March 14 endorses resistance 'that serves national interests'

by **Admin** Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:48 pm

The March 14 coalition held its first convention on Friday, marking the third anniversary of the demonstration for which it is named.

The grouping's secretary, former MP Fares Soueid, said the coalition would extend its hand to all other parties in Lebanon in a bid to overcome differences and unify national ranks. Speaking on behalf of the ruling coalition's different parties, Soueid announced the March 14 Forces' first "political declaration."

"Together for the salvation of Lebanon, together for defending our right to live, together for living peacefully in a sovereign, democratic, and modern state," read the declaration's opening lines.

The declaration focused on four major points; national unity as a precondition to true independence, protecting state sovereignty through restructuring state institutions and restricting the possession of arms to the state exclusively, protecting independence through redefining the concept of resistance in a way that conforms with national criteria, and safeguarding independence by restructuring Lebanon's role and relations in the Arab world.

Soueid stressed that national unity could only be achieved by creating a civil state that develops the idea of true citizenship at the expense of clientalism and sectarianism.

Soueid said Lebanon's sovereignty could not be protected without restricting the possession of arms to the state.

"We should not have two armies in Lebanon, one under the state's authority and the other under the authority of a foreign country," the declaration said, hinting at Hizbullah's relations with Damascus and Tehran.

Soueid stressed the need to redefine the concept of resistance. "Resistance is a right that the Lebanese people should exercise to protect their freedom and contribute to establishing a strong state," he said, adding: "Any form of resistance that leads to weakening the state and dividing the people cannot be described as true resistance."
"A true resistance is one that serves national interests rather than the interests of foreign nations," Soueid said.
"The end goal of any resistance should be to build a strong state. This is how the success of any resistance should be measured," the declaration said.

On restructuring Lebanon's role and relations in the Arab world, Soueid said Lebanon should stand side by side with other Arab countries in defiance of the ambitions and agendas of non-Arab regional powers such as Israel and Iran.

Soueid described Israel and Iran as "the friendly foes," explaining that despite the apparent enmity between the two states, both Iran and Israel want to see a weak Arab world.

"The biggest proof of the friendly foe relationship is Israel's nonstop efforts to provide protection for the Syrian regime," he said, and called for the restructuring of ties between Beirut and Damascus. "We are ready to open a new page with Damascus if the Syrian regime acknowledges Lebanon's sovereignty and independence."

The declaration also addressed Lebanese-Palestinian ties, focusing on two main points: rejecting any form of naturalizing Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and asserting the Lebanese state's control over the Palestinian armed presence.