Geagea: Nasrallah Has Assumed Role of Judge to Determine Who Takes Part in National Dialogue
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused on Wednesday Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah of “leading the country to a catastrophe due to his recent actions,” saying that the party leader is only working on achieving his interests in Lebanon.
He said during a press conference: “Nasrallah has taken it upon himself to act as judge to determine who takes part in the national dialogue.”
“Despite everything, Lebanon is a democratic country and all who attend the national dialogue do so because they represent the people,” he added.
Commenting on the government crisis, he said: “We are free to chose the formation of whichever government we want if we win the parliamentary elections.”
“The other camp can go ahead and form a cabinet of its liking if it wins the elections,” he continued.
“We want the rise of the state, which is the last of your concerns,” Geagea accused Nasrallah.
“Partnership with you will lead to chaos in Lebanon,” he declared.
“You may want a national unity government, but we don't. I do not want any partnership with you in a cabinet. I agree to partnership with you at parliament,” he stated.
“I would like to remind Nasrallah that during 2007 and 2008 he used to call for early parliamentary elections in order to form a one-sided government. I am now making a similar demand, but Nasrallah is refusing it because it does not suit his interests,” remarked the Lebanese Forces leader.
Addressing Nasrallah's accusations against the Lebanese Forces that it had cooperated with Israel during the 1975-90 civil war, Geagea said that the LF was forced to purchase arms from Israel because it was in a “very difficult position.”
“What do you say, Nasrallah, about the documented trade of arms between Israel and Iran?” he wondered.
Moreover, he noted that the majority of the suspects arrested in Lebanon over the past few years over collaborating with Israel are members of Hizbullah.
“No LF members were among those arrested,” he said.
“The real enemy collaborators are those who receive funds from foreign states during a time of peace, not those who purchased arms from an enemy at a time of war,” Geagea explained.
On Hizbullah's recent acknowledgment of a drone it sent to fly over Israel, he commented: “The Lebanese people alone will pay the price for this action.”
Addressing Nasrallah, he asked: “Seeing as you admitted that Iran has obtained the images taken by the drone, why haven't they been provided to the Lebanese army?”
“Don't you trust the Lebanese army?” wondered Geagea.
“You are leading the country towards a catastrophe due to your actions. You do not care about the Lebanese people, but only regional interests,” he added.
“It is true that your presence leads us to worry about Lebanon's security, but you cannot accuse the March 14 camp of wanting Israel to wage a war against Lebanon to attack Hizbullah,” he said.
“We do believe that you to pose a danger to Lebanon, but that does not mean that we are overlooking Israel's threat against the country,” he remarked.
Furthermore, Geagea slammed Nasrallah's accusations that the Christians of the March 14 camp are attempting to create Sunni-Shiite strife.
“Should the March 14 Christians be blamed for the Sunni-Shiite strife in Iraq?” he asked.
“Those fueling the strife are the sides that stood by the Syrian regime after the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri in 2005,” he added.
“Those fueling the strife are the sides that tried to topple former Premier Fouad Saniora's government and overthrew that of former PM Saad Hariri,” he said.
On Nasrallah's accusations that the March 14 camp is attempting to eliminate the March 8 camp from rule, Geagea stated: “How can a coalition that has been the target of 25 assassinations and failed attempts be seeking to eliminate the other?”
“How is it that Hizbullah, which has the strongest security apparatus in Lebanon, has succeeded in uncovering a number of enemy collaborators, but failed to uncover those behind the assassinations?” asked the LF leader.
Commenting on Nasrallah's claims that the March 14 camp is exploiting politically the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau chief Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan, he said: “Did you expect us to remain silent over it?”
“Didn't clashes break out in Lebanon over a television parody of Nasrallah in the past? Wasn't this issue employed politically? How can assassinations not be employed politically?” he asked.
Addressing the parliamentary elections and the dispute over the electoral law, Geagea remarked: “I believe that I enjoy popular support, but I will not accept the law that was approved by the government.”
“If you believe yourself to be as strong as you say, then you must agree to a law that best represents the people. I call upon you to go ahead with the electoral law that is based on 50 districts because it offers the best representation as you had stated in the past,” he added.
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