Lebanon rejects militia's demand for amnesty

By Kesava Menon

MANAMA (BAHRAIN), MAY 10. The chances of violence continuing in south Lebanon even after a promised Israeli troop withdrawal have increased with Beirut rejecting a pro-Israel militia's demand for amnesty. While the militia can cite a precedent in support of its demand, the fact that it has been collaborating with an occupying force, which all segments of Lebanese society are hostile to in varying degrees, reduces the political appeal of the amnesty option as a quick way to bring peace to this troubled land.

Mr. Antoine Lahd, head of the South Lebanon Army that allied itself with Israel though the 22 years of occupation, had on Monday made his demand for amnesty in an open letter to the Lebanese President, Mr. Emile Lahoud. ``If for any reason it is necessary to gratify those with grudges or the propagators of false judgment of patriotism and treason, you may exclude the summit of the pyramid in the frontier regions from the decree of amnesty myself, the author of these lines, take on the entire responsibility,'' Mr. Lahd said in his letter. The SLA chief has already been tried, in absentia, and sentenced to death on the charge of treason and many members of his militia have been prosecuted for collaboration ``with the enemy.''

Yesterday, the Lebanese Prime Minister, Mr. Salim Hoss rejected the demand saying that it was bizarre for the SLA to request amnesty while it was still carrying on acts of aggression ``by the side of his nation's enemy against his own civilian people and sometimes doesn't even spare his nation's army. The Lebanese Prime Minister said Mr. Lahd must surrender to Lebanese justice before making any demands. Another unnamed member of the Lebanese Cabinet has said that the militia had before it only the choice of surrender or exile. True to form, the Shia militia Hizbollah, which has been fighting the SLA and the Israel military in the occupied zone for all these years, has added another option, death.

Armed, trained and supplied by Israel as it is, the SLA has been as involved in some of the more heinous aspects of the Israeli occupation of the 15-km wide occupation zone. It has also been as much a target of Hizbollah rage as the Israeli military. From a distance, the SLA might appear to be a mere quisling force which does not deserve much sympathy. But what complicates the situation is the composition of the SLA itself and the manner in which this is tied with the fragility of Lebanese society. While most of its officers are Christian, the SLA also contains members of other ethnic communities resident, including Shias. For the Hizbollah, the SLA badge might be sufficient for a person to qualify for punishment but the reaction elsewhere in Lebanon does not appear to be so clear cut.

The Maronite Cardinal of Lebanon, Rev. Nasrallah Sefir had in April called on the Government to seriously consider the amnesty option but that does not mean that the entire community is brimming with sympathy for the SLA. Even many Christians in Beirut and elsewhere are incensed by the Israeli occupation of their national territory and their (and the SLAs) shelling of civilian habitats outside the occupied zone. However, with the Israeli promise to withdraw by July 7 looking ever more likely to be fulfilled, other questions pertaining to the SLA situation could arise.

One of the strongest arguments put forward by the SLA, which has been partially echoed by Cardinal Sefir, is that the militia was born in a vacuum in a situation where the Lebanese Government was not in a position to protect its citizens who were threatened by other militias, including Palestinian bands. They also pointed out that the SLSA provided one of the main sources of employment in a war-like situation where the economy of the zone had collapsed.

But perhaps the strongest argument that the SLA puts forward is that it should be treated on par with the other militias active in the 1975-1990 civil war. These militias, which laid down their arms under the Taif agreement which ended the civil war, were granted an amnesty in 1991.

The SLA is reported to have only about 2,500 fighters and Israel has said that it is prepared to give them refuge. However, Mr. Lahd and the SLA leadership insist that they have the right to live on their own lands and have vowed that they would fight to assert this right. Ultimately, it might not be the morality or justness of the situation which provides a solution to the SLA issue but the overall politics of Lebanon.

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Section  : International
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