The American
Maronite Union, responding to the aspirations of 1.8 million US citizens from Lebanese
descent praise the statements and remarks made by pro-Lebanon voices at the Hearing on the
Syrian Accountability Act held on September 18thth, 2002. The AMU in particular praises
Congressmen (Army and Engel), expert Mr. Matthew Levitt and Dr Eli Saade, representing 14
Lebanese-American organizations for their moral and academic clarity.
Those analysis and remarks not only express the feelings and views of millions of
Americans from Lebanese and Mideast descent, but also serve the national interest of the
United States. We reaffirm the dynamic support of our community to the bills and call on
the US Congress to vote it as laws massively.
We take the opportunity of those hearings and of the great debate in Washington about the
international campaign against Terrorism to remind the American public that Syria remains
as a state sponsoring Terrorism, and its occupation of Lebanon serves as a cover for the
support of Hizbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Qaida, all of which named by the
President as Terrorist organizations, and therefore foes of the United States and of the
international community. We call on the US Administration to relentlessly apply its
anti-Terrorism policy on the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. As it was well demonstrated in
the hearings, no argument in favor of the Syrian regime's continuous occupation of Lebanon
was able to withstand the principle of freeing the Lebanese people.
We also note that the hearings were a historic opportunity to demonstrate the solid unity
of the overwhelming majority of Lebanese-American organizations against the Syrian
occupation of Lebanon. We deplore the attitude of the one lonely elitist group, the ATFL,
which representative preferred to endorse the position of the Syrian regime instead of
siding with the American-Lebanese community.
The AMU commits to continue its action in favor of the bills, and beyond. For, it is now
clear that the latters unified voice expresses the pain and suffering of millions of
Lebanese under Syrian occupation.
Communications Director
Elias Maroun