Declaration and membership of
the Ain El-Tineh Pro Syrian Gathering

Created in the aftermath of the 'Bristol Gathering', the Ain El Timeh Gathering, in its first meeting held at the official Ain El Tineh Residence of Speaker Nabih Berri on February 8, 2005, made the following declaration:

The Bristol Gathering,

1- Calls for national dialogue on all matters that could transform Lebanon into a modern state and define its role by seriously endeavoring to abolish political sectarianism, issuing a modern law for political parties, issuing a permanent election law in compliance with the Taef Accord, and continuing to the implementation of the reform clauses stipulated by this Accord.

2- Calls for refraining from engaging Syria in the domestic arguments on any internal issue, and welcoming the stance Syria in being at an equal distance from all sides, and in being basically concerned with supporting Lebanon's peace, independence, and economic revival, because a strong Lebanon is strength to Syria. In this context, the Gathering affirms that Syrian-Lebanese relations is subject to the Brotherhood, Coordination and Cooperation Agreement approved by Lebanon's Parliament, and demand translating it into agreements in all aspects, in pursuit of building a partnership between the two countries in line with the most advanced international cooperation formulas.

3- Affirms the joint destiny and track unity between Lebanon and Syria, and confirms that the redeployment of Syrian forces its final withdrawal is a matter is a mater determined only by the mutual interest of both countries, and is dependent on confronting Israeli challenges and threats.

4- Affirming that Israel alone is the one that constituted and still constitutes a threat to Lebanon's formula of coexistence,

   a- By continuing to occupy a dear portion of Lebanon's soil, leading among which are the Shebaa Farms and Kfashouba Hills, and by continuing to violate Lebanon's airspace and territorial waters.

   b- Through its greed for Lebanon's lands and waters.

   c- Through it attempts to instigate strife, confuse the security situation and perpetual threats.

Based on the above, the Gathering, as it salutes Lebanon's resistance fighters, affirms that the resistance and its weapons are a national option and a national guarantee for all Lebanon is a fair and comprehensive in the region is not attained.

Members

Current Top Officials
Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Omar Karami, Deputy Speaker Michel Murr Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares.

Former Top Officials
Former Speaker Hussein Al Husseini , Former Prime Minister Rashid Al Solh.

Current Ministers
Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh, Finance Minister Elias Saba, Justice Minister Adnan Addoum, Minister of Public Works and Transport Yassine Jaber, Minister of Public Health Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh, Telecommunication Minister Jean-Louis Qordahi, Minister of Agriculture Elias Skaff, Tourism Minister Wadih Khazen, Social Affairs Minister Ghazi Zeaiter, Environment Minister Weam Wahhab, Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Morad, Minister of Education Ahmad Sami Minqara, Minister of the Displaced Talal Arslan, Minister of Labor Assem Qanso (Head of the Syrian Baath Branch in Lebanon), Minister of State Mahmoud Abdel-Khaleq (member of The Syrian National Socialist Party - SNSP), Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Hamoud, Minister of Youth and Sports Sebouh Hovnanian (member of the Northern Metn Bloc), Minister of Agriculture Elias Skaff (member of the Popular Bloc-Zahle), Minister of Economy Adnan Qassar.

Current Deputies
Nabatiyeh MP Mohammad Raad (Hezbollah's Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc), Jezzine MP George Najm (Hezbollah's Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc), Baalbeck-Hermel MP Ibrahim Bayan (Hezbollah's Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc), Minyeh MP Saleh Al Kheir, Beirut MP Bassem Yamout (Former member of Hariri's Beirut Decision Bloc), Beirut MP Adnan Araqji (Former member of Hariri's Beirut Decision Bloc, Tripoli MP Najib Mikati (member of the National Gathering Bloc, pro Syrian, anti Karami), Akkar MP Jamal Ismail, Marjeyoun- Hasbaya MP Qassem Hashem (member of the Baath Party Bloc), Bint Jbeil MP Ayoub Homayed (member of Berri's Resistance and Development Bloc), Beirut MP Bechara Merhej (former member Hariri's Beirut Decision Bloc), Zahle MP Mohammad Ali Al Mais, Tripoli MP Ahmad Hbous, Beirut MP Nasser Qandil (former member of Hariri's Beirut Decision Bloc), Akkar MP Wajih Baarini, Marjeyoun-Hasbaya MP Anwar Khalil (member of Berri's Resistance and Development Bloc), Zahle MP Khalil Hrwai, Western-Biqaa-Rachaya MP Sami Khatib, Tripoli MP Jean Obeid, Akkar MP Karim Rassi (member of Minister Suleiman Fanjieh Bloc), Marjeyoun-Hasbaya MP Asaad Hardan (member of the Syrian National Socialist Party Bloc), Batroun MP Sayed Aql (member of Minister Suleiman Fanjieh Bloc), Bcharri MP Gebran Tawk (member of the Bcharri Bloc), Sidon MP Osama Saad, Metn MP Emile Emile Lahoud (member of the North Metn Bloc of Deputy Speaker Michel Murr), Metn MP Antoine Haddad (member of the North Metn Bloc of Deputy Speaker Michel Murr), Akkar MP Abdel-Rahman Abdel-Rahman (member of the Baath Party's Bloc), Zahrani MP Ali Oseiran (member of Berri's Resistance and Development Bloc), Biqaa MP Nader Sukkar (member of the Kateb Party), Dinnieh MP Jihad Al Samad (member of the Tripoli National Gathering Bloc), Akkar MP Mohammad Yehia, Jezzin MP Antoine Khouri (member of Berri's Resistance and Development Bloc), Koura MP Ghassan Ashqar (member of the Syrian National Socialist Party Bloc), Zahrani MP Michel Moussa (member of Berri's Resistance and Development Bloc), West Biqaa-Rachya MP Faisal Daoud.

Former Deputies
Former Beirut MP Tamam Salam, Former Baabda-Aley MP Marwan Abu Fadel, Former Beirut MP Bahaa Eddine Itani, Former Akkar MP Talal Mehbi.

Political Parties
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah heading a party delegation, Syrian National Socialist Party President Gebran Areiji, Phalange (Kataeb) Party President former minister Karim Pakradoni, Solidarity Party President Emile Rahmeh, Lebanese Popular Conference President Kamal Chatila, Islamic Group Secretary General Faisal Mawlawi (the group later made a statement announcing its detachment from the Ain El-Tineh Gathering), Islamic Philanthropic Association President Sheikh Hussam Qararqira, Workers League President former Chouf MP Zaher Al Khatib heading a party delegation, Tachnaq Party President Hovick Muktarian heading a party delegation, Hanshaq Party President Yeghia Djiridjian (former member of the Beirut Decision Bloc, Ittihad Party President Rafic Morad, a delegation of the Independent Nasserite Movement (Morabitoun) headed by Nouhad Orphaly, a delegation of the Islamic Gathering headed by Saad Eddine Homeidi Saqr, Al Kayan Pary President Issam Abu Darwish, Arab Socialist Union Party President Omar Harb, Dialogue Party President Fouad Makhzoumi, Amal Movement Delegation, Al Marada Delegation, Lebanon Baath Party Branch delegation, Peoples Front delegation headed by Joseph Haddad, National Part delegation headed by Ghazi Al Munzer, President of the Nasserite National Organization headed by Samir Sharkas, Socialist Union (Nasserite) delegation headed by Muneer Al Sayyad.