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WikiLeaks: Geagea Wanted to Arm LF and PSP

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has reportedly declared that he was trying to provide his party and the Progressive Socialist Party, led by Walid Jumblat, with arms and ammunition.

In a WikiLeaks cable dated May 12, 2008 published in al-Akhbar newspaper on Tuesday, Geagea said that he was “working with Internal Security Forces chief Maj-Gen. Ashraf Rifi to buy ammunition for his militia and PSP fighters.”

The LF chief reportedly described the performance of then Prime Minister Fouad Saniora during the May 7 events as “excellent.”

According to the cable, Geagea said that March 14 leaders Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri and Jumblat should stop pressuring Saniora into holding a cabinet session to pull back a decision to transfer the head of airport security and the announcement of the illegality of Hizbullah’s telecommunication network.

The two decisions led to the May 7 events during which Hizbullah took control of most of Sunni West Beirut.

The LF leader also said in the cable that a delegation from the Arab League, headed by Qatar, can be beneficial if it arrived in Beirut on May 14 to make a real initiative.

“In the end a long term strategy is necessary to conquer Hizbullah,” he added.


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