Dear Uri,
It has been quite a long time that we have not corresponded together.
Actually, I was preparing my testimony for the special international tribunal concerning the murder of the late prime minister of Lebanon Rafik Hariri killed 10years ago on the 14th of February 2005.
I accused from the first day the Syrian regime having had the painful experience personally when 38 years ago my father was assassinated by the the Syrians, on the 16th of March 1977.
What a coincidence.
My father was fiercely opposed to Syrian invasion of Lebanon.
They came on his blood.
Twenty eight years later Rafic Hariri wanted them out of Lebanon according to the Taef agreement.
They left on his blood.
I had to shake hands with the murderer of my father, Hafez Assad 40 days after the assassination because of Lebanese internal divisions, the right wing Christians parties siding first with the Syrians then used by the Israelis, our side allied to the PLO headed by Yasser Arafat.
But as you remember the Syrians were given the green light to invade Lebanon, by the Infamous Henry Kissinger with the purpose of crushing the leftist parties headed by kamal Joumblatt so they succeeded by killing him, and the other purpose was to control and muzzle the PLO presided by Yaser Arafat which they failed to do.
Later the job was done by Sharon in the invasion of 1982 that ended up in the departure of the PLO and Arafat from Beirut.
Another coincidence.
The joint interest of Sharon and Assad to eliminate Arafat and with him the concept of free Palestinian will that could lead to a Palestinian state.
Baathist totalitarianism coincides with Zionism in the negation of Palestine.
To make the story short, I was able later on at La Hague to deliver a historical trial of Syrian crimes in Lebanon.
When Kamal Joumblat was killed there were no international tribunals.
Thirty eight years later with my testimony justice in a way was done for his memory, hoping that justice will be done to Rafic Hariri and to all the martyrs who refused Syrian domination.
