Miraculous Survival: The Flower Saved Me This Time

Nour Rida

"While I was walking in my garden with some bodyguards, I saw a beautiful flower. I knelt down to pick it. Meanwhile, I heard two shots, I then flattened to the ground. We then saw two holes in a wall of the building. Immediately, we called the security forces who have concluded that the two bullets were fired at more than 1 km distance. This would be more of a sniper, and the sniper rifles used are 12.7 and 14.5 mm caliber, so they are sophisticated."

These were the words of the scenario Head of the Lebanese Forces (LF) Samir Geagea described in a press conference he held on Wednesday, in which he said he had been the victim of an assassination attempt.
Speaking confidently of each and every suspected detail, Geagea added "They tried to kill me with very sophisticated weapons, far beyond our capabilities. They had placed a camera at 4 km to monitor the site 24/24 to detect our movements. Then, an executive team went into action when it reached the suitable time. Such an operation requires indeed very sophisticated technological means covering a distance of 3 to 6 km."

Geagea said he believed that "those who stand behind this operation have wanted this to be a definite message."

Without pointing fingers at any party, he claimed the perpetrators of this attack try to oust him from politics in Lebanon. Also, underscoring that some sides are aware of his existence, Geagea considered it obvious that a local party has participated in the operation, "because my positions are starting to bother them."

Assembly of Parties: Geagea Assassination Political Tool

The Lebanese Assembly of National Parties and Figures assured that the talk about Geagea's assassination attempt falls in the context of political investment as Lebanon has started preparing for the 2013 parliamentary elections.
The assembly advised Geagea to stay away from "naked" scenarios, noting that these no longer can trick the Lebanese people.

Al-Akhbar: Miracle Always Saves Geagea

Meanwhile, the Lebanese daily al-Akhbar noted that Geagea's historical archive is full of "assassination attempts" joined by a one common "miracle" as he survives them all.
"It is not the first time that head of the Lebanese Forces announces his miraculous survival of what he calls an assassination attempt," the paper wrote, noting that the circumstances and logistics of the different "attempts" are very similar.
Recalling an assassination attempt Geagea had claimed in the rickety phase in 1987 following the assassination of Lebanese former Premier Rashid Karameh, al-Akhbar recounts from archives "Geagea's record includes an almost identical declaration during the second half of the 80s, during the presidential elections period. Geagea back then, and all of a sudden declared that he had been a victim of an assassination attempt in the military council at his residence place.

As for the second assassination attempt "declaration", al-Akhbar said it was in more interesting Hollywood-like techniques at the time he stood behind bars accused of assassinating dani Shamoun and his family.
"only that flower was the new factor in Geagea's new announcement on his always-enjoyment of Divine protection!" the newspaper concluded.


Source: moqawama.org