2005 Speeches

Remarks to the American Chamber of Commerce

June 17, 2005

It’s very nice to be back here with you again. In some ways, it seems as if September 1, 2004—when I gave my first speech to you, the American Chamber of Commerce—was only yesterday. You were my first public audience in Lebanon, and so memories of that first warm encounter are very much with me. But I’ll be honest with you: I could never have imagined the series of events that have unfolded with such rapidity in Lebanon since I stood before you only nine months ago.

Getting to know three different cabinets—is only the beginning of it! The withdrawal of Syrian troops, getting a Security Council mandate and Lebanese Government support for an international investigation into the still-unsolved murder of Rafiq Hariri, the heady demonstrations of March 14, closure of Beau Rivage, Anjar, and other symbols of Syrian Military Intelligence Control of Lebanon, the removal of five of the six security chiefs in response to local demand, even elections held on time—and with some integrity.

No, if you had told me last September 1st that all this would have been accomplished, I would have been mighty skeptical.

But these events did happen.

Yet despite all these positive steps forward, I sometimes hear disappointment from the Lebanese with whom I speak. Some note the deeply flawed 2000 election law. Others express unhappiness that so many "old faces" will be returned to Parliament. Certainly the campaign of intimidation unleashed by the series of bombs in Christian areas after the Hariri assassination, was upsetting. Similarly, the stories, which we find credible, of Syrian intelligence officers interfering in Lebanon's domestic politics and continuing to smuggle arms to militias based in Lebanon are another cause of disillusionment. And all of us are appalled that political murders are still committed, with the courageous journalist Samir Kassir now joining the too-long list of Lebanese martyrs for freedom.

While I feel your pain, as we say in America, I’ve got to tell you, the U.S. is looking forward. It’s not that we discount the factors that contribute to a sense of disappointment. But you who know and understand Americans well will not be surprised. We are a forward-looking nation, and that’s exactly what President Bush and his foreign policy team are doing now: Trying to determine how we can help the Lebanese people continue their own forward movement towards the goals they so ardently and loudly proclaimed during demonstrations in Martyrs’ Square three months ago: Freedom, sovereignty, and independence. And let me add to that another goal I’m we’ll agree--prosperity.

Most of you know that I’ve just come back from two days of meetings in Paris. A small, but very high-level group, including representatives from the UK, France, Russia, the EU, the World Bank, the UN, and of course the U.S., met to brainstorm about ways we could help Lebanon. What this meeting signified is that an international partnership is available to help Lebanon.

But what we—the U.S. and your international partners—need to know now, is that the Lebanese people are willing to work—together—to achieve their goals. For without unity of purpose among the Lebanese and a real commitment to genuine reform, the international community can do nothing to make Lebanon's transformation to a prosperous, secure and democratic country succeed. Indeed, it would be inappropriate for us to try on our own. We are not aiming at replacement of Syrian interference with another kind of foreign-decision making, but rather returning decision making to the hands of the Lebanese people to make their governing institutions reflect their will. And for this process to be successful, the Lebanese people need to look beyond the confessional and sectarian differences that have been so intentionally played up over the past few weeks and that risk taking the country backwards, not forwards.

For you—as members of Lebanon’s dynamic business community—rebuilding the economy and restoring credibility to your governing institutions is undoubtedly a priority. But the task doesn’t have a quick or easy fix. Lebanon’s “to do” list is long and ending pervasive corruption has got to be top of the list. And you can add to that the need for reliable and affordable telecommunications and Internet, and an independent, professional judiciary. And addressing Lebanon's appalling lack of respect for world standards of intellectual property rights will make the country more attractive to investors. In a word—reform—must be the priority for Lebanon’s economic structure.

It is time to tackle these problems while the attention and good will of the international community is still focused on Lebanon. The U.S. and the international community want to help you build the foundation for a vibrant economy, one that creates the employment opportunities and wealth to keep Lebanon's talented youth at home. We want to help, but we’ll be taking our queue from you in how we can help you restore Lebanon's pre-war image as a model of multi-confessional democracy and free-market economics.

In this, we note and applaud the work that Prime Minister Mikati and his team have been doing to put the intellectual foundation in place for a genuine reform agenda for the next cabinet to pursue. We also note the statements backing reform made by a large number of political leaders during these elections. We hope that these positive statements are quickly translated into positive action to end patronage and corruption and promote instead economic, political and institutional reform.

I look forward to this year’s “Made in America” trade fair, to be held at Biel, November 7-9, as an opportunity to celebrate progress on these first important steps towards real reform. I know I can count on AmCham’s participation to make this event a success.

The U.S. and the international community, have an interest in seeing a peaceful, secure, strong, democratic, prosperous and independent Lebanon. We stand ready to work with you to develop an environment in which the Lebanese people can live in security and in harmony, with optimism about the future and with the opportunity to develop their full potential. I hope that the remarkable spirit of unity that was so much in evidence in March and April can be harnessed again to complete the remarkable transformation that has already begun.