North American Committee Against Zionism and Imperialism (NACAZAI)

Excerpts from the Lebanese Communist Party assessment of the latest developments published on Tuesday, 25 July 2006.

The Condaleezza Rice visit had the following aims:

1. To provide political cover for continued military
aggression until all the political conditions needed
for the American “Greater Middle East” plan have been
met. Therefore she did not discuss a cease-fire.

2. To secure the conditions for NATO (read US) troops
to be deployed in Lebanon, carrying out the US plan
that it has followed since the fall of the Soviet
Union, in which US forces directly and military
interfere in many areas of the world, particularly the
Middle East, in addition to the US need to expand its
forces deployments to new areas outside of Iraq but
without warfare in order to tighten the noose around
Syria and later Iran, and in view of the fact that
there are different opinions in the world regarding
the formation of such a force (Kofi Annan’s version
and others . . )

3. To regroup the ["Lebanon first" pro-American] 14
March forces and tighten their ranks placing new tasks
before them under the signboard “protecting the
Lebanese government so that it might come out of the
crisis strengthened and with political profit.”  This
involves the 14 March coalition using all means at its
disposal and to continue its “political barrage” by
insisting on linking a cease-fire with the
implementation of the proposals in Condaleezza Rice’s
basket.  (Statements by the 14 March politicians have
begun to reflect this, eg., Amin Gemayyel, Saad
Hariri, Muawwad.)

4. To work to rally additional Lebanese forces to
Rice’s plan in order to further isolate Hizballah and
the Resistance internally.  It is in this context that
one should understand the talk about “making the
Lebanese army neutral” – in particular in view of the
position being taken by the army in favor of
participation in the resistance.  Attempts were also
made to attract Aoun and neutralize him.

5. Having seen to the four above tasks, Condaleezza
Rice is to arrive in Rome for the International
Conference on Lebanon [scheduled to open 26 July 2006]
armed with internal Lebanese cover and Arab cover for
her proposals which she hopes then to force onto the
Conference so that its resolutions will follow the
American line, not allowing for any deviation or
variance of opinion.  The idea also is that the
conference will convene with Israel having advanced
somewhat further on the ground (occupied some
villages).

6. There is no question that the Rice visit will
impact the internal political situation in Lebanon and
will help to crystallize the positions that the
various sides will take on the basis of her proposals.
We will see in coming days increased political
clashing, the first sign of which was the postponement
of the Cabinet meeting that was supposed to take place
today, out of fear that it would blow apart the façade
of unity within the government. . . .

7. Calls by the 14 March coalition forces and others
to “separate Lebanon from the regional crisis, make it
into a neutral and not let it be used as an arena
where others wage their struggles at Lebanon’s
expense” – and by the “others” they mean Syria and
Iran.  But the one who is tying Lebanon with the
region is the United States, which is pushing its
“Greater Middle East” or “New Middle East” according
to which what is going on in Lebanon is laying the
foundation for that “Greater Middle East” and
therefore the aim of the American approach is not
really to make Lebanon a neutral country, but rather
to tie it to the Americans’ plans.  Unfortunately
there are former leftist personalities and writers who
are serving as a spearhead for that pro-American 14
March Coalition propaganda line.  They are being
recruited to write and their former militant histories
of patriotic, pan-Arab, progressive, and leftist
orientation are being exploited.

8. In this area we need to affirm our position that
Lebanese and Arab resistance – using all means - to
the Zionist-American plan is imperative. We must also
stress our condemnation of the position of the
official Arab regimes that are standing aside.
Declarations of support for the resistance by
themselves on the one hand are not enough,
particularly when on the other hand those regimes are
advancing proposals for negotiation and bargaining.
The complicity of the Arab regimes with the aggression
must not serve to drive us out of the Arab national
confrontation with the enemy on the pretext that
Lebanon is resisting alone.  What is necessary is that
Lebanon continue to resist, not stop resisting, if the
other fronts are not engaged in the fight.

From the Israeli newspapers one can see increased
internal splits over the war, its cost, and results,
as accusations are exchanged over who was responsible
for it.  At the same time, the Israeli press is
focusing on:

A. signing a peace agreement with Lebanon,

B. Linking a peace agreement there with a peace
agreement with Syria.

We believe that the continuation of the Resistance,
its steadfastness, and its infliction of losses on the
enemy will produce more differences inside Israel,
particularly as it becomes clear that they are not
able to make political gains on the basis of their
aggression.  But this requires greater unit and
internal cohesiveness, and work in this direction,
opposing any separate Israeli-Lebanese peace
agreement.

On the ground – the intensity of the bombardment has
decreased but land battles have escalated.  Even
though Israel managed to make some advances on the
ground, that has been at the expense of great losses.

It should be noted that Israel’s advance over land
will be slow given the “scorched earth” policy which
serves to reduce casualties and protracts the war.

Our tasks:

Intensifying political activities and contacts with
political forces in the capital and the provinces in
order to build a patriotic position rejecting and
standing up to the aggression.

Taking direct part – so far as that is possible – in
standing up to the land assault.

Launching popular political campaigns together with
the Civil Society bodies under the slogan “Stop the
aggression and war against Lebanon” and in support of
the Lebanese and patriotic Resistance (rallies,
demonstrations), in particular in Beirut and the
provinces.

Continued work with refugees and evacuees to provide
them their particular necessities while working to
help them organize committees wherever they have
concentrated so that they might take part in political
activities opposed to the aggression and for their
right to return to their cities and villages.

Collecting help and donations, particularly money,
inside and outside the country.

Maintaining contacts with Party Organizations abroad
and with international and Arab political forces in
order to intensify their activities and solidarity
campaigns.

Source:
http://www.lcparty.org/250706_1.html