LEBANON: PETITION FOR CIVIL PEACEFUL RESISTANCE AND

UNCLAS BEIRUT 000724 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: PETITION FOR CIVIL PEACEFUL RESISTANCE AND HIZBALLAH DISARMAMENT SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) On May 18, a group of 327 civil society activists, politicians, intellectual and media figures signed and publicly released a petition in which they accused Hizballah of attempting to seize full authority in Lebanon and linking the country to the Gaza-Damascus-Tehran axis by destroying the vitality of the Lebanese society. The group called for peaceful civil resistance to confront Hizballah's coup d'etat and protect Lebanon as an entity, state and social model. End summary. Civil Society Signs Petition for Peaceful Civil Resistance -------------- ¶2. (U) In reaction to the street violence sparked on May 7 between Hizballah fighters and pro-March 14 supporters, a group of 327 civil society activists, politicians, intellectual and media figures released and signed a petition entitled, "For a peaceful civil resistance to protect Lebanon." They characterized what is currently happening as "a bloody coup d'etat not only targeting the nation's existence but also the Lebanese entity." Blames International Community's Silence -------------- ¶3. (U) Signatories noted that the Lebanese Armed Forces' have been paralyzed and unable to protect the country and its citizens from militias backed by the Syrian intelligence and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. They added that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),designated to ensure the execution of UN Security Council resolution 1701, had become Hizballah's hostages. They also indirectly blamed the international community for overlooking that an armed group, designated as a terrorist organization, had besieged the Lebanese legitimate authority's headquarters, the homes of leaders, lawmakers and other political figures, and attacked and closed down media outlets. Hizballah Disarmament Is a Priority -------------- ¶4. (U) Signatories of the petition declared that "the independent forces that agreed on participating in the dialogue,nas an ultimate attempt to save civil peace, should give the priority to discussing the crucial issue of Hizballah's arms," adding that "allowing Hizballah to keep their weapons means the end of Lebanon." They noted that "all the other items on the agenda, namely the presidential election, the shape of the next government, and the drafting of a new electoral law, are aELlyhQn~QQpeaceful civil resistance to confront Hizballah's coup d'etat and protect Lebanon as an entity, state and social model. They called on those willing to participate in the forming of this civil and peaceful resistance to get in touch with the group. ¶6. (SBU) According to March 14 Executive Secretary Fares Suaid, this petition is designed to reinforce March 14's position in QATAR without actually having the March 14 stamp attached to it. SISON