting threats against its plan [to take control] of the Arab world."[11]
The New Government Will Force Lebanon into Internal and External Conflict
The March 14 Forces warned that the new government's alignment with Hizbullah and Syria would create conflict both domestically and in Lebanon's foreign relations. Al-Mustaqbal's June 14 communiqué said: "...The salient characteristic of this government is conflict: a conflict with [anyone in Lebanon who has] different opinions, and a strong desire to eradicate [these opinions], as well as a conflict with public Arab and international opinion, which will be caused by [the government's] abandonment of Lebanon's Arab and international obligations."
On the domestic conflict that could arise under the new government, the communiqué said: "...Instead of [forming] a government that would constitute a meeting point [for the various sectors of Lebanese society], ease tensions, deal with the crises [that arose] in the shadow of the existing domestic schism, and confront the turbulent events taking place all around Lebanon through deep reflection and wise leadership... [and] by protecting Lebanon and strengthening its internal national unity... they have formed a government [that represents but] one political faction."[12]
Regarding possible conflict between the new government and international elements, especially the tribunal investigating the assassination of Rafiq Al-Hariri, Mustafa Al-'Aloush said: "This government... toppled the previous government over one main issue: the international tribunal. Therefore, despite Prime Minister [Miqati's] desperate attempts to stress that his government will not confront the international community and will remain committed to international resolutions, this government's basic decision[-making] is not in its own hands. It is in the hands of Hizbullah, which has [formed] this government so that it will confront the international tribunal..."[13]
The March 14 Forces' June 15 communiqué pointed to Hizbullah's arms as an international bone of contention: "The government of the Syrian regime and Hizbullah exposes Lebanon to great dangers, as its orientation is at odds with legitimate international resolutions. This is true both regarding its refusal to [confiscate] illegal arms in accordance with the [U.N.] resolution and regarding its opposition to, and refusal to cooperate with, the international tribunal... No one is blind to the fact that all this threatens to render Lebanon a renegade state, with everything this entails..."[14]
Miqati's Government May Pave the Way for a Dictatorship in Lebanon
Critics of the new government also voiced concerns that it would lead to a dictatorship in Lebanon. In this vein, Al-Mustaqbal's June 14 communiqué said: "The [principles] most dear to the Lebanese are coexistence, public and private freedom, and the peaceful transfer of power. These are noble causes, and the Lebanese have paid dearly in their defense. This is why they will not relinquish them... The experience of the dictatorial parties which have passed from this world has taught us that they start their coups by presenting [the public] with figures who appear independent [only] outwardly. [In reality these leaders serve the parties, which aim to] seize power and [control] society through oppression, subjugation, tyranny, and [physical] harm. With the formation of this government, the danger of this plague reaching Lebanon has become more tangible than ever before."[15]
The same critics stressed the difference between the new government, which they say is likely to engender dictatorship, and the popular movements throughout the Arab world that are now standing up to the dictatorial regimes in their countries. This was expressed in the March 14 Forces' communiqué, which said: "The March 14 Forces – which do not for a moment doubt that the government was formed on the decision of those who toppled the previous government, namely the Syrian regime... are certain that this government is completely removed from the current and future Arab [paradigm] that is advancing toward freedom and democracy..."[16]
Endnotes:
[1] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[2] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[3] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[4] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
[5] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
[6] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[7] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[8] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[9] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
[10] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[11] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 16, 2011. Citing a senior U.S. official, the daily Al-Nahar said that the U.S. was disappointed with the new Lebanese government and saw no reason to believe it would honor its international obligations. According to the senior official, the timing of the government's formation was strong evidence of its alliance with the Syrian regime. Al-Nahar (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
[12] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011. These comments make reference to the Doha Agreement, which Lebanon's rival factions signed on May 18, 2008, agreeing to form a national unity government. In December 2010, Hizbullah's MPs resigned from this government, thereby violating the agreement.
[13] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[14] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
[15] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 15, 2011.
[16] Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), June 16, 2011.
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