March 14 Meets in Maarab, Calls for Referring Bid on Geagea’s Life to Judicial Council

The March 14 forces on Wednesday called for referring the attempt on Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea’s life to the Judicial Council, noting that the government’s “sudden” decision to “stop providing security agencies with telecom data” represents “collusion with the criminals.”

“March 14 calls for referring the assassination attempt against Dr. Samir Geagea to the Judicial Council, given that it was part of attempts to undermine security, civil peace and stability in the country and to target the scheme of building the Lebanese state,” said a statement issued by the March 14 forces after a broad meeting held in Maarab in solidarity with Geagea.

“The conferees call on the government to immediately reverse its decision … and to provide security agencies with telecom data, without any delay or obstructions, to enable them to perform their role in unveiling the criminals,” said the statement.

“The March 14 forces reserve their right to take all the appropriate political, legal and popular steps should the government fail to meet this demand,” the statement said.

The conferees stressed that the failed attack on Geagea was “an attack against the entire March 14 movement,” stressing that they will “confront any attempt to incite civil strife or put Lebanon once again under the mercy of terrorism.”

“The assassination attempts against MP Sami Gemayel, (Internal Security Forces chief) Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and (ISF’s Intelligence Bureau chief) Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan are aimed at undermining the Independence Uprising’s achievements and quashing the spirit of change, which was launched by the Cedar Revolution and is being continued by the Arab Spring,” the conferees said.

“This spirit is capable of reviving the Lebanese experience and renewing the concept of pan-Arabism and its role at the political and cultural levels,” the March 14 forces added.

They said the botched attempt on Geagea’s life was “part of the rapid repercussions of the situation in Syria as much as it was aimed at undermining Lebanon and imposing certain political equations.”

“This explains the repeated use of methods they have been using for decades to demonstrate their subversive capabilities in the region,” said the statement.

In remarks addressed to the rival March 8 camp ahead of the meeting, March 14 General-Secretariat Coordination Fares Soaid said: “If you want to commit suicide, in solidarity with the dwindling Syrian regime, then commit suicide alone. We won’t allow you to drag Lebanon to where you want.”

“If you return to the period that preceded (the) Doha (Agreement), to the policy of political assassinations, we promise you that we will begin a peaceful uprising for the sake of Lebanon’s peace,” Soaid added.

In his opening remarks to the meeting, Geagea welcomed the conferees and briefed them on the details of the assassination attempt at the request of National Bloc leader Carlos Edde, revealing that “investigations have reached an advanced stage.”