American Lebanese Public Affairs Committee 
              
ALPAC FORUM IN DC RAISES ISSUES:
SYRIAN OCCUPATION
HIZBOLLAH TERRORISM  
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE


Washington DC, December 16, 2002  

A forum was organized by the American Lebanese Public Affairs Committee (ALPAC) in Washington DC late last month with speakers and discussants. The Forum discussed three major themes:

The Syrian occupation,
The role of Hizbollah Terrorism,
The continuous Human Rights abuse in Lebanon.

(ALPAC) is the educational and legislative arm of the American Lebanese Cultural Union. More then 30 leaders and activists attended the forum from the Lebanese American organizations as well as from the World Lebanese Cultural Union. Ms Joane Fakhre, official from ALPAC and coordinator of the event introduced the speakers and underlined the "importance for public education in Lebanese American public affairs." Fakhre said ALPAC has outlined a plan to bring more interest in the situation of Lebanon within the public, Congress and media in the United States.

The first speaker M. Clifford May addressed the issue of Terrorism and how can the community project its resources in educating the American public as to the root causes of Jihadism and Fundamentalism.

M. May, who is the President of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) said Americans are more then ever increasingly sensitive to Terrorism and its backers around the world. FDD, who is sponsored by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) campaigns for the Democratization of the Middle East. "It is a fact said May that Terrorism is obstructing the spread of Democracy in the Middle East, and in Lebanon. Under Terror it is not possible for Human Rights to be protected, nor for Freedoms to be guaranteed." The second speaker, M. Mike Meunier, described the advocacy process in Washington, particularly after September 11. M. Meunier is the President of US Copts and a senior official with MECHRIC, a DC-based coalition of Mideast communities from Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Syria and Sudan. Meunier shared the experience of his organization with the Lebanese leaders and activists. "Grass roots are the prime element in advancing any cause in American democracy. We as Middle Eastern communi ties can be an important factor in local and national elections. With our numbers, we can certainly affect the outcome of many polls and therefore raise our concerns as we get our message out." Meunier called on Lebanese and other Mideast American groups to unite their efforts with the Administration and Congress to give visibility to a nationwide campaign for Democracy and Human Rights in the Middle East. T

he Third speaker was Dr Robert Rabil, senior Fellow with the Iraq Foundation. Dr Rabil analyzed the situation in the region in light of the US position. The presentation covered the multiple options to be implemented in Iraq and their implications on Lebanon. Dr Rabil invited the forum to re-examine the Lebanese-American relationship on a rational ground factoring in the various realities of US Foreign Policy and Mideast realities. The fourth speaker, Keith Roderick, focused on Human Rights violations and US Foreign Policy. Rev Roderick is the Director of the Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights, an umbrella group for more then 50 Human Rights organizations. "Only broad based coalitions can bring about a just cause within the United States to the front of the public arena. Our coalition was able to help various communities in the past to raise their issues. From the dissidents of the former Soviet Bloc, to the peoples of East Timor and Sudan, the Coalition for Human Rights established bridges with the representatives of these endangered communities and among themselves as well. It is crucial for all minorities to unite their efforts and present their case jointly. For the universality of their claim is the most powerful and legitimate tool they can develop internationally." Roderick reminded the forum of the Coalition's efforts behind the 1998-1999 laws on religious freedoms voted by Congress and the Sudan Act signed by the President last month. Roderick said Lebanon's cause is worth taking to the international arena .

"It has all the components of injustices: Human Rights abuses, Terrorism and foreig n occupation." The fifth speaker was M Jason Steinbaum. Chief of Staff of US Congressman Elliot Engle (D-NJ), the co-sponsor for the "Syrian Accountability Act." M.Steinbaum extended the thanks of M. Engle and his colleagues to the Lebanese-American organizations and the friends of Lebanon who helped in mustering support for the two bills. "We are committed to continue to work with the community and the American public to push this agenda inside Congress.

Remember that more then 150 member of the House and many Senators have endorsed this bill. You can be proud of your achievements even though the bills are not laws yet. But I am sure that the next Congress will be more forceful in moving forward with this bill or even with a more explicit one." After the speeches, the forum was open to discussion. Among the participants in the discussions were representatives of the American Lebanese Cultural Union (affiliate with the WLCU), Lebanese Information Center (Washington DC), Assembly for Lebanon (Detroit), US Ka taeb Association, American Maronite Union, Institut du Liban (Paris), Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Association, as well as leaders from the World Lebanese Cultural Union in Europe, Canada, and the United States.

FLORIDA
 
It is to note that ALPAC has organized a leadership meeting with Congressman Robert Wexler in Florida early November. The encounter focused on examining the best ways to raise Lebanon's issues in the new Congress. The seminar was attended by Lebanese American activists. The staff of Congressman Wexler also attended the meeting. M. Wexler (who was re-elected to the House and who sits on the International Relations Committee) said: "Lebanon's occupation by Syria is certainly the most pressing moral and political issue in the Middle East after the issues of Terrorism and Iraq." Wexler said the presence of those forces on Lebanese territories is against the UN resolution 520. "Not only we have a problem with Terrorism in Lebanon, but the occupation of Lebanon by Syrian forces increases those dangers and complicates them. We need to make sure that Lebanon is liberated from military and security occupation as a way to curve Terrorism from this important part of the Middle East."