The April Understanding and Resistance With Compliance
By: General Michel Aoun
(Translated by: Elias Bejjani)

Resisting occupation is a legitimate right and a patriotic obligation for each and every citizen struggling to free both his occupied land and his confiscated freedom from the occupiers. Resistance based on these two golden principles is fully legitimate; but with the same token it loses this legitimacy if allowed to deviate from its aims and objectives.

Resistance in its essence is the struggle of the weak against the strong, and the striving of man against machine. Resistance requires a great deal of sacrifices to pave the way for acceptable and balanced negotiations between any parties in conflict.

After the Israeli "Grapes of Wrath" campaign against Lebanon in April 1996, the United States, France, Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Iran, with the compliance of Hizbollah, reached a ceasefire agreement known as the "April Understanding." This agreement speaks about the safety of the Lebanese residents but does not provide any guarantees for those residents. This agreement has made the Lebanese soil an arena for military operations, thus endangering the lives of all Lebanese residents, whether in their homes or on the roads.

Lebanese men, women and children in South Lebanon leave their homes every morning heading to their fields, work places and schools. Many of them never succeed to make it back. These innocent victims are killed on the roads, their deaths a result of roadside bombs, explosions, rockets, and bullets. Arguments focusing on the "national identity" of these South Lebanese residents and whether they are nationalists, collaborators or resistant elements, is in fact a futile argument. It only escalates the levels of anxiety and confusion, and increases the emptiness in both domiciles and minds.

We do not care which countries or powers have participated in reaching the April Understanding. Why? Because it remains the sole concern of both the Lebanese and the Israelis. Accordingly, one urgent question jumps to our minds: Why has the resistance negotiated with the enemy and accepted his conditions rendering its resistance.... resistance with compliance, giving the occupier comprehensive peace and security on his soil, while turning its own into a killing field?

Northern Israel is progressing, growing and blooming, while South Lebanon is losing its original residents and becoming poorer and poorer! Who does the conspiracy target? Who are its heroes? And for whose interests does the war continue and flare?

August 15/1997
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