The leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, in Meerab, on May 9, 2024. Photo taken from his X account.
BEIRUT — Never since October 8 has Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces (FL), gone so far. More than ten months after the start of clashes between Hezbollah and Israel in support of Hamas in Gaza, the leader of the Lebanese Forces fiercely criticized the outgoing government, of which Hezbollah is one of the main sponsors. He accused the government of "high treason," particularly concerning ongoing negotiations to de-escalate the situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border - following eleven months of cross-border fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli army. Geagea criticized the cabinet for merely 'watching from afar' during a press conference in Meerab.
"General Michel Aoun [a major Christian opponent of Mr. Geagea and former President of the Republic] led us to hell, and the axis of resistance [led by Hezbollah] is driving us deeper into it," said the leader of the Lebanese Forces, before attacking the outgoing cabinet: "In light of what is happening in Southern Lebanon, I accuse the government of high treason, as it is the government, and not Hezbollah, that is responsible for the Lebanese people."
Elaborating on his comments, Samir Geagea argued that the White House envoy to Lebanon, Amos Hochstein, met with Lebanese officials during his last visit to Lebanon on Wednesday but "received Hezbollah's (official) response through intermediaries or via [Speaker of the Parliament] Nabih Berri." The latter has become a mandatory channel for all international envoys, in his role as the de facto negotiator on behalf of the official Lebanon, but also and especially on behalf of Hassan Nasrallah's party, his greatest ally.
"The ministerial team merely echoes Hezbollah’s actions and positions," said the leader from Meerab. Recently, the outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, had expressed positions that were nearly identical to those of Hezbollah, stating in an interview given at the end of July to the local channel al-Jadeed that the government "should surely" negotiate with the Shiite party and "seek its approval for everything related to the conflict."
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Geagea reiterated his stance that the government should take control of the situation in southern Lebanon, emphasizing the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which requires Hezbollah to withdraw behind the Litani River and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the region. 'The cabinet needs to make national decisions on this matter instead of merely echoing Hezbollah’s positions,' Samir Geagea emphasized."
Geagea's comments dismissed by opponents
In response, the caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, rejected Geagea's accusations, calling them baseless.
'While Mr. Geagea has the right to express himself and play the role of an opposition figure, this does not mean that we accept him making unfounded judgments using terms whose constitutional and legal meanings he has probably forgotten,' reads a statement published by the government.
"If Mr. Geagea has a solution that he believes is easy to implement, he should explain to the public why what he proposed could not be realized,' the statement continues.
'The government is doing its duty to overcome obstacles, particularly regarding the situation in Southern Lebanon and its direct and indirect consequences" the government’s statement adds, inviting both the loyalist camp and the opposition to "cooperate (with the government) during this difficult period, instead of making accusations that only widen the gap between Lebanese." Similarly, former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party and Druze leader, Walid Joumblatt, expressed his solidarity with the Lebanese government during a telephone conversation with Mr. Mikati, stating that Samir Geagea's attacks were 'political and untimely.'"
Syrian migrants and refugees in Lebanon
The leader of the Lebanese Forces extensively focused on the issue of Syrian migrants and refugees in Lebanon, which has become one of his priorities since the murder last April of his party's coordinator for the Jbeil region, Pascal Sleiman, during an attempt to steal his car. Syrians are believed to be involved in the crime. After noting that the circumstances and motives of the case have yet to be clarified, the Christian leader criticized the latest official decision on the Syrian presence made by the Council of Ministers, which met last Wednesday at the government headquarters. During that meeting, the Mikati cabinet agreed to the request of the outgoing Minister of Displaced Persons, Issam Charafeddine (from Talal Arslane's Lebanese Democratic Party), to once again oversee the voluntary return of Syrian refugees and migrants. "It’s a joke," the FL leader quipped.
Calling on the Lebanese authorities to "break away from the ostrich policy," Mr. Geagea outlined the roadmap that, according to him, the government should follow.
"First, the government must classify Syrians present in Lebanon (as economic refugees, political refugees, etc.) without waiting for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to make this classification ... It is a sovereign decision for the government to make," Mr. Geagea stated, emphasizing that the UN agency 'can only accept asylum requests' from Syrians wishing to flee to a third country.
Geagea's proposal then calls for the government to ask the UNHCR and other international organizations "to stop providing aid to Syrians whose presence in Lebanon is illegal (i.e., those without residency permits issued by the Lebanese General Security)." He also urged the outgoing Interior Minister, Bassam Mawlawi, to continue the campaign carried out a few months ago by the security forces against "Syrians working illegally in Lebanon." "Cutting international aid and preventing illegal employment would encourage Syrians illegally present in Lebanon to return home," concluded Samir Geagea.