Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey D. Feltman, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, testimony, hearing, “Update on Lebanon,” March 24, 2009:
“In Lebanon, the countdown has begun for the June 2009 parliamentary elections, providing a final and crucial step towards fulfilling the final steps of the pledges made in the Doha agreement, which brought to a close months of political deadlock and internal strife. The institutions of the Lebanese state have been set back in motion and the yoke of Syria’s dominance over Lebanon has been cast off. Lebanon must now take ownership of its own future. The June 7 parliamentary elections provide an opportunity to continue the process of reinforcing Lebanon’s independence and work to deepen Lebanon’s democratic institutions. Elections offer an opportunity for moderate voices within Lebanon to continue their support for a sovereign, stable and independent Lebanon. Decisions on the shape and composition of Lebanon’s next government can and should be made by the Lebanese themselves, for Lebanon, free from outside interference, political intimidation, and violence.”
