Hundreds of thousands bid Gemayel farewell

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Hundreds of thousands bid Gemayel farewell



BEIRUT: Lebanese Premier Fouad Siniora called on six resigned ministers to rejoin the Cabinet Thursday in a bid to defuse political tension paralyzing the country, hours after the country bid farewell to slain Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. Addressing the nation after a meeting with several members of his Cabinet, Siniora said, "there is an opportunity for us today to unite our stand on many issues that bring us together, including the international tribunal ... which is the only path to revealing the truth behind the crimes that have targeted the Lebanese."

Siniora called on all parties to "resume the national dialogue ... to discuss the differences," hailing the "great role played by Speaker Nabih Berri."

The premier urged the speaker to "maintain the same role that contributed to bringing the Lebanese together in the past."

In a statement issued late Thursday, Hassan Sabaa, the interior minister who resigned in February, responded to Siniora's call, saying that he would return to the government and attend Saturday's Cabinet session.

Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun also called for dialogue in an interview Thursday evening with Al-Jazeera television.

In a speech made before hundreds of thousands of mourners

Thursday, prominent March 14 Forces member MP Walid Jumblatt also called for a resumption of the national talks.

Earlier Thursday, international, regional and local dignitaries gathered at St. Georges Cathedral in Downtown Beirut to bid farewell to Gemayel.

French Foreign Minister Philip Douste-Blazy, UN envoy Geir Pedersen and Arab League chief Amr Moussa were among the notable attendees of the funeral for Gemayel and his bodyguard, Samir Chartouni.

The convoy carrying Gemayel's body had made its way through heavy traffic from his mountain hometown of Bikfaya toward the capital.

Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir flew by helicopter from Bkirki to the cathedral, where he led prayers for Gemayel's and Chartouni's souls.

Sfeir said the Lebanese must "preserve unity and utilize the empathy which the world has shown to Lebanon," to maintain the country's stability, safety and independence.

Pope Benedict XVI condemned Gemayel's assassination in a message read during the funeral. "We are all very moved by this unspeakable act," Benedict said.

"I hope that all Lebanese remain united in these circumstances and that they renew their determination to rebuild an autonomous Lebanon ... where all communities are ensured active participation," he added.

After the funeral service, Gemayel's body was returned to Bikfaya to be buried alongside his ancestors.

As Gemayel's coffin made its way to Bikfaya, March 14 leaders addressed the throngs of supporters with fiery speeches denouncing Syria and its allies in Lebanon.

"They wanted it to be a confrontation, then so be it," Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said, in a reference to Hizbullah and its allies.

"We will not rest until all the criminals are brought to justice," Gemayel's father, former President Amin Gemayel, told the crowds.

Gemayel was killed Tuesday in the Beirut suburb of Jdeideh. The assassins, believed to have used silencers to muffle their shots and a Honda sport-utility vehicle for their getaway, remain at large. The March 14 Forces blame Damascus for the killing.

A source within the Presidential Palace said President Emile Lahoud had no comment on the speeches made after the funeral, nearly all of which called for his resignation.

"The president has loads to say in response to the wrongful accusations, but he will not speak in honor of death and the late minister," the source said. "When the time is appropriate, the president will reply."

Sheikh Mohammad Yazbek, a member of Hizbullah's Shura Council, said that "the aim behind the assassination [of Gemayel] was to pressure the opposition ministers into retracting their resignations.

"The authority is handling [national] security, why don't they reveal the assassins or take precautions?" he asked.

Aoun said that Gemayel's assassination "was being utilized as a means" against his and other opposition parties

"We have nothing to fear and we demand a quick investigation to reveal the [identity of the] assassins," he added.

As The Daily Star went to press, Reuters quoted official sources as saying that Cabinet would convene on Saturday to approve the draft for the tribunal.

THE TRUTH IS COMING SOON

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Douste-Blazy vows French support for Lebanon


BEIRUT: Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa and French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy led the contingent of foreign dignitaries at Thursday's funeral for slain Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel at Beirut's St. Georges Cathedral. Hundreds of thousands paid their respects, some by castigating Syria - blamed by many for the murder of Gemayel, the sixth Damascus critic to be killed in the past two years.

Douste-Blazy - whose country has been a strong opponent of Syrian influence in Lebanon - also made little secret of his own suspicions of Syrian involvement, even if he held back from apportioning blame.

"Obviously I will avoid designating the guilty party at this stage, even if after this new murder, following so many others, each of us has an opinion," he told France Info radio.

Syria has denied any role in the assassination.

Following a meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora at the Grand Serail, Douste-Blazy reiterated his country's support for Siniora's Cabinet.

"President Jacques Chirac is the best defender on earth of Lebanon's sovereignty ... France is determined to support Lebanon and to stand by Siniora's government to help it now more than ever defend Lebanon's sovereignty and independence," Douste-Blazy said.

He added that there will be "no peace in Lebanon unless international justice is estab-

lished," in reference to the formation of an international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

On Tuesday, hours after Gemayel was killed, the United Nations Security Council approved a draft law outlining the framework of the court.

The draft gives the tribunal jurisdiction to cover other assassinations and attempts that the investigation has linked to Hariri's murder. It must now be formally approved by the Lebanese government and President Emile Lahoud before being forwarded to Parliament for approval.

Douste-Blazy said Lahoud's refusal to sign it would not affect the Security Council's decision, but "it is now time for Parliament to show its determination and desire to establish justice."

The French minister later met with Speaker Nabih Berri, who is expected to convene Parliament to discuss and pass the tribunal law in the coming days.

Douste-Blazy said after his talks with Berri that he is urging Lebanese leaders to resume dialogue to find solutions that honor democratic norms. He also met with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir and handed him a letter from Chirac.

Moussa also met with Lebanese officials, including , Siniora, Berri and Lahoud.

"Lebanon is passing through a very critical phase," the Arab League chief told reporters after meeting Siniora. "It is very important that national unity be protected because it is the foundation upon which everything is based, the government, common decisions and the protection of the country."

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Cries of mourning, calls for justice

March 14 allies once again address hundreds of thousands in square where movement was born



BEIRUT: The leaders of the March 14 Forces addressed hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in Beirut's Martyrs Square on Thursday during a massive demonstration held following the funeral of late Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, gunned down in a suburb of the capital on Tuesday. Below are excerpts from the speeches made by each leader from behind a bulletproof screen.


MP Walid Jumblatt


The Progressive Socialist Party leader railed against what he said was continued Syrian meddling in Lebanese affairs.

"They will not take away our determination for life. They will not take away our determination to refuse the culture of sorrow and death," he said, referring to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, blamed by the March 14 Forces for a string of killings of prominent anti-Syrian figures dating back almost two years.

"They will not take away our love of joy, life and hope; they will not take away our rejection of foreign interference and the era of the Middle Ages," he added.

"They will not take away our determination to keep the arms in the hands of the state, and our demands for truth, justice and the international court," he said.

The Druze leader was alluding to the ruling parties' insistence on an international tribunal to try former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassins, and to the refusal of Syrian ally Hizbullah to lay down its arms in accordance with UN resolutions after this past summer's war with Israel.

Jumblatt said Gemayel had joined "the previous martyrs ... who had refused ... the regime of tutelage, killings and assassinations." But he added that the March 14 Forces were insisting on holding a dialogue with the country's opposition factions.

"We are with dialogue," he declared.


MP Saad Hariri


The parliamentary majority leader reminded the massive crowds of the events of the past two years, and thanked them for their continued resolve.

"Peace be with you my dear brothers," he said, addressing his fellow Lebanese. "You are here for a new revolution to show the entire world that the sons of Rafik Hariri and the supporters of Pierre Gemayel are the majority in Lebanon."

"They said that you are a virtual majority, but we are the reality and they are virtual," he added, in reference to claims by the opposition, namely Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement, that the parliamentary majority is not representative of the country.

"National unity is stronger than their arms ... and their terrorism," he said. "For those people we say, forget about your illusions and return to the truth; return to sovereignty and freedom; return to Lebanon."

Hariri addressed the late Gemayel directly, saying: "Peace be with you my dear friend, martyr Pierre Gemayel. Convey my kisses and my love to my dear father, the martyr Rafik Hariri."

"Rafik Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, and Pierre Gemayel, a Maronite Christian, died for the sake of Lebanon," Hariri added. "Today their blood will unite for the sake of Lebanon's freedom, sovereignty and Arabism."

Hariri also thanked those gathered for attending the demonstration.

"For the third time in two years, you came from all Lebanese cities and towns to Martyrs Square to speak out against tutelage; to call for freedom and independence," he said.


Former President Amin Gemayel

The slain minister's father, who served as president between 1982 and 1988, took the podium to call for a renewed Lebanon - with a new president.

"Your presence here is more than a message; it is a warning; a warning for the urgent need to achieve Lebanon's sovereignty and independence," Gemayel said.

Hailing "the start of the second revolution for the independence of Lebanon, which should start at the top," Gemayel made fun of MP Michel Aoun's Reform and Change parliamentary bloc, saying: "This new 'Independence Intifada' will only be achieved through reform and change - but not just any reform and change."

"This is the start of the countdown for the election of a new president," the grieving father added.

Gemayel pledged that Lebanon's governing coalition would not waste the impetus of the huge outpouring of popular anger at persistent political violence dogging the country.

"We will soon adopt practical measures so that your voice does not wither away ... so that it covers the treacherous bullets and explosions," he told the crowd.

"We will not tire until we bring the killers to court," he vowed.

The Phalange Party leader also announced that the United Nations investigation panel probing Rafik Hariri's assassination would also look into his son's murder.

"I hope that Pierre's assassination will be the last sacrifice toward the achievement of true independence," the former president said.


Samir Geagea


The head of the Lebanese Forces spoke out against the demands of Hizbullah and its allies for a government of national unity that prompted six ministers to quit the Cabinet nearly two weeks ago.

"This government is our government, and it takes its legitimacy from our Parliament, our presence and the blood of our martyrs," Geagea said, alluding to the parliamentary majority won by the anti-Syrian coalition in summer 2005 elections.

"We will not accept its replacement with a government of [Syrian] tutelage, killings and crimes," he added.

Geagea reiterated the coalition's accusations that Hizbullah and its allies left the Cabinet at Syria's bidding in a bid to block approval of the proposed international tribunal that was approved by the United Nations Security Council just hours after Gemayel's assassination on Tuesday.

"They wanted a confrontation over the tribunal, but they did not dare declare it as such ... but the masks have fallen," he said. "We pledge to continue ... until we know the truth."

The Christian leader also called for the replacement of President Emile Lahoud, saying: "History will [bear] witness on Lahoud's immoral deeds and all that he did to Lebanon and the Lebanese. History waits but it never forgets."


Asaad Harmoush


The Al-Jamaa al-Islamiyya representative in Lebanon voiced his movement's support for the implementation of the Taif Accord and the formation of the Hariri tribunal.

"We are here today to voice our support to a free, Arab and sovereign country," Harmoush said. "We are against murder and political assassination."

He also lashed out at Lahoud, saying: "We tell the occupant of Baabda Palace to leave Lebanon." - The Daily Star

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Aridi expresses 'deep sorrow'


BEIRUT: Information Minister Ghazi Aridi voiced the Cabinet's "deep sorrow" Thursday over the loss of the late Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. Gemayel was gunned down on the streets of the capital on Tuesday by unknown assailants. "We have lost a great colleague and Lebanon has lost a great future political leader," he told Voice of Lebanon radio.

Addressing the late Gemayel, Aridi added, "they killed you because they are against the establishment of an international tribunal [to try former Premier Rafik Hariri's killers]."

But the information minister expressed dismay regarding accusations that members of the March 14 Forces may have had a hand in the latest political assassination in Lebanon.

"As if we are responsible for the assassinations ... as if [MP Walid] Jumblatt is the killer," Aridi said.

Former MP Nassib Lahoud also said the killing aimed to hamper the creation of the Hariri tribunal, adding that another goal was to weaken the government. Speaking to LBC on Thursday, Lahoud urged five resigned Hizbullah and Amal ministers to return to their posts.

"The return of resigned ministers to government will be a message to the killers that the Lebanese do not accept murder as a means to achieve political goals," the former MP said.

Meanwhile, Reform and Change bloc MP Ghassan Mokheiber said Tuesday's bloodshed "will not frighten us," and reiterated the need to approve the international court.

"The challenge will come the day following Gemayel's funeral ... The Lebanese, notably politicians, will have a huge responsibility to assume for the country is in dire need of acts, not words," Mokheiber said in a statement.

"We have to agree on successful solutions [to the current political deadlock] and put this international tribunal into effect as soon as possible," he added. - The Daily Star

[Janjoon-Lebanese]

IT WAS A GREAT DAY !!!
A DAY OF LOYALITY

thanks maxell