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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Geagea Laments Qassem's Remarks on LF's Alleged Armament |
| 2010-10-02 |
| Asks Him to Submit Any Info to Judiciary [An Nahar] Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday snapped back at Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem ... Grand Vizier of the Hezbullies... over the latter's remarks that the article on funding the Special Tribunal for Leb will not be passed in Cabinet, stressing that "the STL was established under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1757 and the successive governments, including the current one, have been committed to Security Council's resolutions, including the aforementioned." Speaking to news hounds after his meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Leb Maura Connelly in Maarab, Geagea lamented that "a prominent dignitary such as Sheikh Qassem proclaimed totally false and unbased information suggesting that the LF was stockpiling weapons." Well, that'd be totally unfair, since Hezbollah's not stockpiling weapons... Oh. Wait. Never mind. Geagea asked Qassem to "submit this information, if there is any, to the relevant judicial authorities." Asked about the possibility of "confronting a new May 7," Geagea said: "The State is the side to confront (such a possibility) and not us, because it is responsible for civil peace and the security of citizens, and this question shouldn't be addressed to us, because the parties concerned are the ministries of interior and defense." The LF leader ruled out that the government might soon be toppled by Hizbullah and its allies, noting that the other camp was "incapable" of making such a step. He said that "there is no proof" that the STL was targeting Hizbullah, calling on the Lebanese people and politicians to read the biographies of STL's officials -- its president Antonio Cassesse, Prosecutor Danielle Bellemare, Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen and others. Asked about the possibility of sectarian violence in Leb should the STL accuse members of Hizbullah of murdering ex-PM Rafik Hariri, Geagea said: "Why? I don't understand the link between the two things." Geagea wondered if Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem was "revealing what 'would' happen or what he 'wants' to happen" when he warned of sectarian violence in Leb over STL's anticipated indictment. |
| Posted by:Fred |