Ms. Jazzar was in Springfield November 8th to film a segment of The Ambassador Series, a joint production of WSEC-TV (Springfield) and the University’s office of International Communications, Engagement, and Protocol. Ms. Jazzar, who is fluent in Arabic, French, and English, completed her MA in Diplomatic Studies at The Diplomatic Academy of London, University of Westminster, London. She began her career as a journalist, writing for francophone political and cultural magazines. Subsequently, she headed up political reporting and press analysis at the Lebanese Embassy in Paris before serving in various bureaus at the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beirut and then assuming diplomatic postings to London, New York, and Washington, D.C., where she became chargé d'affairs in August of this year.

Ms. Carla Jazzar Chargé d’Affaires Embassy of Lebanon

In late August, when the Swedish government convened, in Stockholm, the international conference for Lebanon' s early recovery, there was some optimism about ameliorating conditions in post-war Lebanon. How successful was the Stockholm conference? What are the priorities for this humanitarian and financial assistance? What is the long-term prognosis for rebuilding Lebanon’s infrastructure?

The Stockholm conference gathered 60 countries and international and regional organizations. We expected to raise $500 million, but secured almost double that: $ 940 million. This in itself represents a proof of great success. As for the priorities for the humanitarian assistance, Lebanon proposed a plan to address the most urgent needs, such as rebuilding temporary houses, schools, and bridges, fixing water pipes, electricity power plants, etc. so that victims can return to their areas of residence and live in a minimum standard of decency. The most important challenge today is the success of the proposed conference of donors, to be held in Paris by the end of January 2007. Our needs are enormous and our expectations are high. Most importantly, we need funds in the form of grants, as we cannot further burden the Lebanese economy with debt. Our second objective is to be able to contain and manage our growing public debt.

What is the current Lebanese perception of U.S. policy?

The Lebanese perception of U.S. policy in the Middle East is not one-dimensional. It is nuanced and varies according to social, confessional, and cultural attachments. It also varies according to the level of satisfaction with the American policy towards Lebanon. Prior to the war, for instance, and because of the very favorable American policy to the March 14 Movement,* the U.S. was highly regarded among the March 14 followers. These represent more than half of the Lebanese population. However, doubts remained among the Lebanese about a possible deal between Syria and the U.S. at the expenses of Lebanon’s interests.
After the war, the U.S. image in Lebanon went backward, especially because the Lebanese perceived that the U.S. opposed the cease-fire. However, U.S. officials quickly reacted to reverse this perception. In several public statements, they always stressed extreme support to Prime Minister Siniora and his cabinet. President Bush pledged in the immediate aftermath of the war $ 230 million for humanitarian, reconstruction, and military assistance. He also initiated a fund, privately supported and managed by four prominent American CEOs, with a view of involving the American private sector in the reconstruction effort.

What is required to achieving sustained peace along the Lebanese-Israeli border and how does Hezbollah fit into any formula for lasting peace?

Many things are required to achieve a lasting peace wit Israel.
- First of all, peace could only be achieved through a global approach for resolving regional conflicts. Lebanon won’t sign any separate peace deal with Israel if that peace would cause any inconvenience for Syria or the Palestinians. We’ll go for a lasting peace all together.
- Second, peace could be achieved through a real commitment to peace by the concerned parties. This commitment should be stated by Israel too.
- The U.S., the EU and the international community at large should be prepared to play a pro-active role in trying to broker serious negotiations.
- Parties at the negotiations should be ready to take tough and bold decisions. They should be ready to relinquish prejudices and pre-conceived ideas, bearing in mind the future of their populations.

In the meantime, Lebanon could reach a sustainable truce with Israel. This truce has already been agreed upon in the 1949 armistice agreement, which proposes a military framework for border conflicts resolution. A sustainable truce could also be reached through the implementation of Prime Minister Siniora’s seven-point plan, which calls for the respect of the blue line as defined by the United Nations in 2000; the exchange of prisoners through the Red Cross; the withdrawal from the Sheba’ farms; and the cessation of all Israeli violation of Lebanon’s air, sea, and land integrity. Border conflicts should be looked at by a military commission composed of Lebanese and Israeli militaries and supervised by the UN. These are the prerequisites for a sustainable truce. These are also the prerequisites to ensure that Hezbollah joins the mainstream, dismantles its military wing, and becomes a political party.

* A reference to the huge rally in Beirut on the one-month anniversary of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assasination, in which hundred's of thousands of confessionally diverse Lebanese demanded that Syria withdraw it forces from the country.