Hariri Says Allies of Syrian Regime Must Pressure it to Secure Safe Return of Displaced

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Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed that allies of the Syrian regime must pressure the regime into securing safe zones in Syria for the displaced to return back home, and assured that Lebanon will block any attempt aiming to turn settlements camps into terror havens.

“Let them exert pressure on the regime to facilitate the establishment of secure areas on the Syrian side of the border,” said Hariri reportedly referring to Hizbullah without naming the party.

Hariri assured that the Lebanese state will confront any attempt to turn areas of displaced Syrians into incubators of terrorism but stressed that Lebanon will not drive them to an unknown fate.

“Unfortunately, there is a new kind of outbidding that uses the tragedy of our displaced Syrian brothers to achieve cheap political gains, without realizing that they are threatening stability by trying to involve the Lebanese government in contacting the regime which is responsible for the tragedy of the refugees and the tragedy of all the Syrians,” said Hariri in a speech delivered during a graduation ceremony of the Beirut Arab University on Thursday.

“First, these pressures constitute an unacceptable deviation from the rules of disassociation on which we agreed. Their only aim is to provide free political and security services to the Assad regime,” he said.

“Second, the government of the Syrian regime is a key party in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Syrian citizens to the Lebanese territory. How does this enable it to discuss their return and protection? Unless what is meant by organizing the return of the displaced is handing them to the detention camps of the regime,” added the PM.

“Third, those who are calling for contacts with the regime, are allies of the regime, fighting alongside the regime within the Syrian territory, and some of them take pride in reversing the previous equation in Lebanon and becoming part of the guardianship on the regime in Syria.”

“Fine, let them exert pressure on the regime to facilitate the establishment of secure areas on the Syrian side of the border, and camps under the supervision of the United Nations that can accommodate the refugees returning from Lebanon, instead of calling for the involvement of the Lebanese government in contacts that will lead to opening a new door to blackmail Lebanon without any real treatment of the consequences of the displacement? Or are they only good at outbidding your country, your government and your people?” asked Hariri.

The PM added that Lebanon's main task is to confront the repercussions of the displacement on the Lebanese and country socially and economically, and to combat any attempt to use the displacement as a means to transfer terrorism to Lebanon.

“Fifth, we are asking the international community to help us carry the burden of the displacement on Lebanon,” said Hariri, adding “we have no interest in sending a negative message to the international community saying that Lebanon has abandoned the path it has chosen in coordination with the United Nations and the international bodies and replaced it with a path with unknown results with the Syrian government, i.e. the same government that the international community holds responsible of the displacement crisis.”

“The national, humanitarian and moral responsibility imposes on the Lebanese government to choose guaranteed options that protect the formula on which the Lebanese agreed, based on international legitimacy and not on wars, regimes and collapses,” he remarked.

“In short, we will not drive the displaced to an unknown fate, but at the same time, we will confront any attempt to turn the areas of displacement into incubators of terrorism and extremism,” he concluded.

SourceNaharnet
Comments 5
Thumb lubnani.masi7i over 6 years

When the terrorist militia went to Syria to kill and displace Syrians it did not ask the Lebanese government but now the same militia asks the Lebanese government to contact the criminal Syrian regime in order to return those it was primarily responsible for their horrors and displacement.

Strange!

Thumb Zaghloul over 6 years

it is called consistency

Thumb ex-fpm over 6 years

Once again, Hariri is legitimizing Hezbollah's role in the Syrian conflict. Hezbollah is represented in Hariri's government, and if it accepts the role of negotiating with the Syrian regime that Hariri is suggesting then it is also the Lebanese government that is negotiating with the Syrian regime.

Your best bet is voluntary return ( where possible ) and a third party conduit such as the UN/Germany/Russia.

Hariri is being outplayed at every corner.

Missing new_his over 6 years

Maybe we can make a deal, we swap the people from south lebanon with syrians.

Thumb devnull_666 over 6 years

"Allies of Syrian Regime?" Who? Russia and Iran won't give a flint. The very modestly named "party of god?" They take orders, not the other way around.