Geagea: Kidnap of Lebanese Servicemen Harmed Syrian Revolution
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Sunday noted that the abduction of a number of Lebanese troops and policemen at the hands of Syria-based jihadist groups had "harmed the Syrian revolution."
“We are with the Syrian revolution, but we reject attacks against our army or border. The kidnap of the Lebanese servicemen has harmed the Syrian revolution a lot,” Geagea said in an interview with Orient TV, a Dubai-based satellite television affiliated with the Syrian opposition.
“Those holding the captive servicemen are as far as can be from the Syrian revolution, but we cannot ask ordinary (Lebanese) citizens to distinguish things in this issue,” Geagea added, referring to the al-Nusra Front and Islamic State jihadist groups.
“We are against Hizbullah's fighting in Syria and it is unacceptable, but this does not justify for a number of refugees in Arsal to launch an attack against the Lebanese army. This does not also justify taking around 30 servicemen as hostages and making demands for the release of Islamists from Lebanese prisons,” Geagea added.
Around 25 policemen and soldiers are being held hostage by the IS and al-Nusra. Four hostages have been executed by the two groups.
The servicemen were kidnapped in early August during clashes between the jihadists and the Lebanese army in and around the northeastern border town of Arsal.
“The Syrian revolution and its principled aspirations, especially the vision of the Syrian National Coalition, resemble what the Christians believe in, but the reality on the ground at the moment has nothing to do with the founding principles of the Syrian revolution,” Geagea said.
He stressed that “at least half of the Christians in Lebanon are supportive of the Syrian revolution against the Assad regime.”
“Some Christians have concerns over trends such as the IS group, but this does not mean that they have started to support Bashar Assad's regime,” Geagea noted.
Asked about the exclusion of Christians from the upcoming dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement, Geagea pointed out that “this is a dialogue that has to do with alleviating Shiite-Sunni tensions in Lebanon.”
“It has nothing to do with reshaping Lebanon or finding a new president … Christians have a say in all national causes and no one can eliminate them or has the intention to do so,” the LF leader added.
He also rejected the hypothesis that the Sunnis and Shiites of the region are the ones who choose “Lebanon's Maronite president.”
“If (Free Patriotic Movement chief) General Michel Aoun decides to go tomorrow to parliament to elect a president, we would elect the new president. The issue is not linked to Sunnis and Shiites, as the party obstructing the presidential vote is unfortunately a Christian party – in addition to Hizbullah,” added Geagea.
Aoun is still the candidate of the March 8 camp in the face of Geagea, the nominee of the March 14 forces. Political differences and the rivalry between the two men has led to a lack of quorum in 16 electoral sessions in parliament, amid a boycott by the MPs of Aoun and Hizbullah.
The presidential seat has been vacant since president Michel Suleiman's term ended on May 25.
Turning to the situation in Syria, Geagea noted that “Bashar Assad has remained in power until now because the Americans are still rejecting to pay the price to the Russians until the moment.”
“Assad is politically dead and there are several replacements,” added Geagea.
He also expressed his belief that Syria will reach a political agreement similar to Lebanon's Taef Accord, which ended the 1975-1990 civil war.
“It would gather Sunnis, Alawites and Christians, while Kurds would have some sort of autonomous rule in the vein of Iraq's Kurdistan,” Geagea added.
Y.R.
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