Amine Gemayel

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Reagan Library releases video of meeting with former president Gemayel

The Reagan Presidential Library released vintage video of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan meeting with former Lebanese President Amine Gemayel.

When the White House hosted the Lebanese President, Reagan was nearing the end of his first term in office while Gemayel was only in his second of six years.

“Our talks today focused on the next steps in securing Lebanon’s independence,” Reagan said during the 1983 meeting.

Many consider the relationship between the two presidents one of the most extensive and personal of any administrations between the two countries.

The meeting took place just a few months before the Beirut barracks bombings, which killed 241 U.S. and 58 French peacekeepers.

Gemayel visited the White House again in December 1983, where he met with Reagan for a second time.

READ: White House daily schedule on the day of Gemayel’s visit to the White House.

“My second visit to the White House in the course of the year is a further confirmation for our appreciation for the consistent support President Reagan has given Lebanon,” Gemayel said at the time.

Watch the footage released here:

READ: Reagan’s diary entry on the day of Gemayel’s second visit to the White House:

Most of N.S.C. spent on getting ready for visit by Pres. Gemayal of Lebanon. But also on whether to step up our artillery fire on Druze batteries lobbying shells in the direction of our Marines. So far we haven’t done anything. We’re a divided group. I happen to believe taking out a few batteries might give them pause to think. Joint Chiefs believe it might drastically alter our mission & lead to major increases in troops for Lebanon. Met with Gemayal & his cabinet. We emphasized need to work harder for expanding govt. to include some dissident groups. He made a good case that Syria has a block on the main factions. Cabinet Council on “space” & where we go. The issue is whether to move on a program for a permanent manned Space station. I’m for it as I think most everyone is but the question is funding such a new course in face of our deficits. Dave Stockman who opposed my signing the dairy bill came in to brief me on how the bill came to be and how may Reps. & Sens. broke their word on concessions they’d promised in return for the bill. I was never told any of this while it was going on. We’ll have to have a different procedure so this cant happen again. Nancy & I went to Shiloh Baptist Church for P.B.S. Young talent taping. Leontyne Price was mistress of ceremonies. Howard U. choir & young black singers were magnificent. It was a great finish to the day.

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Samy Gemayel elected president of Kataeb party

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — MP Samy Gemayel was elected on Sunday as the new president of the Kataeb party, replacing his father Amine Gemayel who announced he would not seek re-election after leading the party since 2007.

The election shifts the leadership of the Kataeb party to the third generation of the Gemayel family, who formed the party in 1936 as a Maronite paramilitary youth organization.

Gemayel, 34, garnered a majority 339 votes, as his contender Pierre Atallah received 37 votes.

“I feel a very heavy burden and I will shoulder a huge responsibility,” a tearful Gemayel said following the election. “My daily work will be alongside all Kataeb members, all Lebanese and all decent people.”

The polls opened at 10 a.m. at the Kataeb headquarters in Saifi during the last day of the Kataeb General Conference, which began on Friday at the Le Royal Hotel in Dbayeh.

Polls closed at 3 p.m., and results were announced shortly after 8 p.m.

“I will not be able to do anything on my own,” Gemayel added, asking for teamwork and unity as key for his upcoming term. “You have entrusted me with a huge responsibility.”

Gemayel, who was elected into parliament in 2009, promised to “exert his full efforts” and practice the “values of democracy.” He first announced his candidacy two weeks ago in Bikfaya.

“I shall remain loyal to the sacrifices of the Lebanese people,” Gemayel said, adding that he will head to Bickfaya to visit his family martyrs “from whom he derives his power.”

Joseph Abu Khalil was elected as Kataeb’s deputy leader and former Minister Salim Sayegh was elected as the second deputy leader. A political bureau team was also elected on Sunday.

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Amine Gemayel visits Lebanese community in Detroit

(DETROIT, MI) — Former President of Lebanon Amine Gemayel visited the Lebanese community in Detroit on Saturday, after making stops in Washington, DC and Boston earlier this week.

Gemayel was a guest of local business owner Toufic Souaid, who hosted a luncheon for the former president attended by local Lebanese-American leaders and party representatives.

WATCH highlights of Gemayel’s visit to Detroit:

Gemayel spoke exclusively with Lebanese Examiner Managing Editor Charlie Kadado about the ongoing political climate in Lebanon, and the role of Lebanese expatriates in helping to mend security conflicts.

“(Members of the diaspora) should plead the cause of Lebanon through the governments, the media, and the various leadership where they are,” he said. “The diaspora is very important for Lebanon’s existence and pluralism.”

Gemayel’s remarks come three days after he spoke to Boston College and called 2014 “a year of existential crisis” for Middle East Christians. He adds that Lebanon’s pluralism provides a “unique” blueprint for other Middle Eastern countries.

“Lebanon is an example for a harmonious coexistence among the various religious communities,” said Gemayel. “That’s what we’re trying to protect.”

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Gemayel speaks to Boston College on ‘religious pluralism’

UPDATE: Gemayel is currently in Washington, DC. and will visit Detroit, Michigan on Saturday, March 28 for a community luncheon.

(BOSTON, MA) — “I have never in my life witnessed Middle East Christians in such extreme danger,” Amine Gemayel warned on Wednesday. Speaking at a public lecture at Boston College, the former president of Lebanon called 2014 “a year of existential crisis” for Middle East Christians.

He raised “the specter of genocide,” in the context of atrocities suffered by Christians and other religious minorities in the region at the hands of the Islamic State and other extremists.

“If present negative trends continue to intensify,” Gemayel said, “we must start thinking about the unthinkable: the extinction of Christianity” in the region.

In addition to an enormous human toll, the former president claimed that the end of Middle East Christianity would “destabilize the region for generations.”

Compounding the crisis, Gemayel said, is the “inexplicable” lack of attention the issue receives from the international community. In particular, he said, “the response by the United States has been a resounding non-response.”

Gemayel noted Washington’s failure last summer to use airstrikes to halt the Islamic State’s mass religious cleansing of Iraqi Christians and Yezidis while using these means to defend other interests, such as oil installations.

While acknowledging that the U.S. is “constantly buffeted by demands” for proactive policies, Gemayel pointed out that the U.S. not only has “the military means to do more,” but is politically positioned to act due to lead its “strong relationships with regional governments.”

Specifically, Gemayel encouraged Washington to support the Vatican’s proposal for “a UN-backed military force, with Muslim participation, to stop religious cleansing in the Middle East,” and the establishment of internationally-guaranteed “in-country safe havens.”

He furthermore appealed to the United States to intensify its support for Lebanon in its fight against the Islamic State and in its care for Syrian refugees.

Ultimately, he asserted, an “Arab Marshall Plan” would be needed to reconstruct Arab countries and encourage Arab youth to “embrace democratic ideas as a prelude to the establishment of democratic systems.”

Gemayel also stressed the need for responsible Muslim leadership to turn their expressions of sympathy with persecuted Christians into “a comprehensive plan of action.”

Gemayel’s talk was cosponsored by Christian Solidarity International and Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry, Department of Slavic and Eastern Languages and Literatures, Department of Political Science, and Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life.

This Friday, March 27, the UN Security Council will be addressing the existential threat to Middle East minorities raised by President Gemayel.

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Gemayel to visit U.S. to speak on “existential threats” facing Christians

(WASHINGTON, DC) — Former President of Lebanon Amine Gemayel will travel to the United States next week, to speak about “existential threats” facing Middle Eastern Christians.

He will deliver a speech entitled “Religious Pluralism in the Middle East: A Challenge to the International Community” at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA on March 25.

Gemayel, who served as Lebanon’s President from 1982 to 1988, issued an early warning of possible “genocide” against Middle East Christians as the “Arab Spring” uprisings began in early 2011.

Former President Gemayel’s Boston College address comes two days before the UN Security Council meets to address the crisis of growing persecution of Christians in the Middle East.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who will chair the Security Council on the 27th of March, has called on the body to take a stand against atrocities committed by jihadists who “deny that minorities have the right to exist”.

Amine Gemayel continues to serve as the leader of Lebanon’s Kataeb Party and the head of the Beit-al-Mustakbal think tank.

His appearance at Boston College is co-sponsored by Christian Solidarity International (CSI) and by Boston College’s Slavic and Eastern Languages and Literature, Political Science and Theology Departments and the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life.

Gemayel’s Boston College speech is the latest in CSI’s series of talks on ‘The Future of Religious Minorities in the Middle East’. For more information visit middle-east-minorities.com.

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Gemayel says all sects must unite against extremism

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Former Lebanese president and Kataeb leader Amin Gemayel said Thursday that extremist takfiri groups are harmful to both Muslims and Christians, and called for all sects to combat the extremism sweeping the Middle East.

“The whole Middle East region is going through a very difficult phase, especially with the extremist takfiri thought, which not only tarnishes Islam but harms Arabs and humanity as a whole,” he said.

Gemayel said that the bid to combat terrorism was a responsibility of all parties and factions, regardless of religious leanings. He added that the initiative of the heads of Eastern churches, led by Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai, should be supported by all factions in Lebanon and the Middle East.

He said an initiative by the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Egypt’s highest Sunni religious authority, to hold a Muslim-Christian spiritual summit was taking shape with the support of other religious parties.

“The responsibility [to fight extremism] is not restricted to one patriarch or to one sect, but it is the responsibility of all us who feel how dangerous the situation is and must act,” Gemayel added.

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Presidential void affects security: Gemayel

BEIRUT: Kataeb Party leader Amine Gemayel said Wednesday that the presidential void could affect the security situation and the work of the state institutions, adding void should not prevail for long.

“The void in the presidency post could pose a threat to stability in the country,” Gemayel said after meeting a delegation from the Maronite League and the Maronite Council.

“Void in the presidency could also lead to void in the institutions, and we should respect the National Pact,” he said.

The National Pact is an unwritten agreement formed in 1943 that laid the foundation of Lebanon as a multi-confessional state and has governed the political dynamics of the country to this day.

Gemayel also said that the state of presidential void in the country should not linger and reiterated that Parliament could not legislate in light of a presidential void.

“We should not adapt to the current situation and the status of not having a president for the county,” he said.

“The Kataeb is holding on to its stance that Parliament becomes an electoral body and not a legislative one throughout the period of presidential void, as Article 75 of the Constitution stipulates.”

Source: The Daily Star

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Mustaqbal Announces ‘Full Support’ to Geagea

Al-Mustaqbal bloc announced on Monday its “full support” to the leader of the Lebanese Forces in his presidential bid, as LF delegates continued their visits to parties and parliamentary blocs over Samir Geagea’s run for office.

“We announce our full support to Samir Geagea in his run for presidency,” al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat stated after talks with LF delegates.

Fatfat added that Geagea’s presidential program “responds to the needs of the Lebanese people, to their aspirations and to their longing for strengthening the state’s sovereignty, and restoring its prestige and role.”

LF MP George Adwan praised al-Mustaqbal bloc’s stance, considering it a “major step.”

He also assured that “all March 14 blocs are committed to attending the scheduled parliamentary session on Wednesday to elect a new president.”

“We will have a unified stance before Wednesday’s parliamentary session,” he revealed.

Simultaneously, another LF delegation met with Prime Minister Tammam Salam in the Beirut neighborhood of Msaytbeh to hand him Geagea’s presidential program.

MP Sethrida Geagea reiterated after the talks that March 14 will have one presidential candidate, noting that a positive atmosphere has prevailed so far in the envoys’ meetings with local figures and parliamentary blocs.

Earlier in the day, MP Geagea handed Kataeb Party chief Amin Gemayel the presidential program of the LF leader, stressing also the unity of the March 14 alliance regarding the presidential polls.

She said after meeting Gemayel at the Kataeb’s headquarters in Saifi in Beirut: “The March 14 alliance will be united in its stand over the elections.”

“The alliance will stand behind one candidate when it heads to the parliamentary session on Wednesday,” she told reporters.

Geagea described her meeting with Gemayel as positive, saying that the two sides highlighted the importance of the elections.

MP Geagea then met Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, handing him a copy of the LF chief’s presidential program.

Jumblat confirmed after the talks that he will attend Wednesday’s parliamentary session, saying however that he will declare his stance on the polls on Tuesday.

OTV revealed later that the National Struggle Front will convene tomorrow at 5:30 pm to discuss the presidential elections.

Meanwhile, another LF delegation met on Monday afternoon with National Liberal Party leader MP Dory Chamoun and the Jamaa Islamiya.

“We agreed on the importance of holding the presidential elections on time,” LF MP Antoine Zahra said after meeting with Chamoun, remarking that the March 14 coalition agrees on Geagea’s presidential program.

The two-member delegation, which included Geagea’s adviser Wehbe Qatisha in addition to Zahra, then visited the headquarters of the Jamaa Islamiya in Beirut where it held talks with MP Imad al-Hout and the party’s political bureau chief Wael Najm.

LF delegates also met with former premier Najib Miqati and they are scheduled to meet with Speaker Nabih Berri to hand him a copy of the presidential program.

The party’s envoys had met with President Michel Suleiman, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun for the same purpose.

Geagea is the only political leader to so far announce his nomination for the elections.

Parliament is scheduled to convene on Wednesday in order to hold the polls amid concerns that the needed quorum will not be met.

Commenting on this possibility, MP Geagea said: “All lawmakers are obligated to exercise their duties and attend the session.”

Source: Naharnet

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Jumblatt undecided on presidential candidate

BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt said in comments published Friday that he is still undecided on which candidate he will endorse for the presidency as Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad indirectly warned against controversial candidates.

“I will choose [a candidate] at the last minute after consulting my conscience and my partners,” he told Al-Ousbou Al-Arabi magazine.

“I will consult Speaker Nabih Berri first, the Future Movement and other sides,” Jumblatt said.

“I will not declare anything about the subject and I prefer we have [announced] candidates with clear economic and social platforms.”

Jumblatt also denied media reports that he would not vote for Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea or Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.

“I never said that,” he said.

Jumblatt, head of the National Struggle Front bloc, is seen as the kingmaker in the nation’s political landscape as his support for one of the major coalitions can tip the balance in its favor.

The two-month constitutional deadline for electing a new president started on March 25 and Parliament is set to meet next Wednesday to elect a new president.

Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea, a March 14 coalition leader, has announced his candidacy, saying his platform would focus on strengthening the state and combating the proliferation of arms in the country.

Another March 14 leader, Kataeb head Amine Gemayel, is also expected to announce his candidacy while MP Michel Aoun, Hezbollah’s main Christian ally, has yet to join the race.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Raad, head of the Hezbollah parliamentary bloc, said his party would support a presidential candidate who defends the resistance.

“We want a candidate who will support and protect the resistance strategy and who is keen on the unity of the Lebanese people,” Raad said during a memorial service in south Lebanon.

“We advice politicians to be wise and refrain from embarking on miscalculated adventures,” he said, apparently referring to problematic nominees. “What is needed is to help the country pass through this phase as we preserve its sovereignty.”

 

Source: The Daily Star

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Ongoing contacts between Lebanese Forces, Kataeb to name single March 14 candidate

Contacts are underway between the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb party in an attempt to reach consensus over a single March 14 presidential candidate, after several party officials close to Amin Gemayel hinted that the former president might soon announce running for office.

LBCI television reported on Friday that the ongoing contacts between Bikfayya and Maarab are close to reaching consensus over the presidential elections, in an attempt to preserve the March 14 coalition’s unity.

LBCI first said that LF MP Sethrida Geagea was tasked with contacting the Kataeb party.

But later, it noted that the party’s chief, Samir Geagea and not MP Sethrida Geagea, was the person in contact with Kataeb officials.

Al-Mustaqbal MP Fatfat told al-Arabiya on Friday afternoon that Geagea has introduced “a new approach of political work in Lebanon and a new aspect of democracy by announcing his candidacy.”

“This is because the tradition before was having under-the-table negotiations,” he commented.

He also remarked that March 14 will reveal its candidate for presidency after Gemayel takes a final decision on his nomination.

“But reports said contacts are underway between LF and Kataeb over this matter and we think that this is a positive sign,” the al-Mustaqbal lawmaker expressed.

In a related matter, MTV said that a LF delegation will visit Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun in the coming hours to hand him over Geagea’s presidential program, and to discuss the upcoming elections with him.

Kataeb MP Elie Marouni assured on Thursday that Gemayel is a “natural candidate in the presidential race, because the party sees in him a strong and popular president.”

Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi, who’s Gemayel’s adviser, announced as well that the Kataeb leader is preparing to declare his candidacy.

On Wednesday, Geagea announced a presidential program that focused on “restoring the authority of the state against the proliferation of weapons during a time of regional unrest.”

The LF chief also called for a state monopoly on the use of force, including confronting Israel.

He is the sole politician to have officially announced his candidacy for the polls, which are first scheduled to be held on April 23.

Speaker Nabih Berri called on MPs to meet next Wednesday, although the election is not expected to be an easy process amid a lack of agreement on a consensual candidate.

President Michel Suleiman’s six-year tenure ends on May 25.

Source: Naharnet

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