The Central Directorate of the Party of the Guardians of the Cedars-National Lebanese Movement, held its weekly meeting and discussed the current Lebanese, regional and international situation, and issued the following communiqué:

The Central Directorate of the Party is shocked to find that the file of Sabra and Chatila is reopened after 19 years of lethargy, and is eager to lay the following facts before the Lebanese, regional and international public opinions:

1-     What is commonly called the Sabra and Chatila massacres are the results of a furious public reaction against the Palestinian massacres committed against the  Lebanese people;

2-     Why opening at present the file of the “Sabra and Chatila massacres” and seeking a scapegoat for them while ignoring, at the same time, the massacres committed against the Lebanese throughout the 30 years of Arab and international war in and against Lebanon?

3-     The Central Directorate, wishing to give what is far from being an exclusive example of these massacres, reminds the massacres of the Chouf-Aychiyeh, Damour, Deir Achach-Deir Machmoucheh, Qa’a, as well as the untold political assassinations that unlatched bloody reactions;

4-     Who was responsible for preventing the Lebanese government from spreading its authority over all the Lebanese territory, while established instead isles of foreign security within Lebanon as, for example the Camps of Dbayeh, Tall Zaatar, Jisr Al-Basha, Qarantina and a host of others?

5-     Who was responsible for igniting the war in Lebanon in 1975-and if we were to analyze objectively the reasons behind it, we will find that Palestinian and Syrian hands were behind all these events whose sequels will be resented by all the Lebanese for a very long time.

The Central Directorate of the Party of the Guardians of the Cedars calls upon public opinion not to be lured into wasting its time in search for a scapegoat to pile upon him the “ Sabra and Chatila massacres” and bury into oblivion all the massacres, assassinations, rapes, torture committed against the Lebanese.

The Directorate stresses for the nth time that there will be no peace and stability in Lebanon as long as will remain on our soil Palestinian camps protected by armed bands that are not subject to the Lebanese authorities.

 You are opening a “Pandora’s  Box” containing thousands of files.
 History has no confines, no mercy!

At the Service of Lebanon,

Abu Arz    

July 16, 2001