USCFL-Open Letter to Prime Minister Rafik Hariri: No guts, no glory Mr. Prime Minister

I guess being a billionaire while simultaneously reporting to four bosses, namely the U.S Secretary of State, the Saudi King, the Syrian “rookie” next door and our “megalomaniac” Lebanese President must not be an easy task.

Here are a couple of pointers that I hope you will seriously take into account if you want to go into Lebanon’s history as a Prime Minister who truly made a difference for his home country.

1. Learn from your past mistakes and listen more to people of all religious, economic and educational backgrounds. I know this is difficult to fathom for a person with your wealth and power. However, be aware that this is your last chance. Neither the Lebanese people nor your masters the Syrians are going to give you another one. So be careful, you mess up, your political future in Lebanon is over for good…and nobody is going to forget it this time.

2. Do not alienate your anti-Syrian co-religionists but embrace them. They cannot break the Syrian “iron clad “hand on their own, nor can you with all your billions and worldwide influence. But together, no outside power can stop you. And rest assured that you would then get all the support you need from us in the World Lebanese Diaspora.

3. Do me a favor and reshuffle your cabinet. It has no credibility whatsoever and we haven’t even started. Khalil Hrawi as Minister of Defense? You must be kidding me. The guy is a rotten proxy of Syria who can’t even defend himself. Elias Murr as Interior Minister? Maybe I could share with you some intelligence reports as to what this thug was doing behind the scenes while his father was “milking” the country. Trust me, you will find them very illuminating. And last but not least Fouad Sanioura? Can’t you find a guy with a better track record than this one? Don’t you listen to your Western bankers’ friends as to their opinion regarding Sanioura? Maybe I should put you in touch with some better-informed ones and let you be the judge.

4. Bring back Michel Aoun to Lebanon, get Samir Geagea out of jail, send the Lebanese Army to southern Lebanon and appoint some true Lebanese nationalists in your Cabinet, whatever their religious backgrounds is. Most importantly, please stop procrastinating to the Syrians with your pathetically boring rhetoric. People are not stupid and know exactly what is going on. Have some pep talk with your friend, the warlord from the Chouf, and he will tell you the whole story like it is. You cannot marginalize one sect of people and expect harmony to prevail in the country.

5. Forget about what David Satterfield is feeding you. The guy is a pro-Arabist appeaser only good for jokes and parties. Come to the U.S at the earliest opportunity, request to meet all of the key staff in the new Bush Administration and ask their support in “Ending Syria’s Occupation of Lebanon”. They will provide you with all the support you need if you DARE asking. They have all been briefed on the situation and want change as much as you do if YOU can take the first step. By the way, if you need some support, give me a call and I will be happy, alongside our team, to give you a helping hand if you could stick to an agreed-upon agenda.

6. Stop believing the Saudi Establishment’s rhetoric. These guys still live in the 14^th Century completely out of touch with reality. I know this is going to be difficult for you to swallow since they are the ones who really made you and even granted you a Citizenship. But nobody is asking you to sever your ties with them. All what I am asking you is to be “Lebanon’s man” for once in your life. After all, if somebody can afford to do it, it is you Mr. Prime Minister.

7. I know that you have committed with a group of people known to our organization hundreds of million of dollars to reinvigorate the Syrian economy and help Bashar look good in front of his people in return for greater political power in Lebanon. I just want you to realize that the Syrian “Old Guard” has already started “secret” discussions with some other rogue states to overthrow Bashar. Unless you act very swiftly, your dollars are going down the tube. My friendly advice: Under the present circumstances, both the Syrian and Lebanese boats are sinking ships. Unless you get the support of all the Lebanese people without any exception and start reaching out to the new Bush team as swiftly as you can, you risk losing big time both in Syria and Lebanon.

PS: Please leave Jamil Al Sayyed, Ghazi Kanaan and the rest of the Lebanese cronies to Syria at home if you don’t want to embarrass yourself during your U.S trip.

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Article:	Open Letter to Prime Minister Rafik Hariri: No guts, no glory Mr. Prime Minister
Author:	Ziad K. Abdelnour -- e-mail: ziad@freelebanon.org
Date:	December 2000