Over the past few days, one couldn’t help but notice that influential US Media is presenting a somewhat distorted view of the Lebanese political scene with the 1st parliamentary election free from foreign occupation since 1972. Even more noticeable is a systematic campaign against General Michel Aoun and what he represents for a large segment of the Lebanese Population, especially after the landslide victory in the elections of Mount Lebanon this past Sunday June 12th. Some news articles went further to suggest that General Aoun is in collusion with the so-called Pro-Syrian camp against the so-called Anti-Syrian camp which can only be characterized as absolutely preposterous. Be it careless or deliberate, such misinformation by our free press is not worthy of our democratic values.

Steadfast and resolute against Syrian Occupation, ever since he was appointed as Interim Prime Minister in 1998, General Aoun campaigned at all levels to keep the Lebanese cause alive in the World’s consciousness. Exiled for 15 years, General Aoun lobbied tirelessly influential World Organizations such as UN, EU and US Congress to affect a favorable change in their policy towards Lebanon. His testimony in front of US Congress during the “Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Act” proceedings landed him an arrest warrant by the Lebanese Government at the time, which included many members of the current so-called Anti-Syrian movement as key Cabinet Ministers. Moreover, and since his arrival to Lebanon on May 7th from exile, General Aoun has been reaching to all parties across all confessional and ideological lines in search for common ground to reunite and lay the foundation for reforming an archaic and corrupt political system that led the country to ruins. His demand for an independent audit of Government finances, his campaign for instilling a culture of accountability for employees in public service along with a proposal for a more representative electoral law, won him praise and support from the vast majority of the population, yet caused alarm and apprehension for an oligarchy that is likely to be incriminated with grand larceny.

The Council of Lebanese American Organizations (CLAO) would like for the US Media to exercise better judgment in its current reporting and accord it an appropriate level of depth and breadth. The fact of the matter is that US Media is closely monitored by the people of a Middle East so it would be a moral imperative to ensure that their aspirations and successes are accurately reported as reinforcement and incentive to push forth with the democratization process. This would also go a long way in addressing cynical and suspicious attitude that is typical of the Arab World toward US lead Initiatives.

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