Geagea Calls for Expulsion of Syrian Ambassador, Resignation of Cabinet
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea demanded on Saturday the suspension of all the agreements with Syria, the expulsion of Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali and the immediate resignation of the cabinet.
“They assassinated (ISF Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam) al-Hasan to prevent the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon from revealing the truth,” Geagea said in a news conference at his Maarab residence.
He said that Hasan was assassinated because “he was seeking to build a strong state... Because he exposed the plot of (ex-Information Minister) Michel Samaha,” Geagea pointed out.
Hasan was killed on Friday in a car bomb in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh district.
Conflicting reports emerged over the number of dead in the blast with some sides putting the figure at three and others at eight.
At least a hundred people were wounded in the explosion.
Hasan was close to former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and hostile to the regime in Syria. He had been tipped to take over as ISF head at the end of this year.
The ISF played a central role in the arrest in August of Samaha, who has close links to Damascus and was charged with planning attacks in Lebanon and transporting explosives in collaboration with Syrian security chief Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk.
Hasan also played a central role in the investigation in Rafik Hariri's murder in February 2005, as well as uncovering Israeli espionage networks and terrorist cells in Lebanon.
“We call on those who still have dignity in this government, in particular, the ministers of the Progressive Socialist Party to resign and to assume their responsibilities,” the LF leader said.
He also urged the international community and Arab states to lift the political cover off the cabinet “as its presence isn't justified anymore.”
Geagea demanded the suspension of all the security, military and judicial agreements with Syria and the expulsion of its ambassador immediately.
He called on the UNIFIL to deploy immediately along the Lebanese-Syrian border and the implementation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.
Geagea called on his supporters and the Lebanese people to attend en mass the funeral of Hasan on Sunday, holding only Lebanese flags.
12 years
Imbecile. If cabinet resigns and ambassador goes what will be the benefit? just sajjil maw2af? and then what? idiot. Can you do another cabinet? you are not even coming to the national dialogue sessions.
Ever since phoenician times. The solution is not from inside lebanon. It is from Outside. Wait for the criminal assad to die. Then ask for what you want. Smarter that way. Mastoul
12 years
Just wait for the man to die? and call people 'imbeciles' and 'msatil' - meanwhile? W inta/inte shou 3am ta3mil/ta3imle howni? mish tisjil maw'af?
The cabinet resigning is better than sohr el general appearing on TV - which judging from your Frenchie writing i'm sure you support. I just cannot take l wa'eiha witta3ajrof taba3 el general and his likes no more - but that's just me.
12 years
I think the M8 coalition is the number 1 ennemy of Lebanon. But M14 is becoming the number 2 ennemy. Since they are in opposition they have done nothing but try to break everything the government is doing, even at the cost of breaking the country. They should have let the M8 run, prove to M8 how difficult it is to run the country, and then taken their role in 2013. Instead they fomented trouble until they almost ruined the country.
12 years
why are his hands tied? Hariri sent his mostakbal mvt to the talks even though his father was killed. Why is geagea being so extremist, and refuse event to talk with M8? He doesnt have to agree to their weapons, but at least to do discussions and keep the pressure. As for the cabinet to resign, there will be a void. If we kick off the ali character and have a M14 government anti syrian governemnt, what would prevent the syrian army to start bombing beirut? Use your dinausor brain to think instead just to fich khil2ak
12 years
"what would prevent the syrian army to start bombing beirut?"
Are you serious with that statement? The Syrian army is having a hard time fighting their own people let alone trying to bomb Beirut. If they were crazy enough to do it, do you think the Sunni world is going to Stan's by as spectators? While a vacuum at this point is not the best that can be had, it is not the worst either as the same government remains as caretaker - which is not really worse than its performance has been - while a technocrat gov is negotiated to handle the election. After the election is a different bowl of wax as the saying goes.
12 years
Yap Yap Yap... Isn't it about time the army gets mobilized? Or are we all so afraid it gets crushed by "god's" mighty forces? We all know who planned and who executed. What are we going to do about it? Burry a man - natural, block a road - ok whatever helps you vent, and then what? Go back to work and 'move on'? No more yap yap for fuck's sake. Do something about it (and if you can't ask for help). It's bound to blow up at some point - why not take it to them... And if our army sucks that bad, why not ask for help. It's time to crush the party... once and for all.
12 years
Are you going to fight to crush the party? or stay cosily in whatever suburb you live in and watch the fight?
The party of weapons represents the materialization of the frustration of the chiites after 40 years of oppression by the maronites and 20 years of oppression by the sunnite. The party is an unnatural cancer in Lebanon that will wither and die. Fachar that we kill more lebanese to get rid of it. You think the army chiites will fight the party? dont u see the army will divide if we attack now? Impatient arrogant fool. Wait a bit,,, Iran is on the brink of bankrupcy and Syria has all those thoroughly trained ex army soldiers fighting assad. Let us keep lebanon out of it and keep the national dialogue going to offer a face saving way for Hezb when he sees his support crumbling.
12 years
Impatient arrogant fool? But harsh, yet catchy-sounding I must say... Moving on.I am no fighter (if you must know). I try to contribute in different ways.
40 years of oppression by the Maronite - how many Shiite leaders got blown to pieces in those 40 years? What about the 20 Sunnite years? What about the last 40 martyrs that got sacrificed on Lebanese soil... How many Shiites among those?
So killing Sunnis and Christians is all good but Shiites is a no go. Interesting concept brought about. Sectarian - but so is the nature of our beloved nation as it happens. Let's just state things as they really are.
12 years
You are right though that our brainwashing tactics - aka "a tanshi'a l 3askariyyi" seems only to work on Christians and Sunnis - Shiites keeping their own thoughts about life as evidenced by the swift and breezy Beirut run-over by god's men with no intervention from our camo-dressed capped green warriors. Iran will nuke half the world before it reached bankruptcy. As for Syria, it seems like the war is going to go on for a while (about 10 more christian neighborhoods and whatever is left from the M14 leaders)- whatever that corresponds to in units of time ... In the unlikely scenario that Iran is out of the equation and Assad falls, you think el hizb will peacefully give up its weapons? You under-informed ill-witted dumbbell (I tried, still yours sounds catchier)...
12 years
First part : The chiites that are causing us problems today were in the past poor peasants living in the south, far from the sunno-christian glitter of the cities. They woke up with israeli bombs, came of age with Berri's pro-chiite south construction crusade, and are now became overbearing and overagressive with HA. They will eventually calm down and join the lebanese mosaic.
Regarding the steps to take now, we cant argue, it depends on what we expect the future to be. I am optimistic by nature, I beleive that the age of information will cause all the dictatorships to eventually fall, and pretty soon... You believe that we cant wait and that we have to join the fight. Maybe you are too young to appreciate the horror of the war.
NB. a dumbbell is a piece of weight training equipment. If you want to jump on the insulting bandwagon do so wisely lest you get out-insulted ;-)
12 years
Too young - true.
I was being civil - well aware of what a dumbbell is :)
12 years
I admit I'm no good at the insult game.
We agree to disagree...
12 years
Indeed, I'm no good at the insults game.
We agree to disagree...
12 years
this gvt gets what it sowed...
- no deployment of the army on the northern frontiers to control smuggling on both sides!
- nothing done to receive the syrian refugees.
- no firm stance against syria each time they bomb lebanon!
- no telecom data for the isf as FPM refuse (why? things to hide maybe...)
- no things done to reform the state even if they shouted that for years when M14 was in control.
- no things done on the social economic scene
all this incompetence will indeed lead to chaos and as usaul they ll blame the others or an international plot to destabilize the country, wait and see!
and M8 supporters continue to claim they are good! lol... all facts go against their arguments....
12 years
Oh yeah, this will surely happen. Whatever you say, half-boss.
12 years
The Hizbcocaine/Syrian/Iran gov't in Lebanon is a disaster. They have ruined everything. All they did was a no smoking law....and Bashar signed a stupid GMO law while he is collapsing. These guys think everything will return to the past when the "future" is destroying them politically. Bashar made a stupid mistake by killing Hassan.
12 years
lebanon_first u are an ignorant thing
12 years
exactly: You cannot fight Iran ya 7mar, you have to know that. Hence you cannot fight Hezbollah. You can wait for iran to bankrupt. iran is living on borrowed time. It is bankrupting soon. so stay put until the shit hits the fan. Then we negotiate from a position of force with the party of weapons. Meanwhile we discuss with them to keep the pressure on, and to let them save the face. Because we CANNOT HUMILIATE THEM, or boycott them. It wont work. This is the mistake of geagea. We have to talk to them with respect and accept them as our partners in the country. (personally I prefer partition, but if we are to stay together, we need to talk to them, not boycot them)
12 years
if we decide not to fight ,it doesn't mean we can't or we are afraid.in war there is no winner .don't forget Hizb cot there ass kicked by a handful of druz in the shouf and were too scared to invade east beirut as they knew what awaits them if they did
12 years
Yeah sure we fought syrians and palestinians and even Christians until our humiliating defeat in taef where we lost our christian prerogatives. Dumb ass. We should have divided the country. Now we are stuck with medieval jobless compatriots running us due to your adventures. Now we have to play smart. Let the FSA do the job. We don't need to spill more Lebanese blood you brainless kid. You have to learn patience. There will be a time where HA will wither and die.
12 years
@lebanon_first
Their is logic to what you say (please leave name calling out).
Even so, what good would Geahea's attending the dialogue bring? You mention pressure, actually his not attending brings more pressure to bear on HA because by so doing he sends the message that he and his followers are not buying into the charade.
Used to be against partition but in hindsight perhaps it really would not have been that bad to have a federated Lebanon. But it is what it is now and while we are in agreement that we do not want to alienate the Shiites, HA is not all the Shiites even though it appears like this now. Take heart in the news that the Alawites in Syria are now starting to question Bashar's wisdom. The Shiites will do the same vis Nasrallah's wisdom when the time comes as well.
12 years
@lebnan first I agree with your approach.
Only there is great power to dialogue. You are discounting this fact. We agree that the Iranian armed component of HA will die. I am talking abt the Lebanese chiite legitimate HA component. We need to talk to them and to listen to their concerns and discuss and negotiate, and things will change. Maybe not immediately. some circumstances need to change first. This is the wisdom of Suleiman's doing long panning dialogue sessions, to give time. We need nisla2ehon when they are ripe. Not marginalize them. This is why we need to dialogue.
Nb. I would not call names my Homonym:-)
12 years
Ouwette you forget to tell us how you fought and killed christians to. Bashirr rah and well i believe al doctor lehkou ! God help us lebanese from eachother. lebanese sell there souls very cheap . a rab yesouh bas bi kalesneh.
12 years
Then what?
get Beirut bombarded by the criminal assad? Who would stop him? You think he will hesitate to bomb us if we didnt have a M8 gouvernment?
12 years
This is our last chance before its too late to arm ourself. There are thousands of Lebanese around the world who are ready to return for the big battle. M14 must not use nice words anymore, the only language that can work now is guns. Hezbshaytan must be sent back to iran and Assad sent with it.
12 years
You guys are honestly pathetic, a tragic event , which have ammounted to a multitude of tragic events have occurred in OUR Lebanon, you should think to unite and not throw sectarian bullshit comments at eachother like some of your leaders are. Be smart and think out of the Box for once.
For the sake of all the martyrs stop your petty quarrels.
12 years
GuestABC "well Said"
12 years
You guys have short memories? 2008 you promised the USA & Israel to arm you & you will get rid of HA. In less than 3 hours you were running.
HA didn't bother to pursue, instead called the army to protect you.
All those barking , its time to defeat HA. All I will say is go do it.
lol I didnt think so..
Bashar made the mistake of killing Rafiq Hariri that got him kicked out of Lebanon. He now has repeated the same mistake by killing Wissam Hasan which will be the end of him. This guy never learns from history's lessons. M14 needed a shot of cohesiveness and Bashar unwittingly obliged.
RIP Wissam Hasan.