Kataeb denies intention to take up arms after Kahale incident
A Kataeb Party source has clarified remarks voiced by party chief Sami Gemayel from the unrest-hit town of Kahale, noting that the Kataeb leader did not call for taking up arms to confront Hezbollah.
“We are no longer in traditional political moment and Hezbollah must decide whether or not it wants to live with the rest of the Lebanese under the ceiling of the constitution and equality,” the source told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Saturday.
Gemayel had announced in a speech from Kahale in the wake of a deadly clash with Hezbollah there that his party is “no longer willing to coexist with an armed militia in Lebanon,” revealing that “practical steps and decisions will be taken.”
Denying that Gemayel had meant to say that the party members would take up arms, the source clarified: “Kataeb considers Lebanon to be hijacked and the Lebanese to be hostages in the hands of Hezbollah. All constitutional junctures have also become the hostage of its will and this has been proven through obstruction and the approach of imposition.”
“There is no use anymore from all the traditional political debates which are deviating attention from the main problem, which is restoring the decision and state of the Lebanese,” the source said.
“We will seek to unify the forces in order to show resilience domestically and internationally, demand the implementation of U.N. resolutions 1559 and 1701, and find a drastic solution for the problem of weapons, because we do not believe in violence as a way to resolve conflicts,” the source added.
“The party has a roadmap that it will discuss with the partners in the opposition in order to launch the liberation course,” the source said.
12 August 2023, 22:23
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Kataëb, much like all the other political parties in Lebanon, appears to lack a genuine objective or a well-defined plan of action. The lone outlier in this realm is Hezbollah, with its ominous agenda of asserting dominance and enforcing its Iranian program. In essence, they collectively resemble mere decorative pieces in a home – stylish but ultimately devoid of practical utility.
It's important to bear in mind that these factions conveniently come together when it's time to plunder our hard-earned bank savings and exploit the State, which ultimately translates to exploiting us, the citizens.
