A.C.E INTELLIGENCE
Pierre Amin Gemayel
1972-2006
November 21 2006; another Christian Lebanese leader is killed because he believed in a free Lebanon. He joins a long list Gemayel martyrs, men who believed in Lebanon above all, even above their own lives. Pierre was an outspoken critic of Syrian influence over Lebanon and was a member of the Christian Phalange Party as well as being the Lebanese industry minister. The son of former President Amin Gemayel. A lawyer and the youngest MP in the Lebanese Parliament, Gemayel, 34, was first elected to the legislature in 2000 and was re-elected in 2005. He is part of a third generation of prominent politicians from the Gemayel family that has played a considerable role in Lebanon's recent history. Gemayel's political career was spent with the right-wing Maronite Christian Phalange Party founded by his grandfather, also Pierre Gemayel, in 1936. The Phalange was one of the main players in Lebanon's 15-year Civil War, which began in 1975. His father, Amin, was president of Lebanon between 1982 and 1988 and his uncle, Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated in September 1982, less than a month after he was elected president. Gemayel was an opponent of Syrian tutelage over Lebanon, and many Lebanese blame Damascus for the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Gemayel is the first anti-Syrian politician to be killed since MP Gebran Tueni, who was assassinated by a car bomb on December 12, 2005. He married his wife, Patricia Daif, on September 25, 1999, at St. Catherine's Church in Limassol, Cyprus. Gemayel is survived by his wife; his parents, Amin and Joyce; his sister, Nicole; and his brother, Sami. Amin Gemayel, Pierre’s father, asked that this be a time of prayer rather then revenge. It is my strong opinion that Pierre was killed by members loyal to Hezbollah, Syria and Iran. A day before he was assassinated, I had watched Pierre give a speech expressing his concern about how Hezbollah was not helping Lebanon, and today he is dead. Another brave man dies because he dared believe in free speech in a country where groups loyal to Syria and Iran force their way through murder and assassinations anytime things don’t go their way. Although the Lebanese press is not pointing the finger at Hezbollah, but is instead blaming Syria, I would like to make it very clear that Hezbollah is a bigger threat to Lebanon then Syria ever was, and I just hope that the Lebanese would unite and end this insanity which allows an armed group to act as it wishes in a democratic country which need heroes like Pierre to dare show any signs of democracy.
The War on Lebanon
Carving at the enterence of the city of Qana, Dated from the Hellenistic time
Update August 16th 2006
Today marks the beginning of the third day of a fragile cease-fire in Lebanon. As the Israeli warplanes rest and get maintained, and as the Israeli artillery cools down, we hear a cheer from the Lebanese side, a call of victory by the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. While Nasrallah cheers and celebrates, I will light a candle for those who died in the past month of attacks on Lebanon which left over 1300 people dead, tens of thousands injured and almost a million displaced. How dare either side claim a victory when the bodies of Lebanese civilians are still being unearthed from the rubble of our capital Beirut? I saw Israeli soldiers returning home carrying Lebanese flags as war trophies, dancing in the streets and singing of their victory. Lebanon has been raped by the Israeli army, just as a young girl would be raped by a merciless vicious, predator, yet Hezbollah celebrates that they where not defeated, and they shoot into the air and sing of their victory. My heart has been torn out of its place and every drop of blood in it has been squeezed out as I see what has happened to my country, the pain which I feel for my people and my land is unimaginable, it feels like I have taken a thousand blows to the stomach, yet some are still under the illusion that Lebanon won the battle… Well, the sad truth is, Lebanon was never part of this battle, Lebanon was just the battlefield, and Lebanon was raped, destroyed, humiliated, spit on, and dishonored over the past 5 weeks, yet Hezbollah feels it is victorious. Obviously, Hezbollah, its leader, and its followers do not give a damn about Lebanon, its good people, and its innocent civilians. Anyone who tells me that Hezbollah won against Israel, or that Hezbollah is a hero obviously does not care about Lebanon, and has no national pride, but instead is too blinded by their devotion to Hezbollah and its leaders. Its saddens me that people can be so blind that they do not care about the death of innocent children, and they do not see what has happened to Lebanon as a tragedy, but rather refer to it as a victory. This is a time for mourning, a time for sadness, a time to realize that Lebanon is a peaceful country, not a battlefield for Syria and Iran. I pray that Lebanon will be able to get back on its feet soon, and that its dead may find peace in heaven, and it’s wounded be healed by the will of God. I also pray that this cancer of hate which has spread in Lebanon be whipped out, so that Lebanon may once again become a land of peace and prosperity, not a land of counterfeit heroes who claim victory from the rubble of their destroyed country as 30,000 enemy troops still occupy our land.
Update August 3 rd 2006
900 dead, 3000, injured, 800000 displaced, mostly woman and children, many too old to leave their homes, none of them responsible for this rape of Lebanon. Our military just watches as Israeli soldiers destroy our country, killing our civilians and demolishing any sign of civilization and infrastructure. Our brave soldiers watch with broken hearts as they see their country being destroyed, and unable to defend it because our President (Emil Lahoud, the honorless, spineless, immoral president, forced onto the Lebanese people by Syria) has decided that Hezbollah are responsible to defend Lebanon, and not the Lebanese army. All this because two Israeli soldiers where captured. Hezbollah has abducted two soldiers in the line of duty, and Israel has abducted an entire nation. Both Israel and Hezbollah are terrorists, both do not care about Lebanon and its civilians, and both are consumed with greed for power and a thirst for blood. The world watches, and waits, hoping that this will end, while the Lebanese civilians pray in the basements of their homes, hoping that they will be alive when this all ends. Unfortunately for the children of Qana, the city where Jesus preformed his first miracle (turning water into wine), their lives where taken as they wept along side their mothers and grandparents in that fateful night which has been repeated every day, and every hour for the past three weeks. Over 36 children dead in only a few seconds, and with oneUS made Israeli bomb alone, and the world just watches, and waits for an end as the US sends thousands of bombs to Israel, with their warmest regards.
Today I heard all the countries are interested in helping Lebanon. The members of the OIC want to help Lebanon by sending Muslim troops into the south, the Americans want to help Lebanon by sending American backed troops into the south, the French want to help Lebanon by sending French troops into the south. Everyone wants to help Lebanon by invading it and taking a piece of it. I refuse to let Lebanon become another Iraq or another Afghanistan! We do no want people to help us by occupation, we are tired of occupation! Only the Lebanese army should defend Lebanon, and the Lebanese army is more then able to if the OIC and the US and France and all the other countries that want to help Lebanon give funding and weapons to the Lebanese army. If we allow another nation to fight our battles for us, we would have disgraced our proud soldiers and humiliated the blood their predecessors shed to protect Lebanon. Only the Lebanese army should have soldiers in the south, only Lebanon should fight for Lebanon. Not Iran through hezbollah, not Saudi Arabia through the OIC, and not Syria, and not even the UN.
Hezbollah today has more popularity then ever, thanks to the Israeli bombing and killing of innocent civilians. On Saturday July 29 th 2006, Israeli warplanes killed over 60 people in Qana, most of them where children hiding in the basement of a residential building. This is not the first massacre Israel has handed to the people of Qana, but I pray that it will be the last. And although the Israeli priminister has apologized, I don’t think he was sorry, and I don’t think his apology will bring back the over 36 dead children. It is this type of massacre that gives power to Hezbollah, the families of the dead do no see Israel as a hero who is freeing them from the grips of Hezbollah. Hezbollah is now the hero, Hezbollah is the only one fighting back in their eyes, even if they were the one who started the fighting.
Today is the 22 nd day of fighting, over 800,000 people have been displaced from their homes in a country with only a few million residents. Churches, Schools and Good People are the only homes for these 800,000 refugees. Caritas, the Red cross, and other humanitarian organizations, who’s members are all volunteers are the only source of food and water for many people. More people will soon die of hunger and disease then from Israeli rockets. This humanitarian crisis is being dealt with slowly, as if no one cares about the civilians dieing. The world must stand up to Israel and Hezbollah at the same time, both of these groups are responsible for the destruction of Lebanon, Both are guilty with crimes against humanity, only Hezbollah does it through ignorance and stupidity, while Israel plans for it, and carries out these crimes decisively.
Lebanon is being brutally killed by Israel as the Arab countries watch and cheer on the Lebanese people and Hezbollah claiming they are heroes attaining victory for the Arab world, when in reality, The Lebanese civilians are being brutally massacred and have no strength to defend themselves.
(Source of image http://www.annahar.com/)
The Facts (July 16th. 2006)
On Wednesday, July 12th , Hezbollah (a Shiite militant force which claims to be a resistance army, and which is considered to be a terrorist organization around the world) kidnapped 2 Israeli soldiers in an attempt to free Lebanese prisoners (which Israel claims are terrorists) held in Israeli jails since the Lebanese war. This triggered a response from the Israeli army which led to the death of several Israeli soldiers. Hezbollah currently is holding on to the Israeli kidnapped soldiers and said it will not release them without indirect negotiations with Israel which would lead to the release of Lebanese detainees.
In response, Israel considered the actions of Hezbollah as a Lebanese "declaration of war". Although Lebanon has condemned the Hezbollah actions, Israel decided to blockade Lebanon from sea and air and has destroyed Lebanon’s only civilian airport, along with fuel depots, grain supplies, communication infrastructure, electrical infrastructure, and major roads and bridges. Lebanon, being a very small country, has been crippled with over 200 civilians killed (mostly children, and 7 Canadian Citizens, four of which are children) in six days and enormous economical damage, as well as infrastructural damage.
This destruction of Lebanon and the ongoing attacks on Lebanon are also followed by Hezbollah rocket fires into Israel which has forced many cities to ask their residence to stay close to bomb shelters. These rocket attacks do minor damage, and have lead to the death of a few Israeli civilians.
Opinions
It is clear that Israel has gone too far with its attacks, to cripple an entire country, to blockade it, and to constantly destroy its infrastructure, which is still being rebuild from the last war is the most inhuman act of pure brutality against a peaceful country with very little military support. In a mature of minutes, Israel has destroyed what we have been trying to rebuild over the last 15 years. This undermining of human life and this inhumane destruction of a struggling country which is working towards becoming the first true depiction of democracy in the Middle East is nothing but shameful and barbaric.
As for Hezbollah, in my opinion, it is a terrorist organization and NOT a resistance force. Hezbollah resisted the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, which gave it great popularity amongst the Arab world, but it also imposed the Syrian invasion of Lebanon, which means it does not want the freedom of Lebanon, but in fact only wants to fight Israel. Lebanon has tried, and is still trying to disarm Hezbollah, however, since 30% of the Lebanese population support Hezbollah and feel they are heroes, this has proven to be very difficult. However, now with the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and with the Lebanese army unable to defend its country against such attacks, Hezbollah which is currently the only force fighting back is getting more and more support.
The sad part is, if Israel destroys Lebanon and kills 100 people, and Hezbollah in return damages one Israeli ship, Hezbollah and its supporters will be happy, as if the loss of Lebanon and its civilians means nothing to these people. This is what scares me most, that the harder Israel hits, the more support Hezbollah will get, and the bigger their egos will get. And I believe Israel and Hezbollah are working together in order to destroy Lebanon, and this makes me very sad.
Prayers
I pray that Israel will stop its offensive on Lebanon very soon. I ask that any country with influence can ask Israel, and demand that it stop its offensive. I pray that the destruction and loss of life, on both sides of the border will end. I deeply pray that Hezbollah is forced to disarm (by the Lebanese government), because it will not do so on its own. And finally, I pray that Lebanon not only go back 20 years, but goes back 40 years to when it was a proud country, free from all this disgusting political greed and war. It is sad to think that 40 years ago, Lebanon was a better place then it is today. I just pray that in the future, this will not be the case. Lebanon needs all the international help it can get, if anyone reading this has any power to help our struggling country, I beg you to do so. Lebanon is the only country in which Christians and Muslims live together side by side as brothers, and this is an example we want to set for the world, without your help, this dream will become a nightmare. Please, don’t let us struggle alone. Help us, in any way you can.
Tests And Quizzes
