OPINION: LEBANON IS NOT ALLOWED TO BECOME THE "SWITZERLAND" OF THE MIDDLE EAST

Regnum, Russia
Sept 6 2006

Note: Mikhail Apressyan is commander of the Artsakh regiment,
coordinator of the Initiative Group of Artsakh (Karabakh – REGNUM)
War Veterans

REGNUM: They in Armenia are actively discussing the possibility of
sending an Armenian peacekeeping contingent to Lebanon. What do you
think about this intention?

Armenia already has peacekeeping experience in Kosovo and Iraq.

First, we help those countries to establish peace and to resolve
their problems. Second, Armenia is gaining authority both in the
host countries and on the international arena. Peacekeeping gives a
military-operational experience, access to modern methods of commanding
armed forces and coordinating efforts with the armed forces of other
states. Armenian society has certain attitudes towards the events and
political situations in the Balkans and the Middle East, which may
be different from the attitudes of other countries. However, Armenia
is not original – almost all the countries involved in peacekeeping
operations differ in their attitudes towards the international politics
and certain problems of regional security.

Lebanon is dear to Armenia. That country is home to hundreds of
thousands of Armenians, who enjoy the opportunity to live there as
full citizens. To help Lebanon is, certainly, the duty of Armenia
and the whole Armenian nation. At the same time, unlike Iraq, where
the Armenian peacekeeping force is limited in number and function,
in Lebanon Armenia could have a bigger contingent.

REGNUM: To what an extent can Armenia follow the mandate, comply
with the rights and duties of the peacekeeping contingent? May it so
happen that the Armenian peacekeepers will be implicated into the
internal political confrontation or will be forced to take part in
the disarmament of Hezbollah detachments?

Of course, it is important what mandate and what functions the
peacekeeping forces will have. For example, French President Jacques
Chirac has made it quite clear. However, we would like to believe that
the powers of the peacekeeping forces and the Lebanese army will be
differentiated. Lebanon’s internal problems should be solved by the
Lebanese government and army. Considering the current developments
in Lebanon, one can be sure that the peacekeeping forces will have
a minimum role in Lebanon’s internal affairs. Otherwise, the country
will face a political and state disaster.

After the Taif Accords concluded by the Lebanese communities in
1989, the people of that country began gradually building internal
political and public relations, restoring the destroyed economy
and cities, preserving relative stability in hope for economic and
social improvement. The events of the summer 2006 have revealed the
reluctance of external forces to allow Lebanon to once again become the
"Switzerland" of the Middle East, one of the financial-banking centers
of the world, to use the capacity of its 14 million strong Diaspora,
to preserve and develop the tradition of political freedoms, to spread
the Lebanese "political oasis" over the other countries of the region.

The external forces are obviously trying to impose alien problems on
Lebanon with no regard for a new but extremely important circumstance:
the inter-communal confrontation in Lebanon has already gone into
the past as in the last decade the country has got new political
and economic prospects. The last events in Lebanon have made the
positions and strategies of various states even more "polar." Unless
the international community undertakes active steps to stabilize
the situation in Lebanon, it may become a hotbed of destructive and
radical moods that may spread the whole region.

REGNUM: Can we take Armenia’s wish to take part in the peacekeeping
operation in Lebanon as a response to similar intention by Turkey?

The Armenian organizations in Lebanon have already given a fair
assessment of Turkey’s intention. Turkey, who has long and tightly
been cooperating with Israel, particularly, in the military-political
sphere, can hardly be an impartial actor in the peacekeeping
operation. In the Middle East and other regions Turkey has goals that
are very much like the expansionist tasks of the Ottoman Empire. Some
Arab countries are in confrontation with other Arab countries and are
trying to use Turkey’s military and political presence in the region
as a way to create counterbalances. Turkey’s last years’ policy in the
Middle East has really misled some Arab politicians. Availing itself
of the hard international positions of Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, Turkey
is trying to get big concessions from them. And this will certainly
affect the position of the Armenian communities in those countries.

REGNUM: Consequently, Armenia has its own interests in the Middle
East and will try to assert them?

The situation in the Middle East continues to be difficult, and Armenia
cannot afford taking hasty steps. Since the outbreak of the Karabakh
conflict and the proclamation of Armenia’s independence, the Middle
East political resource has played a big role in the protection
of Armenian interests. It only seems that the Arab countries are
indifferently watching the developments in the neighboring regions,
particularly, in the Caucasus. The leading Arab countries carry
out certain policy with respect to those regions through various
international structures, communal and personal ties, not mentioning
religious organizations.

Until now those countries have not allowed to put Armenia into a
political blockade, to create a kind of front against the country. Of
course, the role of the Armenian communities is also big in this
matter, but the Arab countries certainly understand that the blockade
of Armenia and the weakening of its positions is contrary to their
national interests. We should consistently build our positions and
interests in the Middle East and this requires Armenia’s presence in
that region. At the same time, in the case of Lebanon our priority
is to promote stability and security in the country that is a
cultural-education center for our Diaspora.

REGNUM: What decision the Armenian Government can make on the dispatch
of Armenian peacekeepers in Lebanon?

It is quite noteworthy that it was not the government but the society
who came out with the initiative to send Armenian peacekeepers to
Lebanon. Our "Initiative Group of Artsakh War Veterans" is getting
many phone calls and letters from people wondering if Armenia will
take part in the peacekeeping contingent in Lebanon. Of course, this is
not within our competence, but such public activity proves once again
that Lebanon is very close to Armenia and we can’t take the situation
indifferently. This decision can be made only after relevant political
and diplomatic work. One should well imagine the whole construction
of the peacekeeping measure in Lebanon, take into consideration the
position of the international community and the leading powers as
well as the views of the Lebanese government. In any case, we are
already sure that this initiative will get support from our people.