Memorandum

( Faculty Club) at Harvard University, Boston

21 November 2005

Mr. Terje ROED-LARSON

SG Special Envoy for the

implementation of UNSCR 1559

The United Nations

Subject: The implementation of UNSCR 1559: Immediate measures for implementations

Your Excellency Mr. Terje Roed-Larson,

In a previous memorandum submitted to the Secretary General via your office (12 Sept. 2005) the Lebanese International Committee for the Implementation of UNSCR 1559 (LIC UNSCR 1559) suggested to establish categories of groups to be addressed as follow:

1) The remnant of the Syrian intelligence presence.

2) The Iranian revolutionary guards

3) The Palestinian armed groups linked to the Syrian occupation: Such as the Ahmad Jibril group and the Saika

4) The Palestinian armed groups under the authority of the Palestinian Government of President Mahmoud Abbas

5) The Hizbollah security and military networks and the Lebanese Baath and Syrian social-nationalist militias

6) The Jihadist armed groups both inside the Palestinian camps and throughout Lebanon.

These six types of groups are in flagrant violation of UNSCR 1559. Hence it is important that the UN issues a declaration to name these various groups so that the Lebanese people, government and international community knows what are the groups to be withdrawn or disarmed. It is only when the categories are made public that both, Lebanon's political and civil forces, including the Lebanese Diaspora can suggest policies and provide international support to the implementation.  As the identification of the groups is done in public, and in light of the present context of developments in Lebanon and in the region, we suggest the following measures in order to implement the resolution:

1) Securing International Borders:

The International Lebanese Committee for 1559 believes that securing the Lebanese-Syrian borders is the main condition for a thorough implementation of UNSCR 1559. The withdrawal of Syrian forces cannot be guaranteed if the borders between Syria and Lebanon are not protected from infiltrations and future moves back into Lebanon. And since Syrian intelligence and Syrian-sponsored groups continue to operate freely in Lebanon, even the first chapter of the resolution cannot be considered as completed. The passage to Lebanon must be shut down under international auspices. Therefore, we strongly recommend that the UN redeploys the UNIFIL along these borders or bring additional units to deploy along the Syrian-Lebanese borders, with the use of Lebanese army units under UN command. This measure will make or break the implementation of UNSCR 1559. 

2) Withdrawing Syrian and Iranian weapon

Until the UN obtains evidence that Syrian and Iranian personnel is still operating in Lebanon, we recommend that the UNSCR asks for an investigation of all heavy weapons in Lebanon, other than the ones own by the Lebanese Army, and initially introduced by the foreign forces targeted by UNSCR 1559, namely Syria and Iran. Removing Syrian and Iranian heavy weapons from Lebanon, regardless of the militia issues, is a matter under UNSCR 1559. Hence we ask for a special UN commission to inspect all militia positions, with the help of Lebanese army units under UN command to map out all heavy weapons provided by the governments of Syria and Iran and in the possession of foreign or local forces. This list will become the basis on which the UN and the Lebanese government can put a practical plan to pull these weapons out of Lebanon.  

3) Abrogating the Syrian-Lebanese Security Cooperation and Brotherhood treaty

With the voting of UNSCR 1559, the Syrian-Lebanese Security Cooperation and Brotherhood treaty is nullified by international law. Syria cannot maintain forces or material in Lebanon anymore, therefore the legal document upon which the Syrian government claimed the maintaining of its army must be abrogated. We recommend that the UNSCR issues a resolution to cancel that treaty, freeing Lebanon from a Syrian legal tutelage and future threats of invasion or actual invasions.

4) Dismantling the Syrian-Lebanese-Hizbollah war room

In virtue of UNSCR 1559, Syrian forces must withdraw from Lebanon and all militias must be disarmed. Therefore we ask the UN to dismantle the joint war room existing between Syria, Lebanon and Hizbollah. Known as "ghurfat al amaliyat al mushtaraka" (joint operation room), this body is in flagrant violation of UNSCR 1559.

Finally, the ILC for UN1559 values the constant efforts of UN special envoy ambassador Terje Roed- Larsen for his constant efforts and command him on behalf of Lebanon's civil society and the Lebanese Diaspor

Sincerely

Tom Harb

Secretary General For 1559 committee

Professor Walid Phares

Advisor

Current Members Of The International Committee For Unscr 1559

North America

Attorney John Hajjar, USA  

Dr. Anise Karam, USA

Attorney Joanne M. Fakhre, USA,     

Mr. Fadi Bark, USA                   

Mr. Charbel Barakat, Canada      

South and Central America and the Caribbean

Mr. Sami Khoury, Ecuador

Ms. Claudia Chater, Brazil

Mr. Iskandar Riachi, Brazil

Mr. George Chaya, Argentina

Dr. George Akiki, Uruguay

Mr. Antoine Ghanem