Geagea: No One Could Hold the Army Responsible For What Has Happened
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Monday the army should not be held responsible for what happened the day before because its assignment is not to stand idly by and watch.
“The army acted yesterday with a full sense of responsibility. The army’s behavior was honorable and no one could hold the army responsible for what has happened,” Geagea told a news conference.
“Would it be acceptable for the army not to intervene? Is hurling stones at the army acceptable?” Geagea asked.
Noting that he is not for opening fire on protestors, Geagea asked: “Would it be acceptable for Lebanon to become anew an arena for chaos?”
What Lebanon is going through, according to Geagea, is an attempt to take the situation back to what it used to be before the 2005 Cedar Revolution.
“Had the army been late in certain areas, things would have reached dangerous turns,” Geagea said.
He accused the Hizbullah-led opposition of trying to “paralyze the army after they placed the presidency in vacuum and paralyzed the government.”
He recalled that street lights were on in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday evening as rioters claimed they were protesting against power failure.
“Would attacking residential districts in Ein Rummaneh bring power back to their districts, that is if power was off in the first place?” Geagea asked.
In an attempt to counter claims by the opposition that the protest was spontaneous, Geagea said: “There were no women, elderly men or children taking part in what has happened. Spontaneous protests usually group people from different ages and sects, not just the young people we saw.”
In answering a question regarding charges that LF partisans opened fire at the protestors from sniping nests, Geagea said: “Had their been snipers from the Lebanese Forces the Army would have arrested them.”
He expressed regret because a “Christian side” that he did not further identify, is “covering up another side that is harming both the Christians and the homeland.”
Lebanon, according to Geagea, is facing a “major conspiracy. They are trying to lead us to despair.”
However, he noted: “The domestic, Arab and international balance of powers is good and they would not manage to achieve their schemes.”
He called for a “code of honor” that bans resorting to “chaos and street (rioting).”
Geagea said “one of the targets that the March 8 forces seek is to maintain presidential void.”
Nevertheless, he stressed: “All our efforts would be made to support the election of a president.”
He criticized the statement issued by Arab foreign ministers on Sunday saying that it failed to “mention things as they are.”
He expressed condolences to families of victims who fell Sunday, urging them to “prevent anyone from exploiting your children’s issue.”
