Samir Geagea on mission to destroy Lebanon

The Thursday shooting in Lebanon’s Beirut, carried out by the far-right Lebanese Forces (LF) political party, led by Samir Geagea and which led to the martyrdom of a number of protesters that accused a judge investigating last year’s Beirut Port explosion of bias, is a new, pre-planned scenario that seeks to undermine the last month's relative stability in the country.

The shooting mainly sought to exert social pressure on the Lebanese public opinion, which would then serve as the prerequisite for weakening the Resistance, or at least to force Resistance into wasting its resources on battling internal challenges; all of this so that security would be restored to the areas surrounding the Zionist regime.

Meanwhile, the demands of political movements, pitting Lebanese people with different views against one another, provoking religious or ethnic groups along with the economic crisis and the Lebanese lira losing its value, have all made the situation more difficult for the Lebanese people and the elites alike.

With Hezbollah establishing itself as part of the economic deterrence and the resolution of the fuel crisis, as well as the relative stability of the government in the wake of Najib Mikati’s appointment as prime minister, the ground was set for a change in political equations, which in turn served as the main factor for causing financial crises and economic collapse in Lebanon.

Most of these political movements, which were the cause of the economic crisis and the devaluation of the Lebanese national currency, use this factor to provoke the Lebanese people and then to redirect the protests against the Resistance, while the US Embassy in Beirut coordinates and manages the whole thing. Of course, this is not merely an accusation or a political analysis, as the documents reveal the connection between the opposition and the US embassy.

Last year’s Beirut Port explosion will not be the last scenario aimed at disintegrating Lebanon; Just as the suspicious assassination of Rafiq Hariri in 2005 was not. It seems that after the pro-American groups failed to achieve the desired results from the Beirut explosion, this time an attempt was made to politicize the issue and to set the ground for exerting pressure on the Resistance.

Explaining the reasons behind Thursday's shooting in Lebanon, former Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, in an interview with Mehr, criticized the judge for politicking the Beirut explosion as well as the dominance of political will over the Lebanese judiciary system. He also cited the role of the US embassy in the incidents and described Samir Geagea as someone who wants to push Lebanon to the edge of a cliff. He also stressed that Geagea does not represent the Lebanese people and has no support among them.

Emphasizing the independence of the Lebanese judiciary, he said that the judiciary should be free of any influence, otherwise exerting influence on the judiciary could take away the body’s independent and fair decision-making, and this is not in Lebanon's best interests.

"Of course, this is not merely an accusation or a political analysis, as the documents reveal the connection between the opposition and the US embassy.Last year’s Beirut Port explosion will not be the last scenario aimed at disintegrating Lebanon; Just as the suspicious assassination of Rafiq Hariri in 2005 was not"Under such circumstances, he said, one cannot hope for fair and just decisions by the court.

Adnan Mansour, while referring to the Beirut Port explosion, added, "Since the explosion, the investigation has yet to be concluded, and it seems that some movements and groups are trying to accuse one side or the other of being involved in the explosion without citing any evidence."

He went on to say that there should be a single criterion for conducting investigation, adding that the process must be transparent and not based on different criteria.

The former Lebanese foreign minister went on to stress that the Lebanese people are calling for an unbiased and nonpartisan investigation into the Beirut bombing. The politicking of the Beirut explosion provoked a negative reaction from Lebanese citizens, who took to the streets in protest but were met with bullets from Lebanese forces’ snipers on Thursday.

Adnan Mansour said that after the economic problems and the financial crisis, Lebanon is now in a very dangerous and difficult situation in the wake of the recent shooting.

He also referred to the role of the US Embassy in these incidents, saying that the remarks by the US officials and members of the Congress reveal the embassy’s involvement. He then stressed that Lebanon will not get dragged into internal conflicts, calling on all Lebanese officials to stand firm against this situation.

Regarding Samir Geagea's remarks after the shooting and the involvement of Lebanese forces, the former Lebanese Foreign Minister said that Geagea has a plan for destroying Lebanon in mind and does not wish peace and tranquility for the country.

"Geagea has a dark track record full of terror and bloodshed, and the Lebanese government should not allow the man to proceed with his plans and adventures,” he added.

MNA/5328596