Hariri Rejects Calls for Defections and Incitements to Join Armed Groups

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri condemned on Tuesday calls to defect from the Lebanese army and the incitement of Sunnis to join terrorist groups, and reiterated that the nation would enjoy security only if Hizbullah withdrew from Syria.

“All calls to defect from the army and incite Sunni men in particular to … join armed organizations in Lebanon and abroad are condemned and rejected,” Hariri said in a lengthy statement issued by his press office.

He stressed that such invitations will not have any influence on Sunnis across Lebanon.

The former prime minister said that calls for a Sunni revolution in Lebanon do not go hand in hand with the aspirations and goals of Sunnis.

They are aimed at turning the country into mini-states that “survive on the rubble of coexistence,” he stressed.

Hariri said that his stance from the Syrian revolution is based on the noble causes of the uprising that erupted against President Bashar Assad in March 2011.

“The Syrian regime tarnished the image of the revolution … but we are convinced that the Syrian people will overcome this crisis,” he stated.

Hariri stressed that “turning Lebanon into a scene of destruction similar to the devastation in Syria is one of the wishes of the Syrian regime.”

The armed terrorist organizations that are infiltrating the Lebanese border and avenging Hizbullah for its involvement in Syria's war are giving the party a new excuse to expand its security and military operations in Lebanon, he added.

Lebanon is bitterly divided over the war in Syria, with Sunnis supporting the Syrian rebels and Shiites siding with Assad's government. Hizbullah has sent fighters to support Assad's troops while Sunni militants in Lebanon have responded with attacks on Shiites as well as security forces, who they believe are dominated by Hizbullah.

Hariri's statement came a day after the Lebanese army asked militants in the northern city of Tripoli and nearby areas to surrender as calm returned after four days of deadly clashes.

Hariri warned against any attempt to undermine the army.

Troops entered on Monday the militants' stronghold of Bab al-Tabbaneh, the area that witnessed some of the worst clashes. The army said troops detained some of the gunmen while others fled.

A battle between Lebanese troops and militants in northern Lebanon was widely expected after members of the Islamic State group and al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, launched several attacks over the past weeks in areas on the border with Syria.

Hariri called for the control of the Lebanese-Syrian border and invited “all the partners in the nation to put Lebanon's interest first.”

“It is time to become aware of the dangers of the premeditated involvement in the Syrian fire and to disengage from the Syrian front,” he said in reference to Hizbullah.

“It is only then that we could protect Lebanon and shut the door to terrorism,” he added.

Hariri urged Lebanon's rival politicians to engage in swift consultations to agree on a new president and end the vacuum at the country's top Christian post.

The election of a head of state would regularize the work of institutions and guarantee the rotation of power, he said.

Baabda Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended in May.

The Mustaqbal movement chief appealed for a comprehensive security strategy to deal with the repercussions of the Syrian war on Lebanon.

Such a strategy would protect the border with Syria and stop military operations from both sides, he said.

Hariri also threw his weight behind the government's strategy to stop the influx of Syrian refugees. But said the authorities should guarantee the safety of the displaced.

Last week, the cabinet approved a new policy to stop the flow of refugees to Lebanon with certain exceptions.

G.K.

H.K.

Comments 9
Default-user-icon True Lebanese (Guest) 28 October 2014, 09:13

You are a wahabi puppet and say things only for media consumption.

Anyone can say anything, but actions speak louder than words.

Default-user-icon True Iranian (Guest) 28 October 2014, 10:25

You are a Khomeini puppet and your actions speak louder than words

Missing humble 28 October 2014, 10:31

Mr Hariri. You are a true patriot puting Lebanon first.

Thumb galaxy 28 October 2014, 10:56

perhaps at the expense of his own popularity. He is the only one actively trying to keep Lebanon together, strengthening the LAF, denouncing extremist and you have mouthpieces like the troll above saying actions speak louder than words. His hezb actions don't need words, statements, or press conferences.

Missing humble 28 October 2014, 11:41

Thank you.

Thumb -phoenix1 28 October 2014, 12:10

I am of the firm belief that the time has now dawned when every single Lebanese politician that belongs to M8 or to M14 and to the M in between, to call it quits, go home and retire for good. I have tons of reasons why to feel this way, in fact just like do most Lebanese, how can we trust any M politicians when their chequered behavior especially since 2005 leaves so much to be desired? How can we trust any M politician who it's now clear can't decide on their own but must go to either Riyadh, Tehran or Paris or Washington for instructions? Either the Army takes over and rule the land by military decrees, or let those decent new breed of aspiring young people be given the chance to lead this country into a very different orientation. We Lebanese are truly fed up with one set of thieves replacing another, both M8, M14 and the M in between.

Thumb -phoenix1 28 October 2014, 12:38

This time his MPs were sitting like profoundly scared kids, even in front of the TV cameras, they has serious problems hiding their fear, playing with snakes was not such a good idea after all, good thing the Lebanese Army cleaned things up fast. But my heart is in profound pain, the loss of every single Lebanese Soldier causes us untold pain in our hearts. let everyone in Lebanon understand that the game of demographics is the most stupid game that ever existed and extols a heavy toll on whoever plays it.

Thumb al.finique 28 October 2014, 13:02

bro, keep them coming! There has not been one single thesis of yours that I have not agreed with including this one.

Default-user-icon Hammerhead (Guest) 29 October 2014, 06:06

This man by far is our guarantee against ISIL and Nusra. Lebanon cannot become a green pasture for Sunni radicalism and fertile ground for ISIL as was the case in Syria and Iraq. Maliki and Bashaar pushed the Sunnis to extremism by persecution and HA are doing the same to the Lebanese Sunni.