http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=85099


South Lebanon welcomes US presidential hopeful's message of peace

By Iman Azzi
Daily Star staff
Friday, September 07, 2007

SOUTH LEBANON: A Democratic candidate for the US presidency wrapped up a visit to Lebanon on Thursday after promoting a platform of peace and promising, if elected, to make the United States "a nation among nations." Congressman Dennis Kucinich and his wife Elizabeth toured Beirut and South Lebanon this week, repeating a visit the two made last year after the 2006 war with Israel to view the destruction caused by the conflict for themselves.

"It is time for a new role for the United States, not as a nation above nations but as a nation among nations," Kucinich, who was one of the first American politicians to call for a cease-fire to last summer's war, told residents of Qana, Bint Jbeil, Remeich and Maroun al-Ras - many of whom said they shared his frustrations with the current Bush administration.

"I would take America on a totally different direction on matters of security: Strength through peace, not peace through strength," he said, rejecting Washington's current policies of unilateralism, "pre-emptive" war and what he descibed as disregard for international laws and the US Constitution.

Kucinich, who met with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Sunday, said the United States should engage in conversations with all nations.

"I propose direct engagement. Leader to leader, eye to eye, heart to heart," Kucinich said. President George W. Bush has not met with Assad, charging that he heads a "state sponsor of terror." Kucinich is the most recent in a line a of American senators and congressmen, including House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who have gone against the administration's wishes and met with Assad.

On Wednesday, Kucinich, his wife - a former volunteer at a home run by Mother Theresa in India and with the British Red Cross' refugee unit -  and three Lebanese-American friends from his native state of Ohio toured South Lebanon, stopping first at Qana.

"The world must recognize what happened here and seek forgiveness from the people of Qana," Kucinich said, speaking at the memorial created for those who died in in an Israeli air strike during last summer's war, surrounded by mothers who lost their children in the attack.
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"Qana is a message for the entire world. Some believe at Qana, Jesus Christ at a wedding feast turned water to wine. I believe the tears of the people of Qana will turn tragedy to peace," Kucinich said.

In 2006, an obviously moved Kucinich recounted, he and Elizabeth found themselves at Qana around 10 p.m. at night, gazing at photos of the dead and stopped at the image of a young boy wearing a red jacket and a "beautiful smile."

"As I stood there weeping [in front of the photo] a hand came round to comfort me and it was one of your villagers," the congressmen told Qana residents. "And he held on to me until I regained my composure. The man pointed to a picture of a woman and three kids and said 'This was my family.'"

Afterward, the two saw the site of the attack and found themselves surrounded by villagers. "The people of Qana called from the crowd to me. 'Tell the American people that we love America' they said. It was an expression of such powerful forgiveness," he recalled, adding that he took a 17-kilogram bomb fragment back with him to show other Americans. That bomb fragment now sits in his office.

As they left, Elizabeth gave kisses to some of the mothers and Kucinich hugged a child who had lost his sister.

In Bint Jbeil, the two met with local residents, many of whom are Lebanese-Americans. Having witnessed over 20 years of Israeli occupation and lived through last year's war, they responded positively to the congressman's message of peace.

"I hope next year you'll be the first lady," one of the Bint Jbeil residents called out to Elizabeth Kucinich as the two were leaving.

"Inshallah," Elizabeth smiled, using the Arabic expression for "God willing."

"People love America, but have lost some of that love. I want America to be loved again," Kucinich said. "The reason I'm running for president is to push for a transition from war to peace."





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