Franjieh insists Hizbullah tried to prevent fighting
Source: Daily Star, 09-05-2008
BEIRUT: Former Interior Minister and head of the Marada Movement Suleiman Franjieh says Hizbullah tried to avoid the events of Wednesday and Thursday for some time, "and they are the ones who were afraid of movements on the street." "There are daily provocations directed at Hizbullah, which aim at dragging the party into internal conflicts," Franjieh told OTV in an interview aired Wednesday night.
"Sunnis are not being targeted," the former minister said, arguing that Sunnis have long dominated the political system in Lebanon at the expense of the country's Christians.
Franjieh said that the parliamentary majority wanted to test Hizbullah by bringing up the party's private communications network and has placed its bets on the arrival of foreign fleets, he said.
"Yet the arrival of fleets will turn Lebanon into an Iraq," he warned. "If a political compromise is not reached, Lebanon will enter civil war. The protests will be extended, and the airport will remain closed. Civil disobedience is a democratic right, and we might resort to it," he added.
Franjieh also did not rule out the possibility of the army's division if it becomes involved on the ground.
"Shiite officers and 60 percent of Christian officers will leave the army if it changes the way it has been acting so far," the fomer minister said.
He also accused the Future Movement of infiltrating armed men into Christian areas under the cover of security agencies.
Franjieh then accused Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh of trying to reveal the whereabouts of Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah so that he could be easier assassinated by 'Israeli' warplanes.
Franjieh ruled out any positive results in the presidential-election crisis unless an agreement is reached over the electoral law. "There is no way to discuss anything besides the electoral law," he said.
"MP Saad Hariri is not Lebanese, but is serving Saudi interests, and Speaker Nabih Berri has made a mistake in believing [head of the Democratic Gathering MP] Walid Jumblatt," he added, referring to Jumblatt's expression of interest in dialogue before his accusations against Hizbullah spurred government decisions that spurred the outbreak of violence.
Franjieh said France, the United States and Europe are seeking the return of demarcation lines in Lebanon.
"If Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea wants to play the hero, we will retaliate to the Lebanese Forces anywhere. We have weapons and will retaliate to any provocation," he said. "Jumblatt is seeking to establish a Druze entity and Geagea a Christian one, but they will not reach this end."
Franjieh said that if Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir wants to get involved in politics and "take sides; he will have his share of our replies."
"He has no stable position on anything. Every time there is a danger in Lebanon, he leaves the country, and I accuse him of previous knowledge of these incidents, and this is why he leaves."
BEIRUT: Former Interior Minister and head of the Marada Movement Suleiman Franjieh says Hizbullah tried to avoid the events of Wednesday and Thursday for some time, "and they are the ones who were afraid of movements on the street." "There are daily provocations directed at Hizbullah, which aim at dragging the party into internal conflicts," Franjieh told OTV in an interview aired Wednesday night.
"Sunnis are not being targeted," the former minister said, arguing that Sunnis have long dominated the political system in Lebanon at the expense of the country's Christians.
Franjieh said that the parliamentary majority wanted to test Hizbullah by bringing up the party's private communications network and has placed its bets on the arrival of foreign fleets, he said.
"Yet the arrival of fleets will turn Lebanon into an Iraq," he warned. "If a political compromise is not reached, Lebanon will enter civil war. The protests will be extended, and the airport will remain closed. Civil disobedience is a democratic right, and we might resort to it," he added.
Franjieh also did not rule out the possibility of the army's division if it becomes involved on the ground.
"Shiite officers and 60 percent of Christian officers will leave the army if it changes the way it has been acting so far," the fomer minister said.
He also accused the Future Movement of infiltrating armed men into Christian areas under the cover of security agencies.
Franjieh then accused Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh of trying to reveal the whereabouts of Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah so that he could be easier assassinated by 'Israeli' warplanes.
Franjieh ruled out any positive results in the presidential-election crisis unless an agreement is reached over the electoral law. "There is no way to discuss anything besides the electoral law," he said.
"MP Saad Hariri is not Lebanese, but is serving Saudi interests, and Speaker Nabih Berri has made a mistake in believing [head of the Democratic Gathering MP] Walid Jumblatt," he added, referring to Jumblatt's expression of interest in dialogue before his accusations against Hizbullah spurred government decisions that spurred the outbreak of violence.
Franjieh said France, the United States and Europe are seeking the return of demarcation lines in Lebanon.
"If Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea wants to play the hero, we will retaliate to the Lebanese Forces anywhere. We have weapons and will retaliate to any provocation," he said. "Jumblatt is seeking to establish a Druze entity and Geagea a Christian one, but they will not reach this end."
Franjieh said that if Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir wants to get involved in politics and "take sides; he will have his share of our replies."
"He has no stable position on anything. Every time there is a danger in Lebanon, he leaves the country, and I accuse him of previous knowledge of these incidents, and this is why he leaves."
