The White House to Receive Convicted War Criminal Samir Geagea

(Thanks LR)

Washington, D.C., February 21, 2008 -

The George W. Bush Administration is set for an official meeting in March with a convicted Lebanese warlord, widely recognized for planning, ordering and committing war crimes that left permanent scars on the minds and bodies of thousands of Lebanese citizens. Mr. Samir Geagea was the leader of the "Lebanese Forces militia" during the Lebanese war that lasted from 1975 to 1990. His bloody history against the people and the national army of Lebanon has shaped Lebanon's modern history, leaving behind thousands of widows, orphans, handicapped and displaced people, as well as destroyed public and private property. If for any reason Samir Geagea should be in the United States, it should be to stand trial for his war crimes against the families and friends of many Lebanese-Americans who either lived or witnessed the Lebanese war.

As of 1994, Geagea was tried and convicted for four crimes – only a small portion of his long list of war crimes that we have listed below for your reference. He was convicted for:

1. The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Mr. Rachid Karami

2. The assassination of a former leading figure in the Lebanese Forces militia, Elias Zayek

3. The assassination of Christian leader Dany Chamoun with his wife and two young children (ages 5 and 7)

4. The assassination attempt against Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of the Interior Michel Murr

[5. The cold blooded murder of Tony Frangieh, his wife and baby daughter and 35 hapless Lebanese***]

[6. Murder of Ghaith Khoury (head of the kataeb militia in Jbeil) and Emile Azzar (LF fighter)... And the assassination attempts of Fouad Abou Nader (LF commander) and ... Elie Hobeika.****]

[7. Geagea also killed Brigadier General Khalil Kanaan (Army officer) and Rizkallah (Razouk) Atik (LF fighter), brother of Hanna Atik (Hanoun, chef of the former Saddem elite LF unit) and tried to kill Assaad (Asso) Shaftari (the second of Elie Hobeika).****]

Zayek was a Christian leader who posed a threat to Geagea's dreams of the militia leadership. Dany Chamoun, son of late Lebanese President Camille Chamoun, was one of the most active and independent Christian leaders during the Syrian invasion of 1990, and was also a threat to Geagea's ambition of being the sole Christian leader. In 1990, Geagea commenced his collaboration with the brutal Syrian regime at the expense of the Lebanese people.

Although he was not convicted, Geagea was suspected of bombing the Maronite Catholic church of Saydet Najat in Jounieh, in which tens of worshipers were killed in 1994. The judges could not convict him "for insufficient evidence" as per the official verdict. Geagea was sentenced to death for his assassination crimes, and the sentence was later reduced to lifetime in prison.

Geagea only spent 11 years in jail, and was pardoned in a special bill passed by the Lebanese parliament on July 18, 2005. An interesting condition about this "special pardon" is that it not only included Geagea, but also included a score of Al Qaeda-inspired extremists who were captured after conducting terrorist attacks against the Lebanese army and civilians in 2001. Geagea's release is perceived by many people as a cover up and distraction for the release of these Islamist extremists.

A leader of a relatively insignificant political party, Geagea holds no public official or representative status. This criminal and insignificant party leader holds no official title or position in the Lebanese government to be received by the Bush Administration or the Republican Party.

To grant a US entry visa to a convicted war criminal such as Samir Geagea, and to permit him to defile the land of the free is not only against US law, but is also an unacceptable deed, and a great insult to the American people and to the values inherent in the American Constitution (Please see note below from Department of Homeland Security). Criminals such as Geagea should not set foot on the soil of the United States, not to mention that of the White House or the Capitol Building. The eyes that enjoyed gazing coldly at the grief of hundreds of thousands of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, grandfathers and grandmothers from all over the world, should never be allowed to look toward the home of the brave.

We trust that the Congress and the Administration of the United States will take the proper measures to put an end to this ill-conceived visit.

Thank you,

Lebanese Americans for Justice

[***addition by GPC, after a reader's reminder]

[**** addition II by GPC, after a reader's reminder:

"... sorry but you also forgot the assassinations of Ghaith Khoury (head of the kataeb militia in Jbeil) and Emile Azzar (LF fighter)... And the assassination attempts of Fouad Abou Nader (LF commander) and ... Elie Hobeika...."

[**** addition IIIby GPC, after a reader's reminder]