On July 20, the Lebanese National News Agency carried the following report: Head of the Lebanese Forces Executive Committee Samir Geagea stated: “No one should ask about Hezbollah’s anger following the Special Tribunal’s indictment, rather about ours since we are awaiting this tribunal’s indictment in regard to our martyrs… All of sudden, attacks surfaced against this tribunal and state institutions, and I am now convinced that the other team wants to control the state. What has the Special Tribunal done so far so that it is attacked that way? If it is booby-trapped or politicized, we before Hezbollah will not accept it. Nonetheless, the behavior we are currently seeing is unacceptable.”
Geagea then described Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as “the Supreme Guide,” stressing that the latter was acting as though this was the case and assuring that the Supreme Guide in Iran enjoyed the prerogative to dismiss the prime minister while “Nasrallah wanted to dismiss the entire Lebanese government.
“The state must go back to being the supreme guide and all the sides must assume their responsibilities.” On the other hand, Geagea held General Michel Aoun responsible for any acts of violence that occur in any Christian areas against the backdrop of his call on Hezbollah to change the rules of the game. He asked him to give any information he has to the correct side, i.e. the Lebanese army and not Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah “who is neither the president of the republic nor the army commander.” Asked about Lebanese-Syrian relations, Geagea said: “None of the important issues was resolved and we are seeking this resolution whose date is still unknown.” He pointed out that “the Lebanese Forces as a party was not present in Damascus. However, we had two ministers as part of the governmental delegation and this is how relations between two states should be. Lebanese-Syrian relations are improving but slowly.”
On the fifth anniversary of his exit from prison, Samir Geagea gave an interview to the show Bi Mawdouiya [Objectively] on MTV hosted by journalist Walid Abboud. He said in regard to his anniversary “from detention” as he called it: “When I learned I will exit my detention for the first time, I was scared of losing the calm I enjoyed. Five years later, this fear has dissipated and I was able to maintain my connection with the other dimension while integrating the details of daily life…” On the other hand, Geagea believes that “nine months ago, the other team believes it took everything and that there was still a small island called the Lebanese Forces which they will try to isolate and eliminate,” indicating that his nomination for the presidency of the republic position was not on the table after he heard one of the heroes of the other team, threatening that they will do their best to prevent him from reaching this post after they had tried to isolate him.
“We have placed all our weight on the parliamentary elections and won them. This means we are still part of the team prevailing in Lebanon and whose convictions and principles we adopt…” Regarding the restructuring of the Lebanese Forces, Geagea assured: “There was no delay in the restructuring of the LF. We needed some time to arrange our internal affairs and reunite. We had major national responsibilities but eventually reached our destination, one which undermined the talk that the LF is a one-person party or specifically one which is limited to Samir Geagea. When the door of the Lebanese Forces is opened, it will be open to all but on the basis of ethics. For example, we cannot accept the membership of a person who used to belong to the Syrian Social National Party or a person whose ethical values do not allow him to join us.”
Geagea then revealed he had the impression we will see the resumption of political assassinations in Lebanon, assuring he was completely aware of the fact that he was personally targeted and that the solution resided in the adoption of the necessary measures. In regard to the Special Tribunal, Geagea indicated: “What the other team is now doing makes no sense. Only six days ago, the political climate in the country was acceptable, but it is as though the other team decided to topple it all along with civil peace to achieve its goals… All of a sudden, all hell broke loose over this tribunal and state institutions. However, this situation is hopeless and I am convinced that the other team wishes to control the state… They want to put Prime Minister Saad Hariri in a corner in order to force him to relinquish the Special Tribunal. All they did during the last parliamentary elections was for that purpose and now they want to topple everything by force, which will certainly not work. They claimed that Tareq al-Rabaa was Hariri’s relative, at a time when the information I have revealed he was close to the Projects Association.”
Consequently, Geagea called on the authority to strike with an iron fist and not to allow any team to threaten another Lebanese team, asking officials and constitutional institutions to prevent these things… “Will Prime Minister Hariri allow another to be accused of killing his father by the tribunal or will President Gemayel accept that another be accused of assassinating his son? Has the indictment of the Special Tribunal come out? Is Der Spiegel or Le Figaro the tribunal? Had I been in Hezbollah’s shoes, I would have waited for the evidence to surface and would have acted accordingly because had Hezbollah been confident in this issue, it would not have shown all these tensions... Our position toward Hezbollah’s arms preceded the Special Tribunal and we are therefore not counting on it in this regard. I never doubted that Hezbollah had any connection to the assassination of Hariri…”