by Shahar Klaiman and Reuters
Samir Geagea, the leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces party, refutes claims by rival Shiite Hezbollah of seeking to start a civil war. "The real agenda of the Lebanese Forces is civil war," says Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
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| Leader of Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea | File photo: Reuters/Mohamed Azakir |
The leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces party on Thursday refuted claims by rival Shiite Hezbollah of seeking to start a civil war.
In an interview with Lebanese broadcaster MTV, Samir Geagea said the confrontation with Hezbollah was purely political and must remain so.
The Lebanese Forces is a registered political party with official members, he said, contrary to Hezbollah which "legally does not exist as it is not registered with the Interior Ministry and its members are accused of various crimes."
"We do not have fighters," Geagea said.
Nobody should think about confronting Hezbollah militarily, Geagea added, saying that doing so would be a big mistake.
Already suffering a devastating economic meltdown, Lebanon has been overshadowed by renewed tensions since seven Shiite Muslims were shot dead in Beirut last week during the worst street violence in the capital in more than a decade.
The heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah accused the Lebanese Forces of perpetrating the killing and attempting to instigate a civil war.
"The real agenda of the Lebanese Forces is civil war," Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech, adding that his Iran-backed terrorist organization would not be dragged into one.
Thursday's shooting started as supporters of the Shiite group and ally Amal were gathering for a demonstration against Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator in the Beirut port blast probe.
Geagea said that while he initially thought Hezbollah had nothing to do with the explosion, "with its recent actions it is telling us that perhaps it might be concerned" over the matter.
Hezbollah has been leading demands for Bitar to be removed, accusing him of bias. The lead investigator has sought to question several Hezbollah allies on suspicion of negligence that led to the blast, which killed more than 200 people and devastated swathes of Beirut.
In its efforts to stop the probe, Hezbollah has taken the current government "hostage," Geagea said, referring to how the standoff over Bitar has paralyzed the cabinet.
Geagea also told reporters that he had been summoned for questioning over the shooting.
"I am ready to appear before the judge, on one condition: that Hassan Nasrallah does it before me," he said.
Shahar Klaiman and Reuters
Source: https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/10/22/christian-lebanese-leader-hezbollah-legally-does-not-exist/
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