Aoun: Meeting with Assad Was "Open-Heart Surgery"

 
Source: Al-Manar, 3-12-2008

"I am very happy to be here in Damascus," the head of the Reform and Change parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun declared from the Syrian capital following a "summit" meeting that joined him to Syrian President Bachar al-Assad at the People's Palace at the beginning of a "historic" visit to Syria the General started on Wednesday.

While some Lebanese anticipated the visit to attack Aoun over it, hoping for some political and electoral gains, Aoun seemed to be comfortable, confident and his head was held high. "What was haram is now halal," he asserted during a press conference following his meeting with Assad. The General stressed at the same time that "we must remember to ensure that we do not repeat our mistakes."

According to the General, his meeting with Assad was frank and honest. "We spoke from the heart, and from the mind," Aoun said, describing the meeting as an "open-heart surgery" and stressed that "whoever stops in the past cannot build a future."
"Our meeting today is a promise of a prosperous future," the FPM leader announced, adding that the meeting was intended to show goodwill, not to make demands.

Aoun urged everyone to distinguish between "enmity" and "disagreement." He favored the second expression to portray his previous relation with Damascus, but immediately added that even in wars, where there is a victor and a vanquished, they negotiate and establish understanding in the end. The General described his case with Syria as one that will see a start of a new chapter in history with no victor and no vanquished.

Aoun, meanwhile, reiterated that there was no conflict between Lebanon and Syria over the occupied Shibaa Farms. "Syria said the Shibaa Farms is Lebanese," he recalled. "The UN is requesting delineation. But can this happen before withdrawal?" Aoun added. He addressed the United Nations saying that "if it wants to acknowledge this, it can, for the maps are there and Syria is saying it is Lebanese."

Earlier, Aoun told Syrian daily Al-Watan that his visit to Syria was a historiography of the past and the beginning of a new period built on the "purification" of "bad" times between Lebanon and Syria. He said that opposition to his visit to Syria was related to fear that Syria might expose the "sins" they had committed.

Aoun pointed out that good relations with Syria were needed because of three points agreed upon within the framework of the 2006 national dialogue: diplomatic relations, demarcation of borders and missing persons. He said he was pleased with security coordination between Lebanon and Syria. "Lebanon's security is Syria's responsibility and Syria's security is Lebanese responsibility and every state should be responsible for controlling its borders and security to preserve its neighbor's security," he said.

The head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc arrived Wednesday morning to Damascus and was received at the airport by Deputy FM Faisal Miqdad.
The FPM leader's trip is divided into two parts - talks with top officials including President Bashar Assad, tours to religious sites as well as meetings with Syrian communities and participation in seminars. The visit is expected to last until Sunday.

"I am going to Syria with my head held high," Aoun said on the eve of his historic visit. "They are welcoming me with admiration and respect... I was a rival and the rivalry has ended and I may become a friend," he added.

For his part, Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal hailed the visit, saying that Damascus welcomes Aoun as a respectful person and a national leader. "We welcome Aoun in Damascus with open hearts as a prominent figure who deserves the respect of people not only in the Christian community but within Lebanon," he said, adding that Aoun was invited to visit Syria as a national figure with nationalist and Arab dimensions.

Speaking to Al-Manar, Bilal praised Aoun for standing at the side of the Resistance and in order to defeat the enemy and liberate the land. He also lauded Aoun's courageous stance against movements which went too far beyond the Lebanese national cause.