Geagea Slams Hizbullah over Drone, Says Only Govt. Must Respond to Israel Violations
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Monday described Hizbullah's sending of an Iranian-built drone over Israel as “a direct message from Iran to Israel and the Western countries as part of the tug of war in the region,” stressing that “taking such dangerous decisions must be the responsibility of the state, not any party, regardless of its position.”
“This is not the right way to respond to Israel, which must happen through a complete defense strategy that must be laid out by the government exclusively,” Geagea told reporters after a meeting for the LF parliamentary bloc in Maarab.
“Israel's violations of Lebanon's airspace do not justify for Hizbullah to act unilaterally, especially that the wounds of the July War have not healed until today, and Hizbullah's insistence on drawing the Israeli threat makes it fully responsible for any human casualties Lebanon might suffer as a result of putting it in the eye of the storm and dragging it into the inferno of regional conflicts,” Geagea added.
Geagea said the LF holds the government responsible “for the deterioration, in the absence of any clear social plan.”
He also called for keeping the judiciary away from “political interventions,” stressing that the factor of competency must be respected in any future administrative appointments.
He also called for “full coordination” among all the parties of the March 14 camp and for holding the 2013 parliamentary elections on time.
Geagea said the LF wants a new electoral law that is “in line with the Taef Accord and which ensures proper representation.”
“An electoral law based on small electorates would be the salvation of the Lebanese voter,” he noted.
“We hold the foreign minister and the government responsible for taking the necessary measures that enable the Lebanese who reside outside Lebanon of practicing their right to vote,” added Geagea.
Asked about his talks in Jeddah with ex-PM Saad Hariri on the issue of the elections, Geagea said: “I agreed with Hariri on a full strategy concerning the elections according to the small electorates proposal and the rest of the details will be announced later.”
Geagea voiced his rejection of the 1960 electoral law, describing it as “inappropriate” and noting that the LF will try to convince all parties of its proposal, which is based on dividing Lebanon into 50 electoral districts.
“I call on (Free Partiotic Movement leader MP Michel) Aoun and the FPM to endorse this law, which has the support of 55 MPs and only needs the support of Aoun's bloc to gain the needed majority,” Geagea added.
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15 October 2012, 17:14
Geagea: Confronting Israel must happen through a complete defense strategy that must be laid out by the government exclusively.
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15 October 2012, 17:12
Geagea: We hold the foreign minister and the government responsible for taking the necessary measures that enable the Lebanese who reside outside Lebanon of practicing their right to vote.
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15 October 2012, 17:10
Geagea: An electoral law based on small electorates would be the salvation of the Lebanese voter.
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15 October 2012, 17:10
Geagea: For endorsing a new electoral law that is in line with the Taef Accord and which ensures proper representation.
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15 October 2012, 17:09
Geagea called for full coordination among all the parties of the March 14 camp and for holding the elections on time.
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15 October 2012, 17:09
Geagea: Let's keep the judiciary away from political interventions and incorporate the factor of competency in any future appointments.
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15 October 2012, 17:08
Geagea: Sending the drone involves a direct Iranian message from Iran to Israel and the Western countries. Taking such dangerous decisions should be the responsibility of the state, not the responsibility of any party.
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15 October 2012, 17:08
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in a press conference: We hold the government for the deterioration in the absence of any clear social plan.
15 October 2012, 20:35
17
normal semantics from an fpmer.
all of these guys are low life as denoted by their constant insults especially lately what they did to May Chidiac.
z3aran....
15 October 2012, 22:34
12
Next time the scums HA send a drone they should consider tying their lapdog aka schizo Farsi on top. No one would miss him and would make a nice ornament for the Israelis to blast to hell!
16 October 2012, 03:13
01
no. ja3ja3 for emberor, so say the illiterate retards who follow him.
15 October 2012, 18:49
00
your right hakim , never fight a lost war , this is what you used to say and do , and the results are to be analysed by wise men
god bless 10452
15 October 2012, 18:54
06
But if that NGO is making decisions that have consequences on all the Lebanese, then its actions must be consented by all or a majority of Lebanese. If you suggest a resistance movement to exist alongside the state until the army is able to defend the state, then we must establish mechanisms to hold that NGO accountable to the people, and not let the NGO do whatever it sees fit without the consent of the people, because its actions have consequences on the people as a whole.
15 October 2012, 21:09
01
Perhaps, but what happens if M14 wins a majority next time? What happens if the government in place is one that is opposed to Hezb, as was the case from 2005 to 2009? A government would not take war actions without evaluating its electoral prospects and its effect on the Lebanese opinion, and in and of itself presents some type of accountability on the government. But there is no such mechanism in place with Hezb, for it knows that with or without a pro-Hezb majority government it can undertake actions without the full consent of the Lebanese people.
15 October 2012, 18:58
02
A state should not go to war or take such aggressive actions if there is no popular support among the population. So why should it be any different for NGO? I don't actually believe that if we strip Hezbollah of its weapons then all will be solved, and this will make the country more vulnerable because anyone who believes the army is capable of withstanding foreign threats needs some serious understanding military capabilities. But this doesn't mean that Hezb should not unaccountable. We must find ways to hold Hezb accountable for its actions, to make sure that the actions taken by Hezb for now are subject to the consent of the people, rather than doing whatever it wants in order to advance its goals.
15 October 2012, 18:59
18
geagea is right here! only the state has the right to decide of war and peace, not a party that acts above the laws and as it s pleased without any control from the gvt!
shame on those who believe the contrary: it only means they do not believe in their state but prefer to live in a tribal country filled with godfathers but certainly not in a country called lebanon!
15 October 2012, 20:41
11
if you believed in lebanon you would ask for the government to decide for war and peace not a party... one who believes in his country believes in its intitutions not in the will of a political party that goes against a gvt!
all the excuses you are trying to find are thus irrelevant...
15 October 2012, 21:16
01
FT brings valuable points, because our army is weak and until we find ways to arm it effectively we need some form of defense. That being said, as I argued above, the government needs some type of control over Hezbollah because its actions have consequences on all Lebanese people.
15 October 2012, 21:22
11
the army is weak but hezb does all it can to let it that way and take advantage of it. they persuade their sheep it s the only solution by their propaganda!
one who supports its country and army as the sole deciders of peace and war should DEMAND that hezbollah s military force be included in the army and obey only that institution not the leader of a party!
but they prefer a party to be uncontrollable and decide for a whole naation its fate which is treacherous and irresponsible!
what if each party decides to do the same in the name of "resistance"? i ask them! So they should agree that anyone can do it... it encourages all the other parties to arm themselves which is logic as one party is allowed to, so all the others must be too! then where does it lead the country? to civil war, which it seems they want...
15 October 2012, 19:01
02
Also, that NGO must make a better effort to represent itself as a Lebanese NGO, and not take political stances that serve to alienate other sects (its support for Assad whose actions have led to thousands of Syrians dead, mostly Sunnis) or identify itself as an Islamic resistance when not all Lebanese are Muslims. The problem with Hezb is not necessarily its desire to defend the Southern people because the state is incapable of doing so, it is its other actions that make the rest of the Lebanese feel out of touch with this organization, and thus this will lead to mistrust to the organization and hence will not consent Hezbollah for taking certain actions.
15 October 2012, 19:02
11
Overall, we must nationalize the resistance movement (subject to the consent of the people) if it should exist temporarily.
15 October 2012, 20:37
23
you are the only ones inviting the israelis into Lebanon by supporting the farsi militia.
15 October 2012, 21:12
01
@geha, does it look like I support a "farsi militia"? Did you even take the time to read my comments? If I am opposed to A, does it mean necessarily that I am with B? Such low-level political analysis the obstacle if this country seeks to tackle our intellectual crisis.
15 October 2012, 23:18
00
@gcb1
I think geha was rebutting FlameThrower's remark not yours.
What you proposed sounds reasonable in theory. In practice, there are many obstacles to its implementation. First the premise of holding it accountable is impossible to accomplish especially when we are talking about a sectarian militia which has become more arrogant over time.
Second, said militia once gave its word, and I bought into it at the time, that it will not under ANY circumstances use its weapons against its fellow Lebanese. Well, we all know how that turned out...
Bottom line, for your honest proposal to succeed requires a foundation of trust which is sorely lacking in Lebanon today. One can enumerate many reasons for that but I will mention only the most germane of them: this NGO is actually an extension of a foreign (Iranian) government and answers only to its commands. No chance that it will ever place Lebanon's best interests above Iran's.
15 October 2012, 19:57
15
Dr. Geagea, no use of talking common sense to HA, FPM and their followers...HA only understands the language of violence, and FPM'ers would ride any train that they think would guarantee the ex-general the presidency.
My advise to you, time for you & March-14 to change your tactics...whatever that means.
15 October 2012, 20:29
02
gcb1, I am not suggesting violence but for sure the current tactic of M14 has not worked with HA. I used to think like you that one day we will have a prosperous Lebanon, but then I realized this dream will never happen under the current system.
Something has to change...we keep repeating the same mistakes and expect different results..it will never happen...we have to admit that what we have today is a chicken farm and not a sovereign nation...if everyone embraces a complete overhaul to our political system then maybe we could expect a prosperous Lebanon and only then.
15 October 2012, 20:35
00
We don't suffer from a weapons crisis, nor a crisis of foreign interests. These problems are there because of the sectarian political system. We suffer from an intellectual crisis.
The overhaul of the political system that you speak of must come in the form of the abolition of the sectarian system, a parliament replaced by parties that represent ideologies and work for all the people and all sects, rather than having parties that represent only a certain sect.
15 October 2012, 20:36
01
And who does not know how firmly our governmentS (plural) have been at responding to Israel's violations? We all remember the lessons that our governmentS have taught the Israelis over the years, such as when the Israelis invaded Beirut and slaughtered, with the help of the disgusting Lebanese Forces the helpless "muslim" (did you read this dearest Salafis, Wahhabis and other Sunni Crazies?) Palestinians in their camps? That was one such tough response by one of our always tough governments. And there are many more examples that Dr. Arrit 7akeh knows very well.
15 October 2012, 20:43
12
how stupid and narrow minded M8 supporters are... if someone goes against the hezbollah , ou3a! then in their eyes they are pro israelis... binary thinking of brainless people....
15 October 2012, 21:14
01
The same could be said for some M14 supporters (ex: Geha). I say one thing against M14, and all of a sudden I am a supporter of a "farsi militia".
15 October 2012, 21:16
10
you can say whatever you want against M14 they have their wrongs too. a free mind is able to criticize even those with whom they share lots of common points...
15 October 2012, 21:43
12
Well I've been accused on this website of being an Israeli sympathizer as well as a supporter of a "farsi militia", so I must be doing something right!
15 October 2012, 21:22
11
This is a very weak response. Geagea should be more abrasive and say things the way they are. Just like the Palestinians who were caught (by Hizbullah actually) firing rockets on Israel in 2007 and were arrested and prosecuted, so should Hizbullah members who sent the drone. At the end of the 2006 war the army was sent to the south with a clear mandate: anyone who gives a pretext to Isreal to launch a war would be arrested and Pres. Sulaimen insisted back then as the army general on that mandate and on treating the South as any other part of Lebanon or he would not deploy the army there. Geagea should grow some balls and call for the arrest of Hassan Nesrallah or he should step aside and let someone else speak for the free in Lebanon.
15 October 2012, 21:45
01
20,000 times has Israel violated Lebanese airspace since 2006 ...
15 October 2012, 23:43
01
Long live Israel with collaborators of the caliber of Geagea, Siniora & their masters and commanders.
16 October 2012, 03:03
00
32 ago I left Lebanon when I was 19( I was the only one left). You people will never change and will never learn how to live together and be one hand. You can concur the whole middle east economically and politically. Lebanese people are the most educated people in the middle east, they just don't know how to use it.
16 October 2012, 03:42
12
Amazing how this university dropout raised to the top in politics, and behind him the majority of the Christians, at least he had the balls to remain in Lebanon and fight the Syrian cancerous system that threw him in a jail cell while others kissed the hands of the evils who shot our best men in Souk el Ghareb.
17 October 2012, 12:24
10
Geagea you are the best of the best..whatever you say is right..!!..and its happening..wlik dakhel Rabak ana chou b7ebak..!!..el mared el moutamared.
