Senator Sam Brownback, Chairman
Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chairman
For Immediate Release

www.csce.gov
May 3, 2005

HELSINKI COMMISSION TO HOLD LEBANON BRIEFING

(Washington) – Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), Chairman of the United States Helsinki Commission, announced that the Commission will brief Members of Congress, their staffs and the media on the latest developments in Lebanon following the withdrawal of Syrian troops:

LEBANON: DEVELOPMENTS AND PROSPECTS
10:00 a.m. – 12 Noon
Thursday, May 5, 2005
2360 Rayburn House Office Building

Providing analysis and discussion will be:

Mr. Joe Baini
President
World Lebanon Cultural Union
www.wlcu.org

Dr. Walid Phares
Senior Fellow, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
Delegate of the Lebanese Diaspora (WLCU) to the United Nations

Mr. Chadwick R. Gore
Staff Advisor
Secretary, U.S. Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

The Helsinki Commission is an independent Federal agency that monitors progress in the implementation of the provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords. The Commission is composed of nine Senators, nine Representatives, and officials representing the State, Defense and Commerce Departments.

“With the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, we have entered a whole new phase in the history of the Middle East,” said Senator Brownback, “Dr. Phares and Mr. Baini can both offer unique insights on what the implications are for the future of Lebanon and the region as a whole.”

Media Contact: James E. Geoffrey, II
202.225.1901

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