Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea told Reuters on Tuesday that Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt’s expected visit to Damascus is not necessarily significant. “I wait for what will come after the visit,” he said.

Jumblatt admitted during Saturday’s Al-Jazeera interview that he “in a moment of anger and loss” made inappropriate comments about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

According to Geagea, the Syrian regime continues to not recognize Lebanon as an independent state, “where Lebanese leaders and people are the final decision makers.”

Geagea said there was currently no reason to visit Syria given that relations, he said, have not yet been normalized between Beirut and Damascus. “President [Michel Sleiman] and Prime Minister [Saad Hariri] are also working on improving bilateral relations, which is why I do not see a reason for my visit to Syria,” he added.

According to Geagea, Syrian influence has not increased in Lebanon however affects individual Lebanese parties.

He voiced no worries as to the March 14 alliance’s future, even though he said this does not prevent it from being subject to smear campaigns.

He added that the March 8 alliance is obstructing progress in the government.

Geagea said that criticisms against the Internal Security forces (ISF) are unfortunate, adding that the agreement is not on security but on training and equipping the ISF.

Several March 8 coalition figures, including head of the Media and Telecommunications Commission Hassan Fadlallah and Speaker Nabih Berri, criticized the former PM’s cabinet for reportedly signing an agreement with Washington to supply long-term training and equipment to the army and ISF when the parliament was shut down from December 2006 until May 2008.

Distorting reality for political gain is shameful, added Geagea.

-NOW Lebanon

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