Khalil Defends Berri, Accuses Hariri of ‘Rejecting Democracy, Militia Practices’

MP Ali Hassan Khalil, Speaker Nabih Berri’s political aide, on Wednesday lashed out at the March 14 camp, accusing some of its leaders of waging a “systematic campaign” against the house speaker.

“It seems that there is a systematic campaign … being waged by some of the leaders” of the March 14 camp “who are outside the country and are trying to respond to Speaker Berri’s remarks that ‘the Cedar Revolution has set Lebanon back 60 years,’” Khalil said.

He said caretaker premier Saad Hariri “tried to set Lebanon back 60 years when he decided, following the latest parliamentary consultations and the designation of a new premier, to respond by militia practices on the streets and by rejecting to abide by the democratic rules.”

Khalil slammed the Cedar Revolution, charging that its leaders had subjected Lebanon to foreign influence politically and economically.

“We have observed how the Cedar Revolution has transformed some key state institutions in the country, which are supposed to protect stability and security,” he added.

The speaker’s aide also lashed out at Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea for defending Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi.

“We know that part of the campaign against Speaker Berri is related to his clear stance which rejects to turn Lebanon into a platform for targeting Syria, as some of the leaders of the Cedar Revolution are trying to do. Maybe this is the core reason behind the current campaign,” Khalil noted.

On Tuesday, Geagea hit out at the house speaker, saying “the Cedar Revolution set Berri and his allies back 60 years, but it sent the Lebanese 60 years forward in freedom and democracy.”

For its part, the Hariri-led Mustaqbal Movement on Tuesday also slammed Berri’s remarks on the Cedar Revolution.

The movement described the remarks as an attack on “the Cedar Revolution and what it had represented and still represents to the Lebanese people in terms of sacrifices, martyrs and national values pertaining to the fortification of Lebanon’s sovereignty and the freedom of its people,” stressing that the Cedar Revolution “has achieved major national accomplishments.”