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Interview with Antoine Richa, advisor to the slain Lebanese Minister Pierre Gemayel

Joseph Mayton - 12/19/2006

As demonstrations in downtown Beirut threaten the stability of the country yet again, the Global Politician sat down with the Vice-President of the Phalange party to discuss the current situation. Antoine Richa was also an advisor to the slain Minister of Industry, Pierre Gemayel and an ardent government supporter. The party, which played an active role in the civil war here from 1975-1990, has been anti-Syrian since the end of the civil war.

GP: What are your views on the current situation in Lebanon, most notably the demonstrations downtown?

Antoine Richa: They have a right to demonstrate. But at the same time it is counterproductive and the protest will not create concrete changes in Lebanon. It is wrong because it will cause social and economic problems across the country. There needs to be some form of concrete changes and a demonstration in our view is not the way to achieve that.

Lebanon needs a package deal because what good is it to make a small change, an immediate one, just to end up in the same position again in a few months time.

There are points of contention that need to be addressed in a dialogue between all parties. These consist of the make-up of parliament; the presidency; the cabinet; the international tribunal; and the upcoming Paris III conference.

Nobody expects anything positive will come out of the demonstrations.

GP: Can you comment on the differences between this years demonstration and the 2005 protest that ousted Syria from Lebanon?

Richa: There is no Syrian influence now. The protests last year gave birth to the new parliament and ousted the Syrians from a major role in Lebanese politics, which was important.

But today there just isn't the foreign influence that Lebanon had been plagued with for years, so it is only Lebanese, which is why the mass demonstration is dangerous to Lebanese society.

This is why national unity talks are important.

GP: But national unity talks did not reach a solution.

Richa: While the national unity talks did not result in much these are the only meetings that can result in a real and viable solution for the good of Lebanon. The street demonstrations will only lead to street clashes, which we have already seen.

GP: What was the reaction of the opposition after Pierre Gemayel was assassination? Are there any leads in finding the culprits?

Richa: After the assassination of dear Pierre, Amin received calls from all sorts of people. All the parties, Nasrallah, Berri and Aoun paid their condolences to Amin. The meetings went very well and they spoke frankly to each of the situation in the country in "man-to-man talks."

At this point we don't know who killed dear Pierre, but I think it is pretty obvious to people that the only people to have been killed in the past two years in Lebanon were anti-Syrian.

GP: On that note, what do you envision Lebanon's relations to be with the outside world?

Richa: We want good relations with our neighbors, with Arab states, the European Union and the United States.

GP: And Syria?

Richa: Of course we would like good relations with Syria. All we ask is for them to let us be a sovereign and independent country where the Lebanese people can run their own affairs. This is our country and we have our own goals for the future.

We ask Syria to give us our own identity back. Just like they have so we can have prosperity like they do.

GP: Israel?

Richa: We are in a position at this point that cannot agree with Israel, so we can neither ask nor accept peace with them. Lebanon will be the last country to sign an agreement with Israel as Prime Minister [Fouad] Siniora said.

GP: As the demonstration continues downtown, many Lebanese fear another outbreak of violence that could lead to a civil war. December 6, was the anniversary of "Bloody Saturday" which saw your party take part in a campaign that set in motion the beginning of the civil war from 1975-1990. How does this affect the people knowing that it was the day that sealed the fate of the country in 1975?

Richa: You have to see both sides of that day. People in this country have forgotten a lot of the bad things that happened in this country and we are becoming whole again as a country.

On one side it is good that people are forgetting a lot of the horror of the civil war because we can move forward. It is important to remember the foreign powers that were involved in dividing our nation during this time. It wasn't just Lebanese sides fighting each other, remember?

Foreign powers helped to divide the Lebanese into fighting each other. For example, Syria, the Palestinians and Israel all had a hand in the civil war.

I don't know if it is necessarily a good thing that people forget certain days, but if we are to move on from that tragedy people must be willing to forgive and get on with their lives. That is what we are doing as a party.

GP: Does the Phalange have a militia with a weapons capacity?

Richa: [chuckles] In the eighties we gave up our military wing to the Lebanese Forces [led by Samir Geagea]. And then following the civil war all the militias in Lebanon, except Hezbollah, gave their weapons to the Lebanese army as part of the agreement to end the fighting.

GP: Will Lebanon see a return to Civil War?

Richa: No. I don't see that happening. People know the destruction of war and they don't want it again.

GP: Thank you Mr. Richa for taking the time to talk with us about some of the issues facing Lebanon today.

Richa: It was my pleasure.