Is it really Happening?

56. Lebanon is witnessing a momentous transition. Events that have taken place in the country since 3 September 2004 have led the people of Lebanon to pierce a wall of silence and speak out loudly and clearly. Taboos of the past have been broken, and matters previously too sensitive to discuss openly are now the subject of open debate. Over the past six months, with the first parliamentary elections held after Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon and the formation of a new government, Lebanon has entered a new phase in its history, a phase that has the potential for the Lebanese to finally leave behind a tragic past, to unite, and to shape a new future of self-determination, independence, coexistence, and peace. (Second Semi-Annual Report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559 (2004) 25 October 2005)