March 14 Lauds Suleiman’s ‘Courage’ on ‘Regaining Lebanon’s Sovereignty’

The March 14 opposition alliance hailed President Michel Suleiman on Tuesday over his “courageous” request to deliver a letter of protest to the Syrian ambassador over Syria’s repeated violations of Lebanese sovereignty.

“This courageous stance is part of the sovereign positions that the Lebanese people have been missing,” Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel told An Nahar daily.

“The country’s dignity was at stake,” when Suleiman asked Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour to deliver the letter to Syrian Ambassador Ali Abdul Karim Ali on Monday, Gemayel said.

“The president’s step is an honor for Lebanon… and a first towards the path of regaining Lebanon’s full sovereignty,” he added.

The former head of state urged every Lebanese citizen to support Suleiman’s request, which came following the “Baabda Declaration” to preserve “Lebanon’s positive neutrality.”

In the Baabda Declaration of June 11, 16 political leaders from both the March 8 majority coalition and the March 14 alliance agreed to avoid rhetoric that fuels sectarian incitement.

They also pledged to consolidate stability to prevent the country from descending into strife and said stability must be maintained along the shared border.

Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan, who is also part of the opposition, told An Nahar that Suleiman’s move came as “an initiative to regain the Lebanese decision-making” which was suffering under “Syrian hegemony.”

“Expelling the Syrian ambassador is the least that we should do,” al-Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat told Voice of Lebanon (100.5) after Ali expressed surprise at Suleiman’s request, saying Syria should be filing complaints because its border posts are being attacked from Lebanese territories.

The opposition lawmaker also said that the president should have filed the complaint a long time ago.

On Sunday, around 30 Syrian troops infiltrated 500 meters into Lebanon’s eastern border region of Masharii al-Qaa and opened sporadic fire.