ALF wishes to remind all Lebanese leaders from whatever political persuasion that martyrs die to save their country and not to divide or destroy their people.  We painfully hear that pro-Syrian leaders are making accusations that the perpetrators are most likely from within the government majority, while anti-Syrian leaders are promptly accusing Syria. Needless to remind everybody that justice is a thorough and responsible process and that in our culture the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, we believe at this point, that baseless accusations can only increase internal tensions and divisions which only serve the enemies of Lebanon.

We in the expatriate community commend Prime Minister Seniora for his responsible and moderate statement and more importantly for his commitment to make sure that justice will be prompt and that the martyrdom of this young member of his cabinet will not be permitted to have occurred in vain.  We also appreciate the statement of the US ambassador to the UN acknowledging that the perpetrators of this despicable terrorist act are not yet known, and as he remarked that 8 of the last 10 assassinations in Lebanon targeted anti-Syrian leaders, he avoided pointing fingers prematurely.  More importantly we thank him for his commitment to make sure that the UN expedites ratification of an “International Tribunal” that will independently help determine the real criminals behind the Lebanese assassinations starting with PM Harriri and extending their reach hopefully all the way to Pierre Gemayel.  We sincerely hope Minister Gemayel will be the last martyr before Lebanon retrieves its stability after justice has determined and punished the cowardly criminals that are trying to assassinate a free and peace loving country.  

We therefore call on the international community to take over the justice related to these assassinations promptly and directly sparing Lebanon and its government the divisive interventions and manipulations whether coming from East or West.  The international community should also work diligently with Lebanon and its friends and neighbors not just to disarm Hezbollah but also any or all other Lebanese and non Lebanese armed factions other than the legitimate government (army and internal security) forces. We sincerely feel that the International Community should invest this special attention in Lebanon to allow a viable chance for Peace in the Middle East in the foreseeable future and avoid a dangerous spark that could ignite a rapid progression towards a “clash of civilizations”.

ALF takes this opportunity to offer its condolences to the Gemayel family and all the people of Lebanon, hoping that this martyrdom will not go in vain and will serve as a wake up call to all Lebanese leaders that they should forget about being Pro or Anti-Syrian and choose only to be Pro-Lebanon. We also hope that all Lebanese decision makers will officially and publicly renounce all forms of violence and inform their non Lebanese allies, whether in the immediate neighborhood or around the world, that they will give priority to saving Lebanon and its unity over any outside interest. We assume that they are all aware of the current risks and that they realize that leading Lebanon into chaos or a new civil war will hurt us all and will only serve the enemies of Lebanon.